California Poultry Federation Headline News

Edited by Mark Looker

A news service of the California Poultry Federation, 4640 Spyres Way, Suite 4, Modesto, CA 95356  (209) 576-6355  www.cpif.org.
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Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2009

• Congress Moving To Lift Ban on Chinese Chicken Imports - - House and Senate negotiators are poised to sign off on a new Agriculture appropriations measure that contains emergency aid to U.S. dairy farmers and lifts a two-year-old ban on Chinese poultry imports. The original House-passed bill continued a ban on Chinese poultry imports, which Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee Chairwoman Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., said should remain in place. DeLauro wanted USDA to correct what she described as a flawed process for assessing food safety. The Senate bill allowed poultry imports from China if certain standards were met. The conference report takes the Senate approach, authorizing the Agriculture Department to allow Chinese poultry imports once it determines that they meet food safety standards equivalent to those in the United States.  <more> Sept. 30, 2009 CQPolitics.com  
   

• Judge tosses evidence in Oklahoma poultry pollution trial  - - Eleven poultry companies being sued for polluting a northeastern Oklahoma watershed persuaded a judge Wednesday to exclude portions of government reports purportedly describing problems associated with chicken waste in the Illinois River valley and what to do about it.  The reports were the first key pieces of evidence submitted by the state on the first day of testimony. State attorneys had planned to use the documents to show the poultry industry was largely responsible for pollution in the watershed on the Oklahoma-Arkansas border. <more> Sept. 30, 2009 AP   
   

• Schwarzenegger seeks overhaul of state tax system - - Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger endorsed a plan Tuesday to radically alter the way Californians pay taxes, calling on state lawmakers to make dramatic changes before year's end to take the state off the "roller coaster ride" of boom-and-bust budgets. The governor called a special session of the Legislature to consider proposals in a 415-page report from a government commission that spent nine months studying ways to modernize the state's tax system. Among the ideas from the bipartisan Commission on the 21st Century Economy presented in the report and draft legislation are dramatically reduced income levies and a revolutionary new business tax that would replace existing retail sales and corporation taxes. <more> Sept. 30, 2009 LA Times  

    
   

• Thank You - - Today marks my final production of Headline News for the California Poultry Federation as  I end my contract to provide communication services to the CPF. I would like to thank all of those who have contacted me since my announcement last week and expressed their best wishes. It has been a challenging, rewarding and fun ride for the past 17 years. Starting tomorrow, Cody Penfold takes over publication of CPF Headline News as well as other communication duties. He will be making some changes to the format of Headline News which I think you will like, giving it a much needed overhaul. The appearance may change but the CPF's commitment to bringing you the most up to date and accurate information about the dynamic California poultry industry will not change. I have been overwhelmed by the expressions of appreciation and support over the past week. Thank you for your kind words and as I've said before, I'm not really going anywhere as I will continue to live in Modesto and work on behalf of California farmers through Looker Communications Consulting. I can be reached at marklooker@yahoo.com As we old-time journalists write at the end of each article, that's -30- for this story.  Sept. 30, 2009

• Glass half full for California water, as administration seeks new science study -- The nation's most respected scientists should re-examine California's Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and the controversial measures now protecting it, the Obama administration declared Wednesday. In a nod to Central Valley residents and their increasingly angry congressional allies, the administration agreed to seek an independent review by the National Academy of Sciences. The study, announced at an often-heated public hearing Wednesday morning, would include a search for alternative environmental protections that might demand less sacrifice from farmers. "This is a huge priority for the president and for me," Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said. "We will do our part." <more> Sept. 30, 2009 McClatchy

   

• Cardoza blasts Interior over lack of action on San Joaquin Valley drought - - During a meeting today with Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and other top officials with the Department of Interior, Congressman Cardoza took aim at the lack of government action in addressing the San Joaquin Valley’s drought. As a result of water curtailments to farmers in the heart of California, an estimated 40,000 jobs have been lost and thousands of acres of prime farmland have been fallowed. “My definition of ‘crisis’ is a disaster that requires an immediate response,” said Congressman Cardoza. “By no definition of the word crisis has the federal government responded appropriately. Instead of red lights and fire trucks, I see business as usual. We all know that this crisis will not end even if we have a wet year. It is time to face this crisis head-on and finally take action.” California’s San Joaquin Valley farmers are currently in their third year of drought. In addition to the natural drought, farmers are also faced with a “regulatory drought” from regulatory requirements that have cut back their water allocations from the San Joaquin Delta. <more> Sept. 30, 2009 Cardoza Press Release
   

• More water set for release for San Joaquin River - - There won't be a ceremony Thursday - just the flip of a few switches at Friant Dam, probably sometime before noon. A couple of 3-foot valves will open. And within seconds, more water will rush into the San Joaquin River, kicking off one of the most ambitious river restoration projects ever. The nine-year project - the culmination of a legal settlement between farmers and environmentalists - will eventually reconnect the 350-mile river to the Pacific Ocean. Salmon could one day migrate from near Fresno to the ocean along portions of river that are now dry.  <more> Sept. 30, 2009 Fresno Bee

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Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2009

• Cage law could end up in court - - Many California egg producers will turn to colony housing systems for their hens in spite of protests by Humane Society of the United States that the systems comply with Proposition 2. Valley Center egg producer Ryan Armstrong, who was heavily involved in the effort to defeat Prop. 2, said he believes up to 80 percent of producers will change their systems before the 2015 deadline to comply with the law mandating more space for egg-laying hens. Last week, when Modesto egg producer J.S. West announced it is spending $3.2 million to build the first "colony system" for housing laying hens, HSUS said the system would not fulfill requirements of the law. <more> Sept. 29, 2009 Capital Press      

   

• State wants judge to punish poultry companies  - - The first witness has yet to be called in Oklahoma's 2005 pollution lawsuit against the Arkansas poultry industry, and the state's attorneys are already asking a judge to reprimand the companies for violating court rules and making other distortions during opening arguments last week.  It's an early sign that suggests the case, which accuses poultry giants like Tyson Foods Inc. and Cargill Inc. of polluting a northeastern Oklahoma watershed with bird waste, could be a long slog, as every detail is held up to scrutiny. Testimony is scheduled to begin Wednesday, and the case could last weeks. <more> Sept. 29, 2009 AP

   

• Calif. tax panel's ideas meet political skeptics -- A state commission is expected to submit a report Tuesday to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and lawmakers that recommends bold changes to California's tax system. But it's being met by political skepticism before the ink dries. The Commission on the 21st Century Economy is expected to recommend repealing the sales and corporate taxes, flattening the income tax rate and taxing businesses in a way that has never been tried on a wide scale in the United States . A draft copy of the report obtained by The Associated Press showed the commission will recommend that the cash-strapped state change its personal income tax structure to reduce the burden on the wealthy. It also recommends replacing the state sales and corporate taxes with a new business levy that taxes net receipts, in an attempt to tax the value of all goods and services businesses produce in the state. <more> Sept. 29, 2009 AP
   

• Animal Health Institute launches Healthy Animal website - - The Animal Health Institute has launched the Healthy Animals campaign website at  www.healthyanimals.org. . The site is broken down into three focus areas – Zoonotic Diseases, Pets, and Food Safety – which were selected based on  AHI research with policymakers and search engine keyword results.  Each section includes links to related materials, resources, videos and podcasts.  Sept. 29, 2009 AHI Notice

• Boxer, Kerry Set to Introduce Climate Bill in Senate - - Ending some nine months of closed-door deliberations, Sens. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) and John Kerry (D-Mass.) will release global warming legislation Wednesday that they hope will be the vehicle for broader Senate negotiations and an eventual conference with the House. The bill's authors said last week that they expect to start hearings early next month on the bill, with a markup in Boxer's Environment and Public Works Committee to follow soon thereafter. They also acknowledged that their legislation is just a "starting point" in a bid to win over moderate and conservative Democrats, as well as Republicans. <more> Sept. 29, 2009 NY Times
   

• Parra launches new business - - Former Assembly Member Nicole Parra, who recently left a job with the Schwarzenegger administration, has opened up her own consulting shop called NMP Consulting -- for Nicole Marie Parra. The Democrat-turned independent runs the business out of her condo in downtown Fresno and says she has seven clients so far that she assists with government relations, including a school district and engineering firm.  <more> Sept. 29, 2009 Fresno Bee

   

• The 10 Reasons They Hate You So - -You think critics of modern food production just don't understand the realities of farming? But consider how little you may understand about the philosophy behind their complaints. <more> Sept. 29, 2009 Truthinfood.com

Monday, Sept. 28, 2009

• Beijing gets tough on US poultry sales - - Beijing launched anti-dumping and anti-subsidy investigations into imports of US chicken products on Sunday in a snub to conciliatory actions from US lawmakers, who plan to lift a ban on imports of Chinese poultry products. The Obama administration on Friday praised a decision to lift import restrictions and replace them with stricter inspections of Chinese supply chains, after the main opponents of Chinese poultry imports in Congress withdrew support for a blanket ban. That decision did not stop China's ministry of commerce from launching investigations into US chicken imports two days later in a move the US poultry industry has warned could seriously harm trade with its biggest export market. <more> Sept. 28, 2009 Financial Times 

   

• It's Free-Range Turkey for First Lady Michelle Obama - - There's another Obama burger in town, but this time it's in honor of Michelle. Former Top Chef contestant Spike Mendelsohn concocted a new burger dubbed "Michelle's Melt" for his Capitol Hill burger joint, the Good Stuff Eatery, and is debuting it tomorrow on Good Morning America. "The First Lady is a good customer and I was embarrassed to just have the Prez Obama burger on our menu," Mendelsohn says in a press release, referring to a trip Michelle Obama and her staff made to the restaurant in May. It’s a free-range turkey burger with caramelized onions, Swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato, and South Lawn herb-garden mayo on a whole wheat bun. <more> Sept. 28, 2009 US News & World Report
   

• U.S. Poultry & Egg Association Accepting Applications for Clean Water Award - - U.S. Poultry & Egg Association is accepting applications for the 2010 Clean Water Awards.  The award recognizes outstanding water treatment plant performance in the poultry industry.  Winners will be announced at the Association’s Environmental Management Seminar in New Orleans, March 17-18, 2010. There are two categories for the award: one for full treatment facilities - those that fully reclaim their wastewater prior to discharge into receiving water or final land application system, and one for pretreatment facilities - those that discharge pretreated effluent to publicly-owned full treatment facilities. Any USPOULTRY member company is eligible to submit one nominee in each category.  Facilities which have previously won the award may not be re-nominated for five years. The deadline for submitting applications is December 31, 2009.  An evaluation committee will review the application package and select two semifinalist facilities in each category. The review committee will then visit the semifinalist facilities to select the award recipients.  The committee includes university personnel, industry engineers and managers, and state regulatory officials. Award recipients will receive a trophy, be profiled on the USPOULTRY web site, and receive assistance from the association in publicizing the award on a local, regional, and national level. For more information on the Clean Water Award, contact: Paul Bredwell; vice president environmental programs, U.S. Poultry & Egg Association, 1530 Cooledge Road, Tucker, GA 30084-7303; (770) 493-9401; Fax: (770) 493-9257; or E-mail pbredwell@poultryegg.org. Sept. 28, 2009 USPEA Press Release       
   

• Grocery program rewards students' hard work - - Alexis Alba won't have a regular job anytime soon, but the third-grader already has provided for her family. She is taking part in an effort, launched Friday, that offers biweekly bags of groceries from food banks to children in four after-school programs in Modesto and Livingston. The effort, underwritten by the Foster Farms poultry company, requires the students to complete eight hours a week of homework, sports and other supervised activities. "There is a real moral lesson in this, which is if you work hard and excel, you are compensated for it," said Ira Brill, director of marketing and advertising services for Foster Farms. He said the effort, dubbed Food 4 Thought, is especially needed with the high jobless rate in the San Joaquin Valley. Brill got Foster Farms involved after joining the Second Harvest board. That agency supplies the Modesto schools and the Merced County Food Bank handles Campus Park. The poultry company is Livingston's largest employer. "Foster Farms is well-known, and the fact that they are willing to do this is a wonderful thing for everybody," said George Solis, principal at Campus Park. <more> Sept. 28, 2009 Modesto Bee
  
  
  
  
  
   

• For San Joaquin River, a historic reawakening - - It all starts Thursday with a gentle surge of water to be released from Friant Dam into the San Joaquin River. A massive, unprecedented and unpredictable river restoration project will begin, reawakening miles of dried riverbed and salmon runs that have been extinct for six decades. Since the dam was built in the 1940s, long stretches of the river have been dry. Parts have become a gutter for the San Joaquin Valley, collecting muddy seepage, trash and abandoned cars. Now, in a nine-year effort that could cost up to $1.2 billion, the 350-mile San Joaquin will be reconnected with the Pacific Ocean. Salmon, which once teemed in its waters, may again migrate from near Fresno to the ocean. <more> Sept. 28, 2009 Fresno Bee
   

• A fishy tale about California water - - By Victor Davis Hanson - - California is in an uproar over water. Nearly a quarter-million acres worth of contracted federal irrigation deliveries have been cut from the big farms of the west side of the San Joaquin Valley in central California. The water in large part is being diverted to the salty San Francisco Bay and the Delta to improve marine ecology. The result of the cutbacks is that many crops in the San Joaquin Valley have gone unplanted. Farm income is down. Thousands of farm laborers are unemployed. Growers and workers are now livid at environmentalists, federal bureaucrats and judges for worrying more about fish than about people and food growing.  Environmentalists counter that the real cause of the cutoff is an ongoing drought. They argue there are too many claims on too little fresh water with no margin of safety in dry years like this one. The problem is not just saving tiny Delta smelt or salmon, but a larger one of living within our means and not polluting our fragile ecosystem. Emotion colors the arguments of both sides. The west side is not yet a "dust bowl," as claimed on Fox News, and San Francisco Bay and the Delta will not turn stagnant, as some environmentalists fret. The majority of west-side land is still farmed, and the bay is far cleaner than it was decades ago. <more> Sept. 28, 2009 Fresno Bee

   

• Jim Boren: Republicans' role in water crisis - - To hear all the shouting over the lack of water for farms on the San Joaquin Valley's Westside, you'd think this problem was created solely by Democrats catering to their environmental friends. But the Republicans also played a major role in diverting farm water to environmental uses. In 1992, then-President George H.W. Bush signed the Miller-Bradley bill to reform the Central Valley Project. Bush did this even after coming to Fresno and promising farmers that he would veto the bill when it got to his desk. California agricultural interests vehemently opposed the bill inspired by their political nemesis, Rep. George Miller, D-Martinez. Farmers said it would devastate the state's agricultural industry. Bush signed the measure, which also included water projects for other Western states, just days before the 1992 presidential election. <more> Sept. 26, 2009 Merced Sun-Star

    

   

   

   

• Farming on list of 10 Stressful Jobs That Are Worth It - - MSN CareerBuilder.com has complied a list of jobs that have quite a bit of stress, and in their opinion, these jobs are worth the gray hairs and momentary bouts of anxiety.  Farmers came in at Number 3. Why it's stressful: Physical labor plus anxiety about Mother Nature equals stress. You start work early and stay late, all while being outside. That is if bad weather doesn't ruin your crops. Not to mention the variety of economic pressures for small farms that face competition from large businesses and manufacturers. Why it's worth it: Farmers are among the few workers that every person in the country relies on for survival. How's that for job satisfaction? How much you'll earn: Varies To see the rest of the list, click here. Sept. 28, 2009 MSN careerBuilder.com
   

• ‘I Love Farmers, They Feed My Soul’ out to change the view of agriculture and where your food comes from - - I Love Farmers, They Feed My Soul, is out to help the young generation understand the importance of knowing where our food comes from and who produced it. AgMediaConversation interviews the founders of the innovative website “I Love farmers, They Feed My Soul”. Mindy Burris, Annalisa Clarke, and Dr. J. Scott Vernon share their thoughts on why and how "I Love Farmers, They Feed My Soul" is taking shape and where they want it to go. Click here to listen to the interview. Sept. 28, 2009 Ag Media Conversation.
   

• Immigration reform sidelined, says Sen. Burris - - Comprehensive immigration reform may be potentially delayed until 2010, due to pressing issues already on the agenda of the Obama administration, according to Illinois Sen. Roland Burris. Healthcare reform and the economy are taking higher precedence than immigration reform for the current administration, which will potentially delay tackling immigration reform until 2010. During President Obama's presidential campaign he promised voters that he would make comprehensive immigration reform a top priority. However, Sen. Burris (D-Illinois) , who serves on the Homeland Security committee says, "Unfortunately, the agenda is so packed, we have so many issues on our plate that we will probably postpone the immigration reform until late this year or early next year." <more> Sept. 28, 2009 Dairy Herd Management

   

Friday, Sept. 25, 2009

• Agreement reached on poultry imports from China - - - Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and United States Trade Representative Ron Kirk today commended conferees on the agriculture appropriations bill - led by Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), chair of the Agriculture Subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee, on text slated for the FY 2010 agriculture appropriations conference report regarding the use of appropriated funds by USDA with respect to potential imports of poultry products from China. The conference agreement would allow USDA to use appropriated funds in FY 2010 to promulgate or implement a rule allowing imports of processed poultry or poultry products from China only after the Secretary of Agriculture notifies Congress that certain conditions have been met. For a full description, visit the House Appropriations website at http://appropriations.house.gov/Subcommittees/sub_ardf.shtml. USDA worked with Rep. DeLauro to craft the final language, which ensures the protection of the nation's food supply in a manner consistent with scientific principles as required under U.S. international obligations. <more> Sept. 25, 2009 USDA Press Release
   

• NTF applauds Chinese Chicken Compromise - - The National Turkey Federation’s President Joel Brandenberger issued the following statement:  The National Turkey Federation (NTF) and its membership would like to applaud Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D.-Conn., and Sen. Mark Pryor, D-Ark., for agreeing on a compromise that could permit cooked poultry products from China to be sold in the United States. The agreement would ensure the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) can proceed in conducting risk assessments of cooked poultry products from China and inspecting Chinese plants to determine their eligibility for export to the United States.  The House and Senate conferees today agreed to include this provision in the Fiscal Year 2010 Agriculture Appropriations Bill. This is important to all of meat and poultry producers in the United States because China is an important export market for so many agricultural commodities.  It is the second-largest foreign purchaser of U.S. turkey products.  China has expressed its strong opposition to a provision authored by DeLauro in last year’s appropriations bill preventing USDA from proceeding with a risk assessment and plant inspection.  The agreement essentially allows FSIS to begin conducting risk assessments, inspecting Chinese plants, and making science-based determinations about the equivalency of Chinese food safety systems. However, several key provisions must be met for product to be allowed to enter the country.  The agreement will require significant reporting to Congress but gives the Secretary of Agriculture the discretion to administer the program in accordance with established procedures for all other countries.  Strong and effective regulation ensures the integrity of our food system, and USDA should be allowed to continue its history of ensuring the safety of imported meat and poultry through a stringent science-based process, including determining that an exporting country’s inspection system is equivalent to U.S. standards. Sept. 25, 2009 NTF Press Release
   

• Doctors' suit: KFC grilled chicken a danger - - After losing its first battle against fast-food restaurants, a doctors group went back to court Wednesday and accused the KFC chain of selling grilled chicken with dangerous levels of a cancer-causing chemical. In a lawsuit in San Francisco Superior Court, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine accused KFC of violating California's Proposition 65, which requires businesses to warn customers if they are being exposed to substances that cause cancer or birth defects. The chemical cited in the lawsuit, known as PhIP, is a byproduct of the grilling process and was added to the state's list of carcinogens in 1994. The doctors group said an independent laboratory found the substance in every one of 12 grilled chicken samples bought from six East Bay KFC restaurants in May. <more> Sept. 25, 2009 SF Chronicle   
   

• Oral arguments schedules for Poultry Humane Slaughter appeal - - Oral arguments before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in San Francisco are scheduled for October 7 in the Humane Slaughter Act Case, Levine v. Schafer (formerly Levine v. Johanns). The case, brought by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) against USDA, resulted in a district court ruling that chickens are not “livestock” and are not covered by the federal law covering slaughter of cattle and other large animals. After granting USDA’s motion for summary judgment, the judge dismissed the case. HSUS appealed the district court’s February 28, 2008, decision to grant summary judgment to USDA, and the Court of Appeals agreed to hear the case. HSUS had argued that the term “livestock” in the act should include poultry because a dictionary in use when the Humane Slaughter Act was written stated that the term encompassed “useful” animals on a farm. The judge noted in her ruling that the author of the Humane Slaughter Act said during debate: “Chickens are not livestock under the terms of this bill.” She added, “Congress distinguished between livestock and poultry amongst the many bills it considered, but ultimately decided on a bill that included livestock only.” Sept. 25, 2009 NCC Newsletter

  
   

• Poultry and meat groups criticize proposed Renewable Fuel Standard changes - - In comments submitted today to the EPA, poultry and meat trade groups sharply criticized EPA’s proposed changes to the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), citing inadequate analysis of the proposed rule’s impact on agricultural commodity prices. National Turkey Federation, National Chicken Council, American Meat Institute and FarmEcon LLC  noted in the comments that EPA’s proposed regulations have not considered the risks associated with variability of grain crop or other biomass production.  This would have serious consequences on food and fuel production costs in years of reduced crop production.  Increased reliance on biofuels would likely increase the instability of U.S. fuel supplies even if the reliance on imported oil is decreased. <more> Sept. 25, 2009 NTF, NCC, AMI Press Release

   

• Vet licensure bill signed by Governor - - A bill to increase the number of practicing veterinarians in California has been signed by Gov. Swarzenegger. AB107, by Assembly members Cathleen Galgiani (D-Livingston) and Connie Conway (R-Tulare) is intended to address a chronic shortage of food-animal veterinarians. A Senate Appropriations Committee analysis predicts the bill will increase the number of veterinary licenses issued annually in California by 100. The bill received support in the Assembly and Senate. It requires the California Veterinary Medical Board to offer the state's licensing exam twice each year instead of once, and loosens rules for transferring a license from out of state, and for issuing a temporary license. Sept. 25, 2009
   

• Harkin drops indirect land use amendment - - Iowa Senator Tom Harkin has apparently backed off on his attempt to stop the EPA from using international indirect land use change theories in calculating the greenhouse gas emissions of biofuels.  That according to a DTN report. Harkin and six other senators (including Chuck Grassley of Iowa and Ben Nelson of Nebraska) had proposed an amendment to the Interior appropriations bill that would have stopped EPA from using any of its money during fiscal year 2010 to implement the indirect land use change analysis.  But a Harkin spokesman tells DTN that the senator has decided not to press forward with the amendment after receiving a letter of assurance from EPA administrator Lisa Jackson.  In the letter, Jackson told Harkin that she recognizes the uncertainty surrounding the indirect land use calculations and promises to quantify them. <more> Sept. 25, 2009 Brownfield Ag News
   

• Poochigian confirmed to state appeals court -- A judicial commission on Thursday confirmed Chuck Poochigian as a state appeals court justice in Fresno, despite an unfavorable ranking by a state bar panel. The 3-0 vote by the  Commission on Judicial Appointments came after state Supreme Court Chief Justice Ronald George criticized the state bar ranking, which had found Poochigian "not qualified" because of a lack of legal experience. George, who leads the commission, said the bar panel erred by not soliciting comments in questionnaires on Poochigian's 12-year tenure as a state lawmaker, which supporters said gave him ample legal experience. <more> Sept. 25, 2009 Fresno Bee    
   

• Tyson, Other Poultry Firms Fouled River, Lawyer Says -- Tyson Foods Inc. and almost a dozen other poultry companies are responsible for fouling an Oklahoma river with chicken waste and should pick up the tab for cleanup costs, the state’s top lawyer argued. Tyson, the world’s largest meat producer, along with turkey maker Cargill Inc. and nine other companies let growers mishandle tons of waste produced by the birds, Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson told a judge today in opening statements of the state’s lawsuit against the companies. The waste is causing algae and bacteria problems in the Illinois River watershed, which straddles the states of Oklahoma and Arkansas. <more> Sept. 25, 2009 Bloomberg    
   

• Pollan lecture draws large crowd at UW-Madison - - A crowd of almost 8,000 packed the University of Wisconsin’s Kohl Center on Thursday evening to listen to author Michael Pollan speak about his book, “In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto,” which was chosen for the university’s common book reading program, Go Big Read. While much of the crowd consisted of students, staff and interested community members, a group of about 200 Wisconsin farmers and agriculture supporters showed up to the lecture wearing green t-shirts printed with the slogan, “In Defense of Farming: Eat Food. Be Healthy. Thank Farmers.” <more> Sept. 25, 2009 Dairy Herd Management    
   

• Look homeward on food production - - by Steve Kopperud   - - I’ve been wrestling with whether I should rail against President Obama’s seeming desire to make good on every campaign promise he ever made in the first 12 months of his presidency or whether I should take issue with those who believe the world is coming to an end unless we can all go to market and trade our carbon credits like apples for oranges. Then I received this email from a New England agribusiness executive, pondering the pending acquisition of Pilgrim’s Pride Poultry by JBS out of Brazil: “I realize we are in a global economy, and food and feed no longer play in just a domestic market, but I really am concerned that our lawmakers have no clue as what is taking place with food production in this country.” <more> Sept. 25, 2009 Brownfield Ag News
   

• Food Production Will Have To Increase By 70 Percent by 2050 - - Producing 70 percent more food for an additional 2.3 billion people by 2050 while at the same time combating poverty and hunger, using scarce natural resources more efficiently and adapting to climate change are the main challenges world agriculture will face in the coming decades, according to an FAO discussion paper published today. The UN agency will organize a High-Level Expert Forum in Rome on 12-13 October 2009 to discuss strategies on "How to Feed the World in 2050". The Forum will bring together around 300 leading experts from academic, nongovernmental and private sector institutions from developing and developed countries. <more> Sept. 25, 2009 CattleNetwork.com
   

• State senators' travel plans delay special session - - A flock of state legislators is winging it to Denmark and Spain during the next 19 days to see how Europeans govern, further delaying long-promised action back home on California's water-supply problems and help for cash-strapped schools. Seven state senators are heading overseas this week, some having left Thursday, on a trip that includes stops in Copenhagen, Madrid, Bilbao and Barcelona. They plan to study Spain's national water system and Scandinavian environmental programs, and to promote trade between California and Catalonia, according to a statement from the Senate Office of International Relations, which is organizing the trip. Six other legislators are hoping to visit China and Korea to discuss business issues, but they are likely to wait until after the special session wraps up, aides said. With nearly a fifth of the upper house heading out of the country, Senate leader Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento) has put off a special session on water and schools until Oct. 13. <more> Sept. 25, 2009 LA Times
   

Thursday, Sept. 24, 2009

• CPF Conference photos now on-line- - Photos of the CPF’s annual conference held last week at the Resort at Squaw Creek have been posted to the CPF website and can be viewed by clicking here.
   

• In Dairyland, Pollan's 'Food' book sparks debate -- One best-selling book advocating fresh, local foods is shaking up America's Dairyland. Students across University of Wisconsin-Madison's campus, organic grocers, scientists, and dairy farmers large and small have jumped into the debate on how food is produced and eaten. The discussions started last month when the university began giving Michael Pollan's book, "In Defense of Food," free to all incoming freshmen and school officials urged professors to use it in class. "I have not seen the students this excited about something in years," Irwin Goodman, a horticulture professor who is vice dean of the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences said of the buzz on campus about Pollan's field-to-table philosophies. But not everyone is so excited. Bill Bruins, who has a dairy farm near Waupun and is president of the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation, called the book "a direct attack on the way we farm today." His group is working with the university to have farmers go into classrooms to present their points of view. <more> Sept. 24, 2009 AP
   

• Michael Pollan to speak at Cal Poly Sustainability Fair Oct. 15 -- Cal Poly is hosting a free "Sustainability Showcase" and fair on the Performing Arts Center plaza Thursday, Oct. 15, from 10 a.m. to noon. The event includes a free public lecture by best-selling author Michael Pollan at 11 a.m. in the Cohan Center's Harman Hall. An author, journalist, teacher and sustainable foods advocate, Pollan has written for the past 20 years about the places where the human and natural worlds intersect: food, agriculture, gardens and architecture. <more> Sept. 24, 2009 Cal Poly Press Release

• Longtime Ag Leader Joseph J. Jen Retired from Cal Poly - -  Joseph J. Jen, senior assistant to the President for Special Agricultural and Federal Initiatives since April 2006, retired from Cal Poly effective Sept. 1. Jen returned to Cal Poly in 2006 after a five-year assignment as undersecretary of research, education and economics at the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture. Prior to his USDA appointment, he had served as Cal Poly's dean of agriculture from 1992 to 2001. Since 2006 he has spearheaded a number of special initiatives on behalf of Cal Poly and the CSU.  <more> Sept. 24, 2009 Cal Poly Press Release
   

• Will investors show an appetite for local food? - - The Let's Be Frank food trailer parked most days outside the old Helms Bakery complex in Culver City is no ordinary lunch wagon. The San Francisco company that operates the hot-dog vendor serves franks and sausages made from cows that ate only grass or pigs that were raised humanely. Customers also can choose turkey or soy dogs, all on buns from L.A. Breadworks. The small business was funded in part by venture capitalist Peter Rogers and his Dry Creek Ventures, which targets clean energy, water and food businesses. Such small local food outfits, especially those that are gentle on the environment, are key to the long-term health of the economy but need formal access to local investors to succeed, says social venture-capitalist and entrepreneur Woody Tasch. <more> Sept. 24, 2009 LA Times

Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2009

• EPA’s indirect land use rules challenged - - Three Midwest senators have introduced legislation that would prevent EPA from penalizing U.S. corn and soybean growers for land use changes or potential land clearing for increased biofuel production in other countries. Sens. Tom Harkin and Charles Grassley of Iowa and Ben Nelson of Nebraska said EPA?s proposed rulemaking for implementing the so-called Renewable Fuel Standard 2 or RFS2 would limit the U.S. production and use of biofuels required in the energy bill passed by Congress in 2007. Their legislation, a proposed amendment to the Senate Interior-Environment Appropriations bill would prohibit the EPA, for one year, from spending funds to include international indirect land use change emissions in the implementation of the RFS. <more> Sept. 22, 2009 Western Farm Press
   

• L.A. council limits roosters to one per household - - Hoping to quell the amount of crowing across the city, the Los Angeles City Council passed a law Tuesday limiting the number of roosters that each household can own. On a 12-0 vote, the council agreed to allow only one rooster per property unless such birds are part of a "permitted and licensed commercial, agricultural or industrial business" -- and on a street with the proper zoning. <more> Sept. 23, 2009 LA Times
   

• Pacific Ethanol may be delisted by Nasdaq - - Sacramento ethanol producer Pacific Ethanol Inc. is not in compliance with the minimum standard to be listed on the Nasdaq stock market. The company said it received a notification letter from Nasdaq on Sept. 15. Pacific Ethanol has 180 days – until March 14 – to meet the minimum bid price of $1 per share for 10 consecutive days, or face possible delisting.  The company, which put most of its operations into Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in May, has struggled with declining market prices. Company shares closed Tuesday at 53 cents, down 4 cents for the day. Sept. 22, 2009 Sacramento Bee

• CPF Conference photos now on-line- - Photos of the CPF’s annual conference held last week at the Resort at Squaw Creek have been posted to the CPF website and can be viewed by clicking here.
   

• Panel rates Poochigian 'not qualified' for state court -- A state bar committee has rated Fresno's Chuck Poochigian as "not qualified" for an appointment to the state appellate court because "he lacks legal practice experience," according to a letter made public Tuesday. The letter by the Commission on Judicial Nominees Evaluation confirms rumors that have swirled in the legal community since August, when Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger nominated the former state lawmaker for a seat on the 5th District Court of Appeal in Fresno. The unfavorable rating is only advisory and is one of several factors to be considered by the Commission on Judicial Appointments, a three-member panel that will vote on Poochigian's nomination Thursday in San Francisco. <more> Sept. 23, 2009 Fresno Bee    
   

• States Can Sue Utilities Over Emissions - - A two-judge panel of a federal appeals court has ruled that big power companies can be sued by states and land trusts for emitting carbon dioxide. The decision, issued Monday, overturns a 2005 District Court decision that the question was political, not judicial. A panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, in New York, ruled that eight states — California, Connecticut, Iowa, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont and Wisconsin — as well as New York City and three land trusts could proceed with a suit against American Electric Power, Southern Corporation, the Tennessee Valley Authority, Xcel Energy and Cinergy Corporation, all large coal-burning utilities. <more> Sept. 23, 2009 NY Times   
   

• Supreme Court to weigh depictions of animal cruelty - - The video images were disturbing -- a tiny white kitten singed with the flame from a lighter; a gray cat struggling beneath a woman's spiked heel; pit bulls tearing into a trapped animal. The Supreme Court has often said that freedom of speech includes ugly and foul language. But this fall the justices will be looking at video clips like these to decide whether selling films of dogfights or animal torture is protected from prosecution under the 1st Amendment. The dispute, expected to be heard in early October, has driven a wedge between traditional free-speech advocates and defenders of the humane treatment of animals. <more> Sept. 23, 2009 LA Times  

Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2009

• EPA Finalizes the Nation’s First Greenhouse Gas Reporting System - - On January 1, 2010, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will, for the first time, require large emitters of heat-trapping emissions to begin collecting greenhouse gas (GHG) data under a new reporting system. This new program will cover approximately 85 percent of the nation’s GHG emissions and apply to roughly 10,000 facilities.  “This is a major step forward in our effort to address the greenhouse gases polluting our skies,” said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. “For the first time, we begin collecting data from the largest facilities in this country, ones that account for approximately 85 percent of the total U.S. emissions. The American public, and industry itself, will finally gain critically important knowledge and with this information we can determine how best to reduce those emissions.” <more> Sept. 22, 2009 EPA Press Release
   

• Coalition Asks EPA to Regulate Greenhouse Gases and Other Toxic Air Pollutants from Factory Farms - - The Humane Society of the United States and a coalition of environmental and public health organizations filed a legal petition with the Environmental Protection Agency seeking to regulate air pollution from factory farms. The petitioners joining The HSUS include Association of Irritated Residents; Center on Race, Poverty and the Environment; Clean Air Task Force; Dairy Education Alliance; El Comité para el Bienestar de Earlimart; Environmental Integrity Project; Friends of the Earth; and Waterkeeper Alliance. "Unregulated air pollution from massive factory farms has a devastating impact on human health and the environment," says Jonathan Lovvorn, vice president and chief counsel for Animal Protection Litigation and Research at The HSUS. "The EPA should hold these big agribusiness corporations accountable for the enormous harm they are inflicting on local communities, independent family farmers and the environment." <more> Sept. 22, 2009 HSUS Press Release   
   

• CPF Conference photos now on-line- - Photos of the CPF’s annual conference held last week at the Resort at Squaw Creek have been posted to the CPF website and can be viewed by clicking here.   

• Cost of climate change bill ‘impossible to predict’ - - A new report from the Congressional Research Service concludes it’s nearly impossible to predict the true cost of the House-passed climate change bill. The authors of the report analyzed seven studies on the projected cost of the legislation.  They found that the key driver in determining the cost to the economy will be the development of new energy technologies, such as carbon capture and advance wind and solar generation.  But they say it’s difficult to project costs up to the year 2030, much less beyond. <more> Sept. 22, 2009 Brownfield Ag News  
   

• Huge solar farms proposed in Valley - - A pair of solar farms proposed for the Panoche Hills of western Fresno County and eastern San Benito County could become the biggest installations of their kind in the world. Solargen Energy Inc., based in Cupertino, has submitted an application to Fresno County planners for its Panoche Ranch Solar Farm on 2,600 acres of rangeland near the Little Panoche Reservoir. Solar photovoltaic panels spread across the acreage would produce up to 250 megawatts of electricity. <more> Sept. 22, 2009 Fresno Bee
   

• Farmers unite in response to Pollan appearance at University of Wisconsin this week - - Michael Pollan, author of In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto, is scheduled to speak Sept. 24 at 7 p.m. at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wis., as part of the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s new common book program known as Go Big Read. Local farmers are reacting to Pollan’s scheduled appearances by organizing a show of solidarity and have invited all farmers, students, agriculture professionals and “people who are thankful for our safe abundant food supply” to attend the event and wear the color green. <more> Sept. 22, 2009 FeedStuffs.com
   

• Blogging on the range: Farmers link to consumers via social media - -Whether he's strolling through the corral, doing payroll at his desk or checking on a newborn calf, Stanislaus County dairy farmer Ray Prock likes to stop by what he calls his "virtual watercooler" to chat about his favorite topic: agriculture. He does this by logging on to his Twitter account, a social networking Web site that allows users to exchange quick, frequent messages known as tweets. By firing up his computer or turning on his smartphone, Prock can get a glimpse of what people in the global community are saying—and talk back to them. <more> Sept. 22, 2009 Ag Alert

Monday, Sept. 21, 2009

• CPF honors outstanding members at annual conference - - The California Poultry Federation (CPF) saluted its outstanding members at its annual conference Thursday as California meat bird producers, processors and allied members gathered at the Resort at Squaw Creek near Lake Tahoe. The annual banquet drew an audience of more than 100 people as awards were presented.
  
  The CPF’s top award, the Golden Rooster, was presented to Marty Jakosa of Foster Farms, who has been an active CPF member since 1992, serving as chairman in 1998,  and who is celebrating his 30^th year in the poultry industry. Current CPF chairman Bob Shipley noted some of Jakosa’s accomplishments as a CPF director: Marketing programs for broilers and turkeys; nutrient management committee; research programs on cellulitis and pest management; Charity Golf Tournament for poultry scholarships; weekly news update for members, associates and friends of the poultry industry; membership committee; poultry curriculum committee; chairman of summer golf tournament and PAC auction.Jakosa started in the food industry in 1975 at Safeway Stores. In1979 he was hired by Louis Rich Company in Modesto where his distinguished poultry career began. He also served as plant and/or complex manager for Oscar Mayer, Butterball Turkey Company and Longmont Foods and lived in Iowa, Texas, Colorado and Turlock. He has worked the past 10 years in human resources at Foster Poultry Farms. Marty is a Certified Professional Life Coach and focuses on personal coaching, career coaching, executive coaching and team building. Marty and his wife, Leslee, live in Turlock.  They have been married for 25years and have three children, Renee, 23, Brianna, 22 and Anthony 20.

  GOLDEN ROOSTER AWARD is presented to Marty Jakosa, right, by CPF Chairman Bob Shipley

The Allied Member of the Year award was presented to Dan Volk of Volk Enterprises. He was first elected to the CPF board in 2000, and since then has provided “outstanding contributions, both personal and professional,” said CPf president Bill Mattos. “He has always stepped up to provide both financial and intellectual resources when asked and has been a big supporter of the CPF and its members. His company is also one of the most admired and respected in the industry.” After high school, he joined the family company, Volk Development, and ran the molding department where he learned the basics of injection molding and resin application. He worked for the Grange Company and ConAgra Foods before he returned to Volk in 1986 and became head of the manufacturing unit. He designed tools, supervised molding and assembly, controlled inventory, sourced materials, implemented assembly processes and began automation. While officially acting as V.P. of Corporate Development for Volk, Dan has developed over a dozen working patents including the following: Plastic Handiclamp;  Rotisserie Clamp; Flavor-it ID Tag;  Plastic Meat Skewers; Hock Cuff;   ID Link and Ring. 

ALLIED MEMBER AWARD is accepted by Dan Volk, right, from CPF Chairman Bob Shipley

The Pioneer Award was presented to Norman Nilsen Jr. of  Nilsen Farms in Wilton, Sacramento County. The  550,000 square-foot turkey growout operation is under contract with Foster Farms. Today, Nilsen Farms consists of three ranches in the greater Sacramento area and produces about 500,000 turkeys per year.  Earlier this year, his family farm was awarded a national environmental stewardship award from the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association. He and his family today operate one of the nation’s most environmentally friendly and sustainable poultry operations in the nation. He has grown, under contract, for Foster Farms since the early 1980s, but his history with poultry began in the 1960s. He and his brother, David, grew up on an egg ranch in Southern California which was established by his mother and father after World War II. Norm’s parents started one

PIONEER AWARD is accepted by Norm Nilsen and family

of the first egg companies in California with an on-ranch egg processing facility and they were also the inventors of the Swish Drinker System in the early 1960’s. By the 1970’s, the drinker system was revolutionizing the poultry industry. Norm had grown the drinker manufacturing business to three offices nationwide, Phelan and Turlock, CA and the other near Atlanta, GA. In 1973, Nilsen’s started an egg ranch, and the next year a broiler operation which contracted with Zacky Farms. Meanwhile the Swish drinker system grew popular internationally, and he sold the growing business to Chore-Time in 1980. The egg and broiler farms were sold around that same time as well. With the help of Norm’s partner Dave Rossi, they kept open the distribution store in Turlock - Alpha Poultry and Livestock.
Norm has consistently used cutting-edge technology to increase the productivity on his ranches. Six years ago, Nilsen Farms upgraded all the houses on two of the ranches with computerized tunnel systems. Nilsen Farms remains the only Foster Farms contract turkey grower with the tunnel system. Additionally, Nilsen Farms installed a quarter-megawatt solar power system to power one ranch about four years ago. Today, all three ranches boast solar power systems. Last year, they entered into a lease agreement with a private solar company and Sacramento Municipal Utility District. Nilsen’s lease the land bordering one of their turkey ranches which in turn generates one megawatt of electricity to provide green energy to SMUD customers opting into their Green Energy Program.
Norm and his wife, Carol, have three children, Tim, Chelsea and Natalie and one grandchild, Ambria. In 2002, Norm’s son, Tim, joined the family business.

• Willie Brown says term limits part of problem facing California legislature - - The implementation of term limits by California voters in 1994 have had unintended consequences which have directly led to California's current political stalemate in Sacramento, says the man who was the target of that term limit proposal. Former Assembly Speaker Willie Brown, showing the rhetorical flourishes that have made him one of the most colorful political figures in a state known for large political personalities, told those attending the California Poultry Federation's annual conference today at the Resort at Squaw Creek that a lack of leadership and expertise can be tied directly to the passage of term limits. "The state of California is clearly reflecting in its (legislative) processes the absence of great leaders and people who have expertise. The Capitol is plagued by that and it is the result of term limits," he said. Today's legislators may have the "same intellectual capacity as those who served back then but the differences is that back then you had to serve time before you got leadership positions.
  
  FORMER ASSEMBLY SPEAKER Willie Brown addresses  the CPF annual convention. (Photo by Mark Looker.)
  
  Not the case anymore—the minute you get elected you start thinking you want to be chair of ag committee. You've got no idea about the people who raise chickens. You've got no idea about the people who milk cows." Brown said in 2009 "you have few people who can put anything together. They don’t trust each other—can’t be relied upon once their word is given to stand behind their word if it becomes politically difficult." Brown looked as several possible reforms and offered these comments. "Nothing frightens me more  than the idea of a state constitutional convention," he said. "The left and the right will be the last people standing at every constitutional meeting and will impose their will." The state cannot be "governed from left and right. It has to be governed as consensus  – just as I was selected speaker." Brown noted that he gained the support of 28 Republicans when he was elected Speaker to overcome what he jokingly referred to as the "tyranny of the Democrats" who were blocking his election. Brown said a better course to reforming governmental gridlock is an existing Constitution revision commission which he said can be appointed by the Governor for the purpose of looking at possible Constitutional revisions. "It ought to be tasked with putting together whatever we need to vote on. I hope they will kick it off with the business of term limits," said Brown.  Brown also advocated the idea of an open primary which would allow the two top vote getters, regardless of party, to advance to the general election. Brown candidly admitted that he opposed the open primary proposal while Speaker but "after my speakership I converted back to an open primary position."  To listen to an audio recording of Brown's remarks, please click here.  (MP3 file, 37 minutes) Sept. 17 2009
   

• National Chicken Cooking Contest Suspended After 60 Years - - The economic slowdown claimed another victim today as the National Chicken Council announced that the National Chicken Cooking Contest will be suspended indefinitely after 48 competitions over 60 years. “The National Chicken Cooking Contest has been one of the country’s premiere competitive cooking events, but the economic realities facing our industry required us to take a hard look at all our programs, and unfortunately the Contest has been suspended,” said NCC President George Watts.  NCC continues to promote chicken, encourage greater consumption, and educate consumers about the advantages of chicken through other programs, Watts said.  The Food Media Seminar that has been co-sponsored by NCC and U.S. Poultry & Egg Association is unaffected by the announcement and will continue to be held, he said. <more> Sept. 18, 2009 NCC Press Release
   

• Chicken Wings Fly To Unheard-of Highs As Buffalo Wing Craze Rolls On - - America’s taste for chicken wings has driven the wholesale price of the tasty tidbits to unprecedented highs, with wings actually selling for more than boneless, skinless breast, traditionally the highest-priced part of the bird, the National Chicken Council reported today. “Wings are hot, hot, hot,” said Bill Roenigk, senior vice president and chief economist of the trade association representing chicken production and processing companies. “The demand for wings from casual dining restaurants, carryout stores, and retail groceries is extremely strong. Even export demand is adding to the market strength.” Some wingtips are exported, although very few whole wings are sent out of the country. <more> Sept. 21, 2009 NCC Press Release 

   

• Poultry Litter Industry Trial Set To Begin Thursday In Tulsa Court - - The Oklahoma attorney general’s case against Arkansas-based poultry companies comes down to who’s responsible for the safe disposal of chicken litter, both sides agree. A closely related question: How much litter can safely be used as fertilizer in the Illinois River watershed?  The river’s watershed straddles both states and flows through Oklahoma. Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson claims bacteria and phosphorus content in the river has grown in recent years as the poultry industry has grown, mainly in Arkansas. <more> Sept. 21, 2009 The Morning News  
   

• Ohio starts to deal with its animal welfare campaign - - A statewide ballot initiative is aimed at keeping local control over farming practices. Few outside the agricultural industry may be aware that Issue 2, if passed Nov. 3, will amend the state constitution to create an Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board, which will regulate the treatment of farm animals, like cows, pigs and chickens. Those campaigning in favor of the issue include the Butler County Farm Bureau, which will hold a meeting at 7 p.m. Monday, Sept. 21, at the Ohio State University Princeton Road Campus, 1802 Princeton Road. Issue 2 will create a local board to ensure that food grown locally is safe and reasonably priced, said Farmersville-based Christy Montoya, the farm bureau’s organizational director for Butler, Warren, Hamilton and Montgomery counties. However, Issue 2 is opposed by the Humane Society of the United States, which is concerned about creating more humane conditions for farm animals. <more> Sept. 21, 2009 Oxford Press
   

• Christine Bedell: Shhhh, I was trying to hear Costa - - I'm no water expert, so I can't really opine on the quality of the discussion about California's water problems featured on Sean Hannity's "The Valley Hope Forgot" program Thursday night. What did strike me was just how badly people were treated, especially Congressman Jim Costa, who, frankly, is in a good position to help the situation -- he's been a water crusader for decades and is in the majority party. Costa, a Fresno Democrat, was booed during his introduction and later as he answered questions. Candi Easter, head of the Kern County Democratic Party, said he was made to look like a fool. She was peeved he even went on the show.  <more> Sept. 20, 2009 Bakersfield Californian   

Thursday, Sept. 17, 2009

• Willie Brown says term limits part of problem facing California legislature - - The implementation of term limits by California voters in 1994 have had unintended consequences which have directly led to California's current political stalemate in Sacramento, says the man who was the target of that term limit proposal. Former Assembly Speaker Willie Brown, showing the rhetorical flourishes that have made him one of the most colorful political figures in a state known for large political personalities, told those attending the California Poultry Federation's annual conference today at the Resort at Squaw Creek that a lack of leadership and expertise can be tied directly to the passage of term limits. "The state of California is clearly reflecting in its (legislative) processes the absence of great leaders and people who have expertise. The Capitol is plagued by that and it is the result of term limits," he said. Today's legislators may have the "same intellectual capacity as those who served back then but the differences is that back then you had to serve time before you got leadership positions.
  
  FORMER ASSEMBLY SPEAKER Willie Brown chats with CPF board member Marty Jakosa prior to his address  to the CPF annual convention. (Photo by Mark Looker.)
  
  Not the case anymore—the minute you get elected you start thinking you want to be chair of ag committee. You've got no idea about the people who raise chickens. You've got no idea about the people who milk cows." Brown said in 2009 "you have few people who can put anything together. They don’t trust each other—can’t be relied upon once their word is given to stand behind their word if it becomes politically difficult." Brown looked as several possible reforms and offered these comments. "Nothing frightens me more  than the idea of a state constitutional convention," he said. "The left and the right will be the last people standing at every constitutional meeting and will impose their will." The state cannot be "governed from left and right. It has to be governed as consensus  – just as I was selected speaker." Brown noted that he gained the support of 28 Republicans when he was elected Speaker to overcome what he jokingly referred to as the "tyranny of the Democrats" who were blocking his election. Brown said a better course to reforming governmental gridlock is an existing Constitution revision commission which he said can be appointed by the Governor for the purpose of looking at possible Constitutional revisions. "It ought to be tasked with putting together whatever we need to vote on. I hope they will kick it off with the business of term limits," said Brown.  Brown also advocated the idea of an open primary which would allow the two top vote getters, regardless of party, to advance to the general election. Brown candidly admitted that he opposed the open primary proposal while Speaker but "after my speakership I converted back to an open primary position."  To listen to an audio recording of Brown's remarks, please click here.  (MP3 file, 37 minutes) Sept. 17, 2009  
   

• Unifying animal agriculture - - Due in part to the passage of Proposition 2 in California, Dr. Wes Jamison, Associate Professor of Communication at Palm Beach Atlantic University tells Brownfield animal agriculture is making headway in its battle with Animal Rights advocates. Jamison says the ‘shot across the bow’ has brought animal agriculture together. “Animal agriculture is beginning to unify around the idea these people want to stop what we do, we’ve got to come up with an answer and we’ve got to oppose them,” said Jamison. But in addition to becoming unified, Jamison says agriculture will need to stop focusing on protecting commodities and begin thinking in terms of protecting the act of eating meat. <more> Sept. 17, 2009 Brownfield Ag News
   

• J.S. West, HSUS disagree whether planned henhouse is Prop. 2 compliant- - J.S. West and Cos., an egg producer based in Modesto, announced Tuesday that it will build a henhouse aimed at complying with Proposition 2. This will be the first commercial project that meets the standards for hen enclosures approved by state voters last year, company President Eric Benson said. The Humane Society of the United States, a leading backer of the proposition, disagreed. It said the new housing, increasing the floor space per hen to 116 square inches, would leave the birds too cramped. Benson said he was not surprised by the reaction and plans to move forward with the $3.2 million project. It will house about 150,000 hens, 8 percent of the company's flock, at one of its operations near Livingston. "No matter what the Humane Society thinks, we believe at J.S. West that this housing is Proposition 2-compliant," Benson said.<more> Sept. 16, 2009 Modesto Bee
   

• Pilgrim's Pride to File Plan of Reorganization and Disclosure Statement with U.S. Bankruptcy Court -- Pilgrim's Pride Corporation and six of its subsidiaries (collectively, the "Debtors") that are debtors and debtors in possession in the Chapter 11 cases pending in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Texas today announced that they will be filing a joint plan of reorganization and disclosure statement under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code. Pilgrim's Pride and JBS have agreed to a transaction representing an enterprise value of approximately $2.8 billion. Under the terms of the plan of reorganization, Pilgrim's Pride has entered into an agreement to sell 64% of the new common stock of the reorganized Pilgrim's Pride to JBS S.A., through its JBS USA Holdings, Inc. subsidiary (JBS U.S.A.), for $800 million in cash. <more> Sept. 16, 2009 Pilgrim’s Pride Press Release
   

• CPF's annual meetingunderway --  CPF’s annual meeting is Sept. 17-18 at the Resort at Squaw Creek near Lake Tahoe. The meeting opened up Thursday with a luncheon followed by an afternoon of outstanding speakers, including former Assembly Speaker Willie Brown, Roseville Republican Assemblyman Ted Gaines and Todd Hale, Senior Vice President, Consumer & Shopper Insights, for The Nielsen Company. Sponsorships to date include:
  Diamond Club: Alpharma; ASC/Agrecom; Elanco Animal Health; Snackmasters Jerky
  Gold Club: Alltech; Baker Commodities, Inc.; Billington Welding & Manufacturing, Inc.; Central Coast Fryer Farms; Cobb-Vantress, Inc.; Cumberland/Hired-Hand; Darling International Inc.; Evonik Degussa; Fort Dodge Animal Health; Foster Farms; Intervet/Schering-Plough; Merial Select, Inc.; Novus International, Inc.; Pactiv Corporation; PennField Animal Health; Phibro Animal Health; Pitman Farms; Preserve International; Valley Fresh Foods, Inc.; Veterinary Service Inc.; Wells Fargo Bank.
  Silver Club: American AgCredit; Aviagen Inc.; Aviagen Turkeys, Inc.; Archer Daniels Midland; Bayer Animal Health; Big Dutchman USA; BJK Flexible Packaging; Cryovac/Sealed Air Corporation; Diamond V Mills; Diestel Turkey Ranch; Haley Farms, Inc.; Hubbard, LLC; Huvepharma; J.S. West Milling Co.; Jones-Hamilton Co. PLT/PWT/SAS; Lehar Sales Company; Lohmann Animal Health; Lubing Systems LP; Petaluma Poultry Processors; Rabobank; RAH Consulting Services Inc.; Tipper Tie Inc.; U.S. Cold Storage of California; Volk Enterprises; Walco International, Inc.; Willie Bird Turkeys; Woodland Farms; Zinpro Corporation
   

• Chewy Chicken Feet May Quash a Trade War - - China is threatening to cut off imports of American chicken, but poultry experts have at least one reason to suspect it may be an empty threat: Many Chinese consumers would miss the scrumptious chicken feet they get from this country. “We have these jumbo, juicy paws the Chinese really love,” said Paul W. Aho, a poultry economist and consultant, “so I don’t think they are going to cut us off.” Chicken exports were thrust to the forefront of American-Chinese trade tensions on Sunday when China took steps to retaliate for President Obama’s decision to levy tariffs on Chinese tires. The Chinese announced that they were considering import taxes on automotive products and chicken meat, a development that some trade experts feared could escalate. <more> Sept. 17, 2009 AP
   

• Rule published to allow interstate sale of state-inspected meat - - USDA has published a proposed rule in the Federal Register which would allow the sale of state-inspected meat across state lines. There are 27 states that currently have state meat or poultry inspection programs that are at least equal to those imposed under federal inspection, a provision in the 2008 Farm Bill would allow those state-inspected plants with 25 or fewer employees to ship product across state lines for the very first time. USDA will accept comments on the rule under which state inspectors will be federally trained, with a federal inspection employee verifying that small state-inspected plants meet federal food safety requirements. Meat produced by these local plants will carry the USDA mark of inspection. <more> Sept. 17, 2009 Brownfield Ag News    
   

• USDA Launches 'Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food' Initiative to Connect Consumers with Local Producers - - Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan have announced a new initiative - 'Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food' - to begin a national conversation to help develop local and regional food systems and spur economic opportunity. To launch the initiative, Secretary Vilsack recorded a video to invite Americans to join the discussion and share their ideas for ways to support local agriculture. The video, one of many means by which USDA will engage in this conversation, can be viewed at USDA's YouTube channel, www.youtube.com/usda .  Producers and consumers can comment on the 'Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food' YouTube playlist, as well as submit videos or provide comments on this initiative by e-mailing KnowYourFarmer@usda.gov. <more> Sept. 17, 2009 USDA Press Release

Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2009

• J.S. West to build henhouse compliant with Proposition 2 - - J.S. West and Cos., an egg producer based in Modesto, announced today that it will build a henhouse aimed at complying with Proposition 2. This will be the first commercial project that meets the hen space requirements of the measure, approved by state voters last year, company president Eric Benson said. The $3.2 million project will house more than 150,000 hens at an existing J.S. West site near Livingston. This is about 8 percent of the company's total flock, which is one of the largest in California. "We believe this is one of the solutions the industry has to look to in satisfying Proposition 2," Benson said. <more> Sept. 15, 2009 Modesto Bee
   

• Association of California Egg Farmers discusses J.S. West decision on housing --   Debbie Murdock, Association of California Egg Farmers’ (ACEF) executive director, issued the following statement today regarding J.S. West and Companies’ decision to construct new housing for egg-laying hens that is based on internationally-recognized and researched European Union standards J.S. West is a 100 year old family farming business based in Modesto California. The new “enriched colony housing system” will comply with and enhance the animal welfare objectives of Proposition 2, providing perches, nesting boxes and more floor space to support basic hen behaviors.  “We are pleased to see a California farmer stepping forward to construct a new hen housing system that will meet the voters’ desire to provide egg-laying hens more space and comply with Proposition 2. As we grappled this year with trying to define how much space the vaguely-written Proposition 2 required, our industry proposed colony housing systems, based on European Union standards, as a solution that provided farmers the clarity they needed to continue to produce California-grown fresh and affordable eggs that meet consumer expectations for food safety and animal welfare. It is important that we recognize this long-time California company has made a multi-million dollar investment and assumed a major financial risk with this decision. While our industry offered a proposal, no clarifying standards for hen housing have been adopted yet via legislation or regulation. California egg farmers still require clear-cut standards and guidelines for complying with Proposition 2 and will continue to work diligently with Governor Schwarzenegger, the Legislature and the initiative’s sponsors to develop that clarity.” Sept. 15, 2009 ACEF Press Release
   

• China investigates US auto, chicken imports -- China is launching antidumping investigations into imported U.S. auto and chicken products, the government said Sunday, adding to a string of trade disputes with Washington including a recent decision to raise tariffs on Chinese-made tires. The Commerce Ministry said it would look into complaints that American auto and chicken products are being dumped into the Chinese market or are benefiting from subsidies. The ministry said there are concerns the U.S. imports have "dealt a blow to domestic industries." The ministry statement did not elaborate on the complaints or how the investigation would proceed. <more> Sept. 15, 2009 AP
   

• Poultry Group Blames U.S. for China Trade Dispute - - China’s move to investigate whether the U.S. sold poultry to the Asian nation for below-market prices was prompted partly by bad U.S. trade policies, the USA Poultry & Egg Export Council said.  China is responding to the Obama administration’s decision to impose tariffs on imports of Chinese tires and a decision by Congress that effectively bans imports of cooked poultry, James Sumner, president of the poultry council, said today in a telephone interview. The council, representing producers of 90 percent of U.S. chicken and egg exports, opposed both policies. “Our own government is creating these problems more so than the Chinese,” Sumner said. “We are upset with the way this has been handled by the administration.”  While the council understands China’s frustration, the dumping claims are baseless, Sumner said. U.S. chicken feet are exported to China for 60 cents to 80 cents a pound, multiple times the domestic price, which invalidates the allegation that poultry is being dumped in China, Sumner said. China consumes about 19 percent of U.S. chicken exports, including most of the chicken feet shipped from the U.S., according to industry data. <more> Sept. 15, 2009 Bloomberg
   

• U.S. Poultry Trade Group Refutes China's Charges - - The Chinese government claims U.S. poultry companies have flooded domestic markets with chicken imports filing a compliant with the World Trade Organization on Sunday. The U.S. chicken industry said the anti-dumping investigation launched by China is unjustified and is a direct retaliation for Washington's recent tariffs on tires made in China. "Our companies engage in normal trade with China, not dumping. We believe chicken is being targeted by the Chinese because of the concerns over the provision in the U.S. appropriations act that prohibits the USDA from determining China's ability to ship fully cooked poultry products to the United States," said Richard Lobb, spokesman for the National Chicken Council. <more> Sept. 15, 2009 Arkansas Morning News

• California tax panel set to recommend sweeping, controversial changes - - A state tax panel plans to recommend this week that California reduce the income tax, eliminate the state sales tax and install a new form of value-added tax on businesses, but it remains uncertain how many commissioners will support the plan and how far it will go in the Legislature. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Democratic leaders had lofty hopes for the tax panel when they launched it in December. They formally called it the Commission on the 21st Century Economy, envisioning the panel would re-engineer the tax structure to generate money as the state has moved to a service-based economy. The proposal needs to be approved by the Legislature and, in some cases, by the voters to take effect. <more> Sept. 15, 2009 Sacramento Bee  
   

• Partisan apprehensions sink water reform package - - Eleventh-hour discord over a huge bond proposal sank an ambitious legislative water package that would have brought some resolution to one of California 's most contentious issues. As the clock ticked toward adjournment of the legislative session late Friday, Democratic leaders realized they didn't have the votes and shelved a wide-ranging set of measures aimed at improving the state's water supply and stopping the environmental hemorrhaging of the center of its waterworks. But they vowed to try again, saying they would ask Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to call a special session on water this fall. <more> Sept. 15, 2009 LA Times 
   

• Water bills come up short; special session to follow? - - The legislative water bucket came up empty last week, as last-minute wrangling over a hastily conceived package of bills failed to produce a comprehensive water solution at the state Capitol. But officials said they will keep trying. The Legislature was unable to take final votes on a proposed package of water bills, as lawmakers worked against a Friday deadline for passage. In the wake of the water package's failure, Democrats called for a special legislative session on water this fall. Matt David, communications director for Gov. Schwarzenegger, said at Ag Alert® press time that while the request to call a special legislative session on the state's water crisis was being considered, a final decision had not been made. <more> Sept. 15, 2009 Ag Alert    

Friday, Sept. 11, 2009

• USDA projects 13-billion-bushel corn crop - - Remember when 150 bushels per acre was an outstanding corn yield? It’s now below average. Based on conditions as of Sept. 1, USDA projects U.S. corn yields to average 161.9 bushels per acre, up 2.4 bushels from August and 8 bushels above last year. In its latest Crop Production report, the agency now projects total U.S. corn production at 13 billion bushels, up 2 percent from last month and 7 percent higher than 2008. If realized, this will be the highest yield on record and production will be the second largest, behind 2007. The agency predicts farmers will harvest 80 million acres of corn for grain, up from 78.6 million last year. <more> Sept. 11, 2009 Dairy Herd Management
   

• FSIS moves forward on natural label claims - - The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) will soon publish in the Federal Register an advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPR) addressing the “Use of the Voluntary Claim ‘Natural’ in the Labeling of Meat and Poultry Products.” FSIS noted it has reviewed a large volume of comments that expressed divergent views on the use of the claim “natural” following its December 2006 public meeting. As a result, FSIS said it is publishing the ANPR to solicit additional comments to clarify and resolve issues surrounding the “natural” claims, including how best to coordinate FSIS’ regulation of “natural” claims with the Agricultural Marketing Service’s voluntary “naturally raised” marketing claim standard. Sept. 11, 2009 NCC Newsletter
   

• Food System Summit scheduled for October - - The 2009 Food System Summit, sponsored by the Center for Food Integrity and the National Council of Chain Restaurants, will be held October 6-7 at the Airport Hilton Hotel in Kansas City, Mo. The summit theme is "The New Normal – Building Consumer Trust during Unprecedented Market Volatility." Filmmaker Robert Kenner, director of the movie Food Inc., and other food system leaders will address their concerns regarding market and production realties in relation to the source and method of food production. Issues on nutrition, animal welfare, food safety and sustainability are on the agenda. Registration information for the summit is available at by clicking here. Sept. 111, 2009 WattPoultry.com

• Vilsack admonishes media for misrepresenting flu virus - - "I want folks who are in the business of conveying information to understand that behind that message there is a family sitting at a breakfast table wondering how in the hell they are going to pay the bills, when they continually have to sell pork for less than what it costs to produce as they continue to get hammered for something that they had absolutely nothing to do with." Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack held a press conference Sept. 10 with the intended purpose of explaining the USDA’s preparedness to handle the potential onset H1N1 influenza this fall.As the 30-minute media briefing drew on, the secretary’s exasperation with the general media’s persistent misrepresentation of the 2009 Pandemic H1N1 Influenza Virus as “swine flu” became apparent. <more> Sept. 11, 2009 Southeast Farm Press
   

• As Hill Debate on Climate Flounders, EPA Plows Ahead on Emission Rules - - The Obama administration is finalizing rules to control industrial greenhouse gas emissions amid growing skepticism about the prospects of Congress passing a comprehensive climate change bill this year. U.S. EPA is nearly finished with rules that answer the Supreme Court's 2007 opinion on global warming, as well as a nationwide standard to control greenhouse gas emissions from automobiles. The regulatory push comes as Senate Democrats struggle to find the votes to pass a global warming bill. Committee chairmen have delayed the introduction of their cap-and-trade proposal until later this month, but it is unclear if they will get traction as Congress wades deeper into a battle over overhauling the nation's health care system. <more> Sept. 11, 2009 NY Times
   

• Senate Dems Send Small Signs of Progress on Climate Bill - - Key Senate Democrats insisted that they are making incremental progress on a comprehensive global warming bill as they returned to Capitol Hill yesterday following a month long break where health care reform surged to the top of Congress' legislative agenda.  Environment and Public Works Chairwoman Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) told reporters she has made "many decisions" on the climate legislation in recent weeks but declined to elaborate on specifics ahead of a bill introduction later this month with Foreign Relations Chairman John Kerry (D-Mass.). "You will find out soon enough, as soon as we have our press conference on the bill," Boxer said. "But it is going well." <more> Sept. 11, 2009 NY Times

Thursday, Sept. 10, 2009

• Ground broken on Tulare site of kosher chicken-processing plant - - Southern California businessman Hillel Shamam could barely hide his excitement at Wednesday's groundbreaking for House of David, a kosher chicken-processing plant expected to open in March in Tulare . "The whole thing is a miracle," he said. "It's a pleasure to be part of it." Tulare City Manager Darrel Pyle shared Shamam's excitement. "I am just absolutely thrilled," he said. The plant is expected to create 70 jobs initially and 50 more later. Shamam said all employees will be local, except for a four-person management team and 12 workers who will handle slaughtering duties. The 60,000-square-foot plant will process 40,000 chickens daily, all from a local provider. California Poultry Federation President Bill Mattos noted that he had discussions with Shaman recently and wished him well with his venture. “It is always a challenge to open a new processing plant, especially in today’s economy but it appears he will have a unique market here in California for kosher chicken,” said Mattos. “We are pleased that he has indicated he will source his products from California chicken producers.” Shamam has tentatively indicated he will join the CPF as a member once his plant is in full operation.  . <more> Sept. 10, 2009 Visalia Times-Delta
   

• Iowa hatchery addresses welfare problems - - The operator of the Spencer, Iowa chick hatchery that made news last week says it has corrected improper handling practices, according to a statement from the parent company. The hatchery was depicted in a graphic undercover video released last week by the animal-rights group Mercy for Animals, showing workers killing, injuring and generally mishandling young poultry. According to the statement, the company hired an independent firm to inspect the Spencer facility after the video was released.  Following is the company's full statement: "At Hy-Line International and Hy-Line North America we place the highest priority on the well-being and safety of our birds and the care and safety of our employees. Well-defined animal welfare policies and procedures that are designed to meet or exceed local and international standards are in place at all of our facilities. <more> Sept. 10, 2009 Dairy Herd Management
   

• USDA prepared for H1N1, urges accurate reference - - Deputy Ag Secretary Kathleen Merrigan told reporters on Thursday, September 10 she expects the H1N1 influenza to hit the U.S. swine herd and when it does, she says USDA is prepared. “I just hope it’s not big headlines on front pages of newspapers,” said Merrigan. “We know that this is an influenza that spreads, we are preparing for this, and I want to reassure you that every missionary of USDA is engaged in preparing for H1N1, as well as trying to deal with the fallout for producers.” <more> Sept. 10, 2009 Brownfield Ag News  
  
   

• Annual meeting will feature talk by former Assembly Speaker Brown --  CPF’s annual meeting is Sept. 17-18 at the Resort at Squaw Creek near Lake Tahoe. The meeting opens up Thursday with a luncheon followed by an afternoon of outstanding speakers, including former Assembly Speaker Willie Brown, Roseville Republican Assemblyman Ted Gaines and Todd Hale, Senior Vice President, Consumer & Shopper Insights, for The Nielsen Company. Sponsorship opportunities are also available by contacting CPF President Bill Mattos at (209) 57-6355.  Sponsorships to date include:
  Diamond Club: Alpharma; ASC/Agrecom; Elanco Animal Health; Snackmasters Jerky
  Gold Club: Alltech; Baker Commodities, Inc.; Billington Welding & Manufacturing, Inc.; Central Coast Fryer Farms; Cobb-Vantress, Inc.; Cumberland/Hired-Hand; Darling International Inc.; Evonik Degussa; Fort Dodge Animal Health; Foster Farms; Intervet/Schering-Plough; Merial Select, Inc.; Novus International, Inc.; Pactiv Corporation; PennField Animal Health; Phibro Animal Health; Pitman Farms; Preserve International; Valley Fresh Foods, Inc.; Veterinary Service Inc.; Wells Fargo Bank.
  Silver Club: American AgCredit; Aviagen Inc.; Aviagen Turkeys, Inc.; Archer Daniels Midland; Bayer Animal Health; Big Dutchman USA; BJK Flexible Packaging; Cryovac/Sealed Air Corporation; Diamond V Mills; Diestel Turkey Ranch; Haley Farms, Inc.; Hubbard, LLC; Huvepharma; J.S. West Milling Co.; Jones-Hamilton Co. PLT/PWT/SAS; Lehar Sales Company; Lohmann Animal Health; Lubing Systems LP; Petaluma Poultry Processors; Rabobank; RAH Consulting Services Inc.; Tipper Tie Inc.; U.S. Cold Storage of California; Volk Enterprises; Walco International, Inc.; Willie Bird Turkeys; Woodland Farms; Zinpro Corporation
  
  More information about the conference is available on the CPF website by clicking here.
   

• Obama names Sherman USDA Natural Resources and Environment Undersecretary  - - President Barack Obama today announced his intent to nominate Harris Sherman as Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Sherman will serve with Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. "For decades, Harris Sherman has been dedicated to conserving and improving the environment in Colorado and beyond," said Vilsack. "It would be a privilege to have a public servant like Harris join the USDA leadership team to help carry out President Obama's vision for protecting the natural resources we need for a healthy and prosperous America." <more> Sept. 10, 2009 USDA Press Release  
   

• EPA fines Central Valley company for ammonia release  - - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has fined Turlock Cold Storage $21,086 for failing to properly notify emergency responders of an ammonia release in February. After an equipment failure, more than 1,000 pounds of ammonia was released at the Turlock Cold Storage facility -- triggering a requirement that the company immediately notify the proper authorities to ensure an appropriate response. “Facilities using hazardous chemicals need to understand the importance of providing timely and accurate information to the appropriate local, state, and federal officials,” says Daniel Meer, assistant director for the Pacific Southwest Region’s Superfund program. “Without this information, emergency responders cannot adequately protect themselves and our communities in the event of a chemical release.” <more> Sept. 10, 2009 Central Valley Business Times   

• Rough waters for water plan passage - - The Water Conference Committee signed off last night on a five-bill package to address Delta conservation and water supply issues. The conference report got the eight signatures needed to pass out of the committee in time for a floor vote, but none of the Republicans on the panel were on board with the plan. Sen. Dave Cogdill, the lead Republican in the negotiations, called the conference report "an unbalanced package of bills that ignores the need for a reliable water supply and only caters to the interests of extreme environmentalists." <more> Sept. 10, 2009 Sacramento Bee

Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2009

• The salty truth about plumped chicken - - Buying chicken that has been plumped up with saltwater, chicken stock or seaweed extract is costing consumers - and possibly putting their health at risk, a coalition of poultry producers and consumers contends. Most people don't know that much of the poultry sold in the United States contains 15 percent (by weight) saltwater, costing an estimated $1.50 a package, said Ira Brill, spokesman for Livingston, Calif.-based Foster Farms, a member of the Truthful Labeling Coalition. That $1.50 paid for water is based on a 3-pound package of boneless skinless chicken breasts priced at $3.33 a pound. <more> Sept. 9, 2009 Palm Beach Post    
   

• Food facilities now required to report potentially dangerous products - - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has a new way to head off potential cases of foodborne illness – the Reportable Food Registry (RFR), where food industry officials must use to alert the FDA quickly, through an electronic portal when they find their products might sicken or kill people or animals. The requirement, a result of legislation, took effect with the launch of the portal. Facilities that manufacture, process or hold food for consumption in the United States now must tell the FDA within 24 hours if they find a reasonable probability that an article of food will cause severe health problems or death to a person or an animal. The reporting requirement applies to all foods and animal feed regulated by the FDA, except infant formula and dietary supplements, which are covered by other regulatory requirements. Some examples of reasons a food may be reportable include bacterial contamination, allergen mislabeling or elevated levels of certain chemical components. <more> Sept. 9, 2009 FDA Press Release   
   

• Arkansas Senator new Ag Committee Chair - - Senator Blanche Lincoln, a 7th generation Arkansan and the daughter of a farmer is the new Chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, taking over for Iowa Senator Tom Harkin who becomes Chairman of the Health Committee. Senator Lincoln has been a member of the Senate Ag Committee since elected in 1998, she is the first from Arkansas, and the first female to serve as Chairman. Stewart Doane, Sr. Editor for Agri-Pulse describes Senator Lincoln as a moderate. <more> Sept. 9, 2009 Brownfield Ag News
   

• NCC Congratulates Sen. Lincoln on Agriculture Committee Chairmanship - - The National Chicken Council today released the following statement following the announcement that Arkansas Sen. Blanche Lincoln will be the new chair of the Senate Ag Committee, replacing Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin: “America’s chicken producer/processors congratulate Senator Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas on her elevation to the chairmanship of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry. We have worked with Senator Lincoln on many occasions and have always been impressed by her interest, concern, and knowledge of the issues.  With Senator Saxby Chambliss of Georgia as the ranking minority member, the committee is being led by legislators with a strong interest in the poultry industry.” Sept. 9, 2009 NCC Press Release
   

• USDA and HHS Unveil New Food Safety Consumer Web Site - - Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, the co-chairs of the Obama Administration's Food Safety Working Group, unveiled a new consumer Web site today at www.foodsafety.gov. The site is designed to help consumers and families get all the latest information on food safety and food recalls in one convenient place. The new site features information from all the agencies across the federal government that deal with critical food and food safety information, including preventive tips about how to handle food safely, alerts on life-saving food recalls, and the latest news from the key agencies. <more> Sept. 89, 2009 USDA Press Release
   

• Dr. Humiston named head of California USDA Rural Development - - Dr. Glenda Humiston has been appointed state director of USDA Rural Development in California.  Humiston, appointed by USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack, will be located in the Davis state office. “Glenda will be an important advocate on behalf of rural communities in California and help administer the valuable programs and services provided by the USDA that can enhance their economic success,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. Humiston has spent over 25 years working on public policy development and program implementation that supports sustainability.  She served from 1998 – 2001 as Deputy Under Secretary for Natural Resources and the Environment at USDA.  While there she received national honor awards from USDA and EPA as well as two “Hammer” Awards from Vice President Gore for outstanding government programs. Humiston resides in Novato with her wife, Grace Flannery.  She holds a Bachelor of Science from Colorado State University in Animal Science and a Master’s degree from the University of California at Davis in International Agricultural Development.  Sept. 9, 2009 USDA Press Release
   

• Mike Duvall resigns from Assembly - - Republican Assemblyman Mike Duvall, caught in a sex scandal, abruptly resigned Wednesday from the Assembly, shortly after the Orange County lawmaker was  stripped of all his leadership positions.  "I have come to the conclusion that it would not be fair to my family, my constituents or to my friends on both sides of the aisle to remain in office. Therefore, I have decided to resign my office, effective immediately..."  Duvall said in a written statement published on his campaign web site. The action followed published and televised reports that Duvall had a sexual relationship with a female lobbyist. Earlier, Assembly leaders had removed him from the vice-chairmanship of the Utilities and Commerce Committee, his seat on the powerful Assembly Rules Committee and his ranking role in the GOP caucus.  <more> Sept. 9, 2009 Capitol Weekly  

• Ag Dept. floats new trade rules -- The Agriculture Department wants farmers to fight fair as they compete for foreign customers. A trade promotion program popular among California farm groups will not subsidize overseas ads that contain "derogatory reference or negative comparison to other U.S. agricultural commodities," rules proposed Tuesday state. Simply put, snark is out. Farm organization representatives Tuesday were hard-pressed to recall any negative overseas ads previously financed by the $200 million-a-year Market Access Program. <more> Sept. 9, 2009 Modesto Bee
   

• How the UFW dug itself into a hole over water - - A year ago, when state legislators proposed a $9.8-billion water bond, United Farm Workers President Arturo Rodriguez applauded: "We are very excited about that because we want to see a viable agricultural industry throughout the state of California ; we want to see farmworkers employed."  Last week, Rodriguez created a political committee, bankrolled with $1 million from a national labor coalition, to oppose the very same idea. It's not the interests of farmworkers that have changed; the UFW's about-face appears to have been a clumsy attempt at political blackmail. <more> Sept. 9, 2009 LA Times 

Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2009

• From Chicken Feathers to Flower Pots - - Chicken feathers, usually an unwanted byproduct of poultry processing, may have a more valuable future as an ingredient in biodegradable flower pots, according to an Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientist. Chemist Walter Schmidt, in the ARS Environmental Management and Byproduct Utilization Laboratory in Beltsville, Md., has been developing practical uses for discarded chicken feathers. Each year, approximately 4 billion pounds of chicken feathers are left over after processing in the United States. Working with the Horticultural Research Institute (HRI) in Washington, DC, Schmidt and HRI research associate Masud Huda have formulated planting pots that degrade over variable periods of time, ranging from one to five years. <more> Sept. 8, 2009 ARS Press Release
   

• Ag industry defends itself over grisly chick video - - Paul Lasley cringed when he heard about an undercover video showing unwanted chicks being tossed alive into a grinder at an Iowa hatchery. The images were upsetting, to be sure, but as someone who grew up on a farm, Lasley knows that bringing meat and poultry to America's dinner table is often a grisly business. "When our parents made the decision to send this cow or pig or lamb to market, it was a sad day," he recalled. "But it would be sadder if we couldn't make the payment on the farm." Lasley, a sociologist at Iowa State University who specializes in rural issues, and others argue that most Americans in this age of supermarkets, suburbanization and multinational agribusinesses know little about farming and how animals raised for food are treated and why. <more> Sept. 8, 2009 AP 
   

• Grocery prices fall for poultry, meat, dairy - - Grocery shoppers are finally seeing some reprieve from last year's steep price increases. Food prices are dropping on some key items as retailers slash prices to better compete and food makers do more promotions and pass along savings from lower ingredient and gasoline costs. Prices for dairy, meat, fruits, vegetables and bread have all fallen. <more> Sept. 8, 2009 AP   
  
   

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• California businesses face new use tax registration - - Thousands of California businesses will be required to register with the California State Board of Equalization and report and pay any use tax owed for purchases made in the preceding year, beginning in 2009, under legislation recently enacted, it was announced today by the BOE. The BOE will be notifying 184,000 businesses by letter beginning this week of this obligation. The new use tax registration and reporting law requires "qualified purchasers" to register with the BOE and report and pay use tax. <more> Sept. 8, 2009 Central Valley Business Times     
   

• State fees on greenhouse gas output could be near - - State air-quality regulators appear back on track to impose the nation's first broad-based fee on greenhouse gas emissions, potentially costing Californians a little extra to fill their gas tanks, turn up the heat or go out to dinner. Regulators estimate that overall, the average consumer will pay less than $1.50 a year more once the fee is passed down by energy providers and others that release greenhouse gasses linked to global warming. “We are all aware that California's present economic environment is less than favorable and this is a difficult time to propose a fee,” said Jeannie Blakeslee, a state regulator who helped craft the plan. <more> Sept. 8, 2009 San Diego Union
   

Friday, Sept. 4, 2009

• Woodland Farms Launches New Website - - California-based Woodland Farms has launched a new website, www.woodlandduck.com,  in an effort to reach out to members of the local California Asian market and customers throughout the Western United States. “We are excited about our new site, because it provides another avenue for us to connect with our customers,” said Dr. Dan Shafer, General Manager for Woodland Farms. “It highlights the benefits of our ducks and serves as a direct connection to our customer service department.” Features of the website include product descriptions and photos, as well as a page highlighting specials that the company is offering. “Woodland Farms website also highlights several of our product benefits,” said Shafer.  “We are extremely proud of the exceptional skin quality and value that our California-grown duck offers.  Our ducks are fed an all-natural grain diet that does not include any growth promotants or antibiotics. It is important for our customers to recognize this.” Woodland Farms is a leading producer of USDA-inspected Asian-style duck, supplying premium duck products to foodservice markets throughout the Western Region of the United States.  A 50-year commitment to superior skin and carcass quality ensures its customers the highest quality White Pekin duck available and earned the company the Duck Supplier of the Year Award from the American Chinese Restaurant Association in 2008.   For more information, visit www.woodlandduck.com  or call the customer service department at 800-228-9382. Sept. 4, 2009 Woodland Farms Press Release
   

• ERS releases report on future ethanol production - - The Economic Research Service of the USDA has published "Full Throttle U.S. Ethanol Expansion Faces Challenges Down the Road." The report focuses on the Renewable Fuel Standard in the 2007 Energy Independence and Security Act. Use of ethanol to produce E10 blends will attain a plateau, falling short of the proposed 2020 biofuel initiative, according to the report. Although extensive research is underway on cellulosic ethanol, the second generation is far from commercialization and will not be a reality for at least a decade in the opinion of industry observers. <more> Sept. 4, 2009 WattPoultry .com
   

• Senate environment committee to delay climate change measure- - Senators Barbara Boxer (D-CA), chair of the Environment and Public Works Committee, and John Kerry (D-MA), chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, announced this week that they will need more time to write climate change legislation and have put off introduction until the end of September. Senators Boxer and Kerry cited the death of Senator Edward Kennedy (D-MA), Senator Kerry’s hip surgery, and the Senate’s consideration of health care legislation as the reasons for pushing back the timetable for introduction. Senator Boxer had intended to introduce the bill as soon as the Senate returned from its August recess September 8, and Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) had given the six committees with jurisdiction over the bill until September 28 to mark up the measure. Introducing the bill in late September means the Environment and Public Works Committee, as well as other Senate committees, will not take up the bill until October. The committees still plan to hold hearings the week after the bill’s introduction followed by a mark-up the week after that. While the Environment and Public Works Committee is the primary committee of jurisdiction, the bill must go to five other committees--Finance, Agriculture, Commerce, Science and Transportation, Energy and Natural Resources, and Foreign Relations--before it is completed. Sept. 4, 2009 NCC Newsletter
   

• Senate Ag Committee cap and trade hearing next week - - The Senate Agriculture Committee has scheduled another hearing on climate change legislation. This one will be held September 9th.  According to a report on DTN.com, the hearing will explore the impact climate change legislation could have on certain agriculture-related issues.  It will host three panels, with the first two examining how best to regulate markets in a cap and trade system. Another panel will look to better understand producer group
   perspectives on the global warming legislation. Sept. 4, 2009 Brownfield Ag News
   

• Expect more of the same from TIME and others - - Bryan Walsh, author of TIME Magazine's cover story "The Real Cost of Cheap Food," admitted in an AgriTalk interview Monday morning that the story took the angle he wanted to pursue rather than presenting both sides in a balanced, objective manner. Walsh's article was highly critical of U.S. food production. Walsh said it’s been a trend at TIME to have “more stories angled toward the point of view of the writer.” “Rather than just doing the sort of story where you do 50 percent on one side, 50 percent on the other, you allow the writer to look at it and make some of his own judgments,” Walsh said. Read the full transcript of Walsh’s interview with Agritalk host Mike Adams. Here is a commentary written by Greg Henderson, editor of Drovers, a sister publication of Dairy Herd Management: <more> Sept. 4, 2009 Dairy Herd Management  
   

• Get in the game - - by Cyndi Young - - Agriculture is taking a lot of hits these days - from lawmakers who seem to be tuning us out to yellow journalists whose articles, films and books are rife with misinformation - to animal rights activists and confused environmentalists who believe America’s farmers are polluting the planet because cows belch and we use crop inputs to protect our crops from insects and disease. Friends, I’ve said it a million times and I’ll continue to holler at the top of my lungs until I’m blue in the face: we cannot afford to be spectators. There is too much to lose! If we want the agriculture industry in this country to survive and thrive, we must get in the game. <more> Sept. 4, 2009 Brownfield Ag News  

• Costa questions state on purchase of non-US food for distribution - - Congressman Jim Costa (D-Fresno) has sent a letter to the director of the California Department of Social Services questioning how the state uses federal money to purchase food for emergency food distribution.  During the August work period, Costa witnessed firsthand that some of the produce being distributed to those in need is coming from China or other overseas markets, rather than from domestic farms.  “The drought has already put those who grow the most nutritious food in the world out of work and into food lines,” Costa said.  “What lacks common sense is why the State of California is using taxpayer dollars to buy produce from overseas markets.  Our money needs to support local, state, and United States farmers.  The State of California has some questions to answer on this policy.” California Emergency Food Assistance Program received approximately $30 million in federal money to purchase food products for low-income individuals and needy families during Fiscal Year 2009.  §7 CFR part 250.23 specifically states that “When purchasing food products with Federal funds…recipient agencies shall purchase only food products that are produced in the United States.”  If the state is using federal money to buy carrots or peaches from China, they would be in violation of that law.  “I have said for the last year that our Valley, our state and our nation cannot become dependent on the rest of the world to grow our food.  We must come together to solve our state’s water challenges, bring Valley farms back to full operation and feed our nation, otherwise, what we have witnessed in our food lines is a very frightening sign of things to come,” Costa concluded. Sept, 4, 2009 Rep. Costa Press Release
   

• Delta a bargaining chip in water talks - - Republicans are seeking to limit the power of a proposed council to oversee the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, as a condition to signing off on legislation to overhaul the state’s water system. The role and makeup of the envisioned Delta Stewardship Council is one of several sticking points lawmakers and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s office are negotiating behind closed doors as they seek a compromise in the final days of the legislative session, which ends in a week. Talks heated up Thursday and today and are scheduled to continue through the weekend, but major hurdles remain. <more> Sept. 4, 2009 Fresno Bee    
   

Thursday, Sept. 3, 2009

• Farmworker union bill vetoed -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Wednesday vetoed legislation that would make it easier for farmworkers to join unions, marking the third straight year he has rejected the top priority of the United Farm Workers union. Senate Bill 789, by Sen. Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento, would have given workers the option of bypassing secret-ballot elections. Instead, they could sign representation cards. If a majority signed up, the state would certify the new bargaining unit. Bill supporters say the elections process allows time for company officials to intimidate workers against joining unions. <more> Sept. 3, 2009 Fresno Bee  
   

• Michigan agribusiness, animal-rights groups negotiate on farm-animal legislation - - Michigan agribusiness leaders are discussing compromises to pending state legislation dealing with standards for farm animals in an effort to avoid a ballot initiative from animal-rights advocates. Michigan swine and poultry industry leaders met with the Humane Society of the United States Thursday to discuss changes to Michigan House bills 5127 and 5128, which were introduced to the house last month. The two bills, which would codify current farm animal industry standards, are being opposed by the animal-activist group because they fail to address animal-confinement issues. <more> Sept. 3, 2009 Kalamazoo Gazette
   

• FDA Bill a Bipartisan Victory for Dingell - - The sweeping food-safety bill that passed the House this summer was a victory for Michigan Democrat John Dingell, a longtime critic of the Food and Drug Administration who has pushed versions of the legislation for more than 20 years. Many lawmakers from both parties credited Mr. Dingell for winning bipartisan approval for a bill that gives the FDA more power and funding to police food safety -- an effort that stands in contrast to the current partisan rancor over health-care legislation. The measure passed the chamber 283-142, with support from 54 Republicans. "When you use the process and actually have bipartisan negotiations -- as Mr. Dingell did in this case -- you reach a consensus that is good for the country," said Rep. Joe Barton of Texas, the ranking Republican on the Energy and Commerce Committee, which approved the legislation unanimously in June. <more> Sept. 3, 2009 Wall Street Journal  

• Schwarzenegger demands response to water crisis -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger called on the Obama administration Wednesday to intervene immediately in California's water crisis, saying environmental restrictions that have slashed water deliveries to farms and cities were having "catastrophic impacts." The Republican governor sent a letter demanding a federal response to the state's prior requests to hold talks about reduced supplies from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, the delicate ecosystem that serves as the main conduit moving water from north to south. The governor and the farming industry have been pressing the federal government to rewrite plans protecting species like the chinook salmon in a way that will lessen impacts on the water supply. <more> Sept. 3, 2009 AP
   

• Union politics, Latino clout entwined in water battle - - Latinos’ political clout has emerged as a driving force in the political battle over overhauling California’s water system, with a coalition of statewide officials linking with the Legislature’s Latino Caucus to attempt to force change. “They’ve always had the clout, they just haven’t exercised it,” said Mario Santoyo, a director and adviser to the California Latino Water Coalition and an executive at the Friant Water Authority. They want a water plan that includes a canal through or around the delta east of San Francisco, reservoirs, desalination, recycling, delta environmental protections, and more water for Central and Southern California. And more.  “But what really brought them to the table this time was the crisis, the drought, in the Central Valley that has left hundreds of thousands of acres fallow. There are Latinos in the bread lines, there are Latinos in the unemployment lines,” Santoyo said <more> Sept. 3, 2009 Capitol Weekly  
   

• Bee editorial: Cogdill's presence vital on water panel - - It's a good sign that Sen. Dave Cogdill of Modesto is one of 14 legislators on the committee trying to make progress on overhauling the state's water system. Our elected officials have shown they often are most productive when in the midst of a crisis and facing a hard deadline, and this committee faces a Tuesday deadline. Cogdill is knowledgeable and well regarded on state water issues. He's also optimistic that after talking about this issue for more than two years, legislators can get something done. We sure hope so because getting sufficient water to agriculture, business and urban users is essential to improving our economy. Sept. 3, 2009 Modesto Bee

Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2009

• Gov. Schwarzenegger vetoes 'card check' bill - - Gov. Schwarzenegger on Wednesday rejected the United Farm Workers' top bill of the year, a measure that would have made it easier for the UFW to sign up new members. Schwarzenegger's action on the 'card check' bill, SB 789 by Senate Leader Darrell Steinberg,  D-Sacramento, came a day after a national union coalition poured $1 million into a UFW-backed committee to oppose the governor's own top legislative priority -- an overhaul of California's water system.    Although the governor has vetoed similar measures in the past, the timing of the two events was apparently linked. And the governor's veto escalated political tensions in the Capitol as the final days of the 2009 legislative year got under way. <more> Sept. 2, 2009 Capitol Weekly
   

• Pilgrim's declines comment on possible JBS bid - - Pilgrim's Pride Corp said Wednesday it would not comment on a newspaper report that Brazilian beef company JBS may be interested in taking over the U.S. chicken company. Pilgrim's Pride shares were slightly higher in morning trading. "We don't comment on rumors or speculation," Pilgrim spokesman Gary Rhodes told Reuters in an email. Newspaper Valor Economico reported Wednesday, without saying how it obtained the information, that JBS, the world's largest beef processor, had approached Pilgrim's Pride for possible takeover talks. <more> Sept. 2, 2009 Reuters
   

• Hy-Line investigates alleged abuses - - On Sept. 1, PETA posted a video (click here to view) on its website based on an “undercover investigation” by the pro-vegan group, Mercy for Animals, showing operations at a Hy-Line hatchery in Spencer, Iowa. This investigation showed a number of cruel and abusive practices, and focused primarily on the euthanizing of the male chicks. That same day, Hy-Line International and Hy-Line North America issued a statement which said that the care and safety of the birds and employees is the company’s first priority. Hy-Line also said that they have initiated an immediate investigation to see if any animal welfare policies were violated and to take disciplinary action against anyone violating company policy. Hy-Line stated that the company is committed to meeting or exceeding all industry poultry welfare standards. <more> Sept. 2, 2009 WattPoultry.com
  
   

• Lt. Gov. Garamendi wins congressional race nomination - - Lt. Gov. John Garamendi is one step closer to the next chapter of his long political career after winning the Democratic nomination for a Northern California congressional seat.  Garamendi, 64, defeated three other well-funded Democrats in Tuesday's special election for the 10th Congressional District seat that opened earlier this year when former Rep. Ellen Tauscher was confirmed to an undersecretary position in the State Department. He received 26 percent of the vote in the relatively low turnout election but failed to win the race outright, meaning he will face Republican Dave Harmer in a special general election on Nov. 3. Candidates from the Green, American Independent and Peace and Freedom parties also will be on the ballot. <more> Sept. 2, 2009 AP   
   

• More seek aid in California’s breadbasket Central Valley - - The combined punch of drought, water restrictions and recession has created an ironic situation in California’s Central Valley: Officials are handing out tons of food in the heart of one of the nation’s most productive agricultural regions. At a dusty flea market in Selma last week, more than 800 people — many farmworkers — lined up for two weeks’ supply of cereal, rice, canned tomatoes and other basics. They waited in 99-degree heat as the food was distributed from 6 a.m. until late afternoon. “We either have money for gas and medicine, or food — not both,” Helen Hernandez, a 51-year-old mother of four, said after collecting a pallet of food from the relief drive. Ms. Hernandez said her husband, David, 49, has been out of work since losing his $1,200-a-month job at a tomato-packing house last year. <more> Sept. 2, 2009 wall Street Journal   
  
   

• Legislative panel starts work on water deal  - - The Legislature's water conference committee met for about an hour and a half this morning and promised to meet every day through Labor Day weekend in search of a deal. But many contentious issues remain. Senate Leader Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento, identified 14 issues, several of which have been hotly debated for years. (To view a video of Steinberg's comments, please click here.) For instance, lawmakers must decide how to pay for water upgrades, which could potentially include dams and a new canal to move water around the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to cites and farms in the Valley and Southern California. Republicans want a bond that would be paid back from the state's general fund. Democrats say they are open to a bond, but want to balance it with new water user fees. <more> Sept. 2, 2009 AP  
   

• Battle lines drawn over soda, junk food taxes - - Increasingly vocal calls for taxes on sugary drinks and junk food are fueling a behind- the-scenes battle that public health officials say is reminiscent of America's war on cigarettes. The U.S. obesity epidemic has blossomed into a public health crisis and overweight adolescents are starting to suffer problems that used to plague middle-aged adults -- early heart disease and type 2 diabetes. While restaurant operators and food and soda makers promote personal responsibility and moderation, backers of the taxes say levies on foods that quickly add extra pounds are a necessary part of any successful anti-obesity effort. <more> Sept. 2, 2009 Reuters

Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2009

• AP Exclusive: Video shows chicks ground up alive - - An undercover video shot by an animal rights group at an Iowa egg hatchery shows workers discarding unwanted chicks by sending them alive into a grinder, and other chicks falling through a sorting machine to die on the factory floor. Chicago-based Mercy for Animals said it shot the video at Hy-Line North America's hatchery in Spencer, Iowa, over a two-week period in May and June. The video was obtained Monday by The Associated Press. Hy-Line said in a statement it has started an investigation "of the entire situation," adding that it would have helped their investigation "had we been aware of the potential violation immediately after it occurred." <more> Sept. 1, 2009 AP
   

• Judge: State entitled to a jury trial in poultry waste lawsuit  - -  The state of Oklahoma is entitled to a jury trial for part of its civil lawsuit accusing the Arkansas poultry industry of polluting the Illinois River watershed with bird waste, a federal judge has ruled.  U.S. District Judge Gregory Frizzell denied the poultry companies’ motion to hear the whole case from the bench. He ruled Wednesday that a jury could determine whether the companies are liable for civil penalties under the state’s anti-pollution laws – specifically, whether pollution of any of the state’s waters constitutes a public nuisance. <more> Sept. 1, 2009 AP   
   

• Annual meeting will feature talk by former Assembly Speaker Brown --  CPF’s annual meeting is Sept. 17-18 at the Resort at Squaw Creek near Lake Tahoe. The meeting opens up Thursday with a luncheon followed by an afternoon of outstanding speakers, including former Assembly Speaker Willie Brown, Roseville Republican Assemblyman Ted Gaines and Todd Hale, Senior Vice President, Consumer & Shopper Insights, for The Nielsen Company. Sponsorship opportunities are also available by contacting CPF President Bill Mattos at (209) 57-6355.  Sponsorships to date include:
  Diamond Club: Alpharma; ASC/Agrecom; Elanco Animal Health; Snackmasters Jerky
  Gold Club: Alltech; Baker Commodities, Inc.; Billington Welding & Manufacturing, Inc.; Central Coast Fryer Farms; Cobb-Vantress, Inc.; Cumberland/Hired-Hand; Darling International Inc.; Evonik Degussa; Fort Dodge Animal Health; Foster Farms; Intervet/Schering-Plough; Merial Select, Inc.; Novus International, Inc.; Pactiv Corporation; PennField Animal Health; Phibro Animal Health; Pitman Farms; Preserve International; Valley Fresh Foods, Inc.; Veterinary Service Inc.; Wells Fargo Bank.
  Silver Club: American AgCredit; Aviagen Inc.; Aviagen Turkeys, Inc.; Archer Daniels Midland; Bayer Animal Health; Big Dutchman USA; BJK Flexible Packaging; Cryovac/Sealed Air Corporation; Diamond V Mills; Diestel Turkey Ranch; Haley Farms, Inc.; Hubbard, LLC; Huvepharma; J.S. West Milling Co.; Jones-Hamilton Co. PLT/PWT/SAS; Lehar Sales Company; Lohmann Animal Health; Lubing Systems LP; Petaluma Poultry Processors; Rabobank; RAH Consulting Services Inc.; Tipper Tie Inc.; U.S. Cold Storage of California; Volk Enterprises; Walco International, Inc.; Woodland Farms; Zinpro Corporation
  
  More information about the conference is available on the CPF website by clicking here.

    

   

   

• West Sac biofuels site has plan for riding out slump - - Though far behind schedule, the major biofuel operation planned for the Port of West Sacramento is still alive and its developer is in talks with new investors. Long Beach startup Primafuel Inc. unveiled plans in early 2007 to build the state's largest biodiesel plant and a distribution terminal at the port. The company expected to be churning out the diesel substitute within two years. At the time, the market seemed ready to swallow all the biofuel the nation could produce. "Those days are over," said Rahul Iyer, Primafuel's chief strategy officer. In the last year, the biofuels industry has gone into a tailspin. Plants making ethanol from corn and biodiesel from vegetable oil or animal fat have shut down across the country. Several companies, including Sacramento-based Pacific Ethanol Inc., have sought bankruptcy protection as the sector struggles with debt, a glut of production capacity and relatively low oil prices. <more> Sept. 1, 2009 Sacramento Bee
   

• Water negotiations moving ahead in Capitol - - Negotiations over a massive overhaul of California's water system picked up steam in the Capitol amid an array of meetings that included a closed-door briefing for lawmakers by the Schwarzenegger administration's top water officials.  A 14-member, two-house conference committee, chaired by Senate Leader Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento, is scheduled to begin meeting Tuesday to actually draw up the water plan.  The final proposal, an historic attempt to achieve a compromise in the state's seemingly endless water wars, is intended to be completed by the end of this week, with floor votes next week, said sources in both houses and participants in the discussions. The lawmakers are likely to work through the weekend. <more> Sept. 1, 2009 Capitol Weekly
   

Monday, Aug. 31, 2009

• TIME magazine writer talks about controversial cover story on food - - TIME magazine writer Bryan Walsh author of “The Real Cost of Cheap Food” was interviewed on AgriTalk about his controversial cover story. His comments provide an interesting perspective on how news coverage is evolving from "hard" news to efforts to engages readers in a conversation as traditional news outlets search for a business model in the Internet age.  Click here to listen to the interview.  
   

• State cuts imperil program to preserve farmland - - Strolling through emerald groves of orange trees, Tulare County citrus grower Allen Ishida said he reckons he'll have to sell some of his 270 acres to pay higher property taxes should his county pull out of a threatened farmland preservation program. Thirty miles down California 99, third-generation almond grower Don Davis was making similar calculations. Davis figures he could rip out rows of almond trees stretching over 480 acres near McFarland in Kern County and sell the land, if necessary. He'd have no choice, Davis said. His property taxes would probably triple from $44,000. <more> Aug. 30, 2009 LA Times
   

• Fixing Delta comes with high price tag: $54 billion - - The Delta fix supported by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and many of the state's largest water agencies could carry a staggering price tag of $23 billion to $54 billion, a consulting economist was planning to tell lawmakers Tuesday. The estimate, provided in a paper by Steven Kasower, appears to be the first time that potential costs of different pieces of the proposed fix — storing and moving water, offsetting environmental damage caused by those projects and restoring habitat — have been compiled in one place. But he emphasized that the numbers were very preliminary and that lawmakers would be foolhardy to pass a package of bills before better numbers are available. <more> Aug. 31, 2009 Contra Costa Times

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• Keep your self-righteous fingers off my processed food - - Just in time for the worst economic downturn since the Depression, here comes a new crop of social critics to inform us that we're actually spending too little for the food we eat, the clothes we wear, the furniture we sit on and the gasoline that runs our automobiles.  Never mind that U.S. job losses these days range from 200,000 to 500,000 a month, that foreclosures are up 32% over this time last year and that people are re-learning how to clip newspaper coupons so as to save at the supermarket. Dire economic circumstances don't seem to faze these spending enthusiasts, who scold us for shopping at supermarkets instead of at farmer's markets, where a loaf of "artisanal" (and also "sustainable") rye bread sells for $8, ice cream for $6 a cup and organic tomatoes go for $4 a pound. <more> Aug. 31, 2009 LA Times
   

• Op-Ed: We can't restore the Delta by squeezing agriculture - - By Charles Burt chairman, Cal Poly Irrigation Training and Research Center - - When Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared that the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta was in a worsening crisis that threatened statewide economic and ecological disaster, he set in motion a process to cure a "sickness" before it spread throughout California. The governor created a special Delta Vision Task Force in 2006 to achieve what were called two co-equal goals: restore the Delta and make California's water supply more reliable. The flurry of water bills being debated by the Legislature makes this clear, since the core proposals focus on restoration of the Delta. Regardless of Sacramento politics, the Delta environment will still dominate decisions because the federal Endangered Species Act and other regulations give the environment priority over human needs. As state leaders consider water issues, they should accept the simple truth that we cannot conserve our way out of the water-supply crisis. Additional storage and conveyance facilities are critical. But the public also deserves a scientific accounting of how much environmental benefit is achieved with specific amounts of water for the Delta compared with the cost or loss to the rest of California. We can't be expected to absorb the cost of providing an unlimited amount of water to the Delta without knowing the benefits. This is asking too much of the people and environment of California. <more> Aug. 31, 2009 Sacramento Bee
   

• "California's Water Crisis" Topic of New PBS Segment -- The devastating impacts of water shortages on Central Valley farms and communities are revealed in the latest segment of the "California's Water" series, produced by Huell Howser and underwritten by members of the Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA). The new segment debuts Sept. 1 in Sacramento and will air throughout the month on PBS affiliates around the state.  "California's Water Crisis" offers a first-hand look at the mounting toll of water shortages on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley this summer. During the episode, Howser talks with a number of growers struggling to keep tomato, almond and other crops going. <more> Aug. 31, 209 PBS    
   

• State confirms $73 million water sale - - The state has confirmed a $73 million water sale from a San Joaquin Valley farm water district to a Southern California water district -- which might eventually eliminate 2,500 acres of almond trees near Kettleman City. The sale is bound to cause some anxiety in farm country. Many fear that farmers will sell their water to Southern California for millions of dollars and leave huge tracts of land barren. The Dudley Ridge Water District in the southwest corner of Kings County sold 14,000 acre-feet of water to the Mojave Water Agency in San Bernardino County, according to the California Department of Water Resources. <more> Aug. 31, 2009 Fresno Bee    

Friday. Aug. 28, 2009

• Card check bill approved by Assembly, goes to Governor - - For the third time in three years, state lawmakers have sent to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger a proposal that would change the way farmworker elections have operated since the days of Cesar Chavez. The measure, sponsored by the United Farm Workers and carried by state Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento), is intended to circumvent drawn-out campaigns of intimidation by growers. As an alternative to the traditional secret ballot, the bill would allow a union to conduct an election by signing up more than 50% of a farm's workers and then presenting ballots to the state labor board. If a grower protested, the board would be required to investigate any allegations that the election had been improperly conducted. The measure received final legislative approval in the Assembly on Thursday, with a partisan vote of 46 to 28. Republicans, who opposed the bill, argued that it would give the UFW a huge advantage in its bid to unionize workers -- and allow the union to pressure workers. <more> Aug. 28,2009 LA Times  
   

• Indian researcher develops vaccine for Newcastle disease - - A vaccine to prevent Newcastle disease has been developed by Dr. J John Kirubaharan, an associate professor of Madras Veterinary College's department of veterinary microbiology, The Times of India reported. The vaccine incorporates a new strain — the TANUVA D58 — of the Newcastle virus originally obtained from an unvaccinated village chicken. The strain has been bought for Rs 1 million (US$20,500) by Globion for commercial production. The vaccine will help reduce mortality and prevent the spread of conjunctivitis among caretakers who handle the infected birds. It is thermostable and can be stored at different refrigeration temperatures. <more> Aug. 28, 2009 WattPoultyry.com  
   

• Homeland Security proposes to rescind ‘Safe-Harbor’ rule - - The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has published a proposed rule that would rescind its “Safe-Harbor” rule for employers who have received “no match” letters from the Social Security Administration (SSA). When SSA receives a report from an employer in which the combination of employee names and social security number do not match SSA records, the agency informs the employer by sending an “Employer Correction Request,” commonly known as a “no match” letter. The August 2007 DHS final rule described the legal obligations of employers who receive “no match” letters and a safe-harbor from enforcement for employers who follow the rule. The final rule was challenged by the AFL-CIO and others who brought an action in federal court to enjoin the implementation of the safe-harbor rule. The court granted the plaintiffs’ motion for preliminary injunction in October 2007.  According to the proposed rule, DHS’ efforts to reduce the employment of unauthorized workers will continue through programs such as E-Verify and IMAGE (ICE Mutual Agreement with Government and Employers), which, according to the agency, have proven to be more efficacious methods of reducing the employment of unauthorized workers and reducing the use of fraudulent identity documents by employees than follow up of the “no match” letters.  Public comments on the proposed rule must be received by September. Aug 28, 2009 NCC Newsletter

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• Ethanol producers squeal “fou(w)l”!- - The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA), the voice of ethanol producers, has been active in promoting the dubious benefits of diverting food in the form of corn to ethanol. The mantra of freedom from oil imports has pervaded Washington and created a solid bloc of farm-state legislators on both sides of the aisle to advance the cause of ethanol production. Oblivious to science and economics, the RFA continues to disseminate reports and issue statements favoring expanded production of domestic ethanol and to debar importation of cane-derived ethanol from Brazil.<more> Aug. 28, 2009 animalagnet.com

Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2009

• Farm groups back federal estate tax legislation - - Stressing the multiple benefits of maintaining family farms and ranches, a coalition of California farm organizations has endorsed tax-reform legislation that would exclude farm assets from the federal estate tax. The Family Farm Preservation Estate Tax Act, H.R. 3524, would exempt farm and ranch assets from estate taxes as long as the property remains as a family agricultural operation. Introduced by Rep. Mike Thompson, D-Napa, and Rep. John Salazar, D-Colo., the bill would also exclude land enrolled in a qualified conservation easement from the estate tax. The legislation is supported by the California Poultry Federation.  <more> Aug. 27, 2009 Farm Bureau Press Release
   

• Annual meeting will feature talk by former Assembly Speaker Brown --  CPF’s annual meeting is Sept. 17-18 at the Resort at Squaw Creek near Lake Tahoe. The meeting opens up Thursday with a luncheon followed by an afternoon of outstanding speakers, including former Assembly Speaker Willie Brown, Roseville Republican Assemblyman Ted Gaines and Todd Hale, Senior Vice President, Consumer & Shopper Insights, for The Nielsen Company. Sponsorship opportunities are also available by contacting CPF President Bill Mattos at (209) 57-6355.  Sponsorships to date include:
  Diamond Club: Alpharma; ASC/Agrecom; Elanco Animal Health; Snackmasters Jerky
  Gold Club: Alltech; Billington Welding & Manufacturing, Inc.; Central Coast Fryer Farms; Cobb-Vantress, Inc.; Cumberland/Hired-Hand; Darling International Inc.; Evonik Degussa; Fort Dodge Animal Health; Foster Farms; Intervet/Schering-Plough; Merial Select, Inc.; Novus International, Inc.; Pactiv Corporation; Phibro Animal Health; Pitman Farms; Preserve International; Valley Fresh Foods, Inc.; Veterinary Service Inc.; Wells Fargo Bank.
  Silver Club: American AgCredit; Aviagen Inc.; Aviagen Turkeys, Inc.; Archer Daniels Midland; Bayer Animal Health; Big Dutchman USA; BJK Flexible Packaging; Diestel Turkey Ranch; Haley Farms, Inc.; Hubbard, LLC; Huvepharma; J.S. West Milling Co.; Jones-Hamilton Co. PLT/PWT/SAS; Lehar Sales Company; Lohmann Animal Health; Lubing Systems LP; Rabobank; RAH Consulting Services Inc.; Tipper Tie Inc.; Volk Enterprises; Walco International, Inc.; Woodland Farms.
  
  More information about the conference is available on the CPF website by clicking here.  
   

• Food for the Soul - - by Nicholas Kristof - - On a summer visit back to the farm here where I grew up, I think I figured out the central problem with modern industrial agriculture. It’s not just that it produces unhealthy food, mishandles waste and overuses antibiotics in ways that harm us all. More fundamentally, it has no soul. The family farm traditionally was the most soulful place imaginable, and that was the case with our own farm on the edge of the Willamette Valley. I can’t say we were efficient: for a time we thought about calling ourselves “Wandering Livestock Ranch,” after our Angus cattle escaped in one direction and our Duroc hogs in another. When coyotes threatened our sheep operation, we spent $300 on a Kuvasz, a breed of guard dog that is said to excel in protecting sheep. Alas, our fancy-pants new sheep dog began her duties by dining on lamb. It’s always said that if a dog kills one lamb, it will never stop, and so the local rule was that if your dog killed one sheep you had to shoot it. Instead we engaged in a successful cover-up. It worked, for the dog never touched a lamb again and for the rest of her long life fended off coyotes heroically. That kind of diverse, chaotic family farm is now disappearing, replaced by insipid food assembly lines. <more> Aug. 24, 2009 NY Times  

• Kennedy’s death could change committee assignments - - Senator Ted Kennedy’s death will set off a series of changes in the Senate, including a possible change at the helm of the Agriculture Committee.  That according to a report on farmfutures.com. Kennedy served as chair of the Senate Health Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.  Next in line to chair the committee is Iowa Senator Tom Harkin, who is currently chair of the Senate Ag Committee.  American Farm Bureau spokesman Mace Thornton says, while Harkin’s always been committed to agriculture, he also has a keen interest in health issues.  Should Harkin switch to chair Health, Thornton says that under one scenario Arkansas’s Blanche Lincoln could succeed Harkin as head of the Ag Committee. <more> Aug. 27, 2009 Brownfield Ag News  
   

• Vilsack Doesn't Expect Strong Effort to Block Cap and Trade - - USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack met with farm broadcasters yesterday to repeat support for cap and trade legislation. After visiting 17 states the secretary says he does not get the impression that there is a concerted or unified effort to block cap and trade. Vilsack's take is, “I think there is an interest in learning more about it, an interest in participating in conversations and discussions about how it needs to be shaped, and I think there was an expectation when it passed the House that the Senate should have its say, and it should. But I don’t anticipate and expect that there’s going to be a real concerted effort to block this legislation. I think there will be a concerted effort to improve it from the Senate perspective.” <more> Aug. 27, 2009 Hoosier Ag Today
   

• Canal raises concerns -- Water stakeholders are expressing reservations over plans for a canal that would carry water around the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, and how pending legislation should address the canal's impacts. The conveyance structure, known as the peripheral canal, is being planned as part of the state's ongoing Bay Delta Conservation Plan. In a joint hearing of the Senate and Assembly water committees on Tuesday, Aug. 25, stakeholders mulled the minutia of how a new Delta-governance structure might ensure waterways' health along with reliable water supplies, and how it would regulate a BDCP process already long under way. Tuesday's hearing was one of a series addressing five water bills that focus on agricultural and urban water efficiency and creation of a management plan and governance structure for the Delta. <more> Aug. 27, 2009 Capital Press
   

Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2009

• Chicken cage debate continue - - Almost a year after Proposition 2, the Farm Animal Cruelty Act, was passed in California banning so-called "battery pages" for housing chickens, the battle continues over how to implement the somewhat vague legislation. In the months since November, egg farmers have protested that the legislation is vague because it does not spell out in inches and centimeters what type of confinement is allowable under the new law. The Humane Society of America, which sponsored Proposition 2, said that the language of the bill was specifically written based on other animal-welfare legislation. "We wrote the language in the very manner of how all animal cruelty laws are written," said Jennifer Fearing, a spokeswoman for the Humane Society. "You don't write specific engineering standards into law, it just doesn't happen." But the egg industry disagrees. Farmers have said that without specific standards in place to follow, egg producers will live under the threat of being cited for not complying with Proposition 2, which carries the penalty of a $1,000 fine or up to six months in jail. <more> Aug. 25, 2009 Sonoma News   
   

• July poultry production down 5% on the year - - Poultry production during July was down 5% on the year at 3.633 billion pounds as uncertainties over demand continue to impact the market. For the year to date production is 24.250 billion pounds, 6% less than the January to July 2008 total of 25.856 billion. Also, slaughter ready numbers are tighter with the chicken kill 5% below a year ago at 758.861 million head and the turkey slaughter down 11% at 21.493 million. The duck slaughter was 8% under a year ago at 1.890 million head. <more> Aug. 25, 2009 Brownfield Ag News
   

• Sanderson Farms swings to profit - - Chicken producer Sanderson Farms Inc. reported Tuesday it swung to a quarterly profit compared to a year ago, helped by a combination of lower feed-grain costs, higher poultry prices, and supply cuts. For the quarter ended July 31, Sanderson posted net income of $43 million, or $2.09 a share. It lost $3.6 million a year ago when U.S. chicken suppliers suffered from oversupply, record-high prices for corn and soybean meal, and weak demand from sit-down restaurants. Sales rose 8% to $504.8 million for the quarter. The results beat Wall Street's estimate for Sanderson to earn $1.51 a share on sales of $470 million, according to a FactSet analyst survey. <more> Aug. 25, 2009 MarketWatch

• Annual meeting will feature talk by former Assembly Speaker Brown --  CPF’s annual meeting is Sept. 17-18 at the Resort at Squaw Creek near Lake Tahoe. The meeting opens up Thursday with a luncheon followed by an afternoon of outstanding speakers, including former Assembly Speaker Willie Brown, Roseville Republican Assemblyman Ted Gaines and Todd Hale, Senior Vice President, Consumer & Shopper Insights, for The Nielsen Company. Sponsorship opportunities are also available by contacting CPF President Bill Mattos at (209) 57-6355.  Sponsorships to date include:
  Diamond Club: Alpharma; ASC/Agrecom; Elanco Animal Health; Snackmasters Jerky
  Gold Club: Alltech; Billington Welding & Manufacturing, Inc.; Central Coast Fryer Farms; Cobb-Vantress, Inc.; Cumberland/Hired-Hand; Darling International Inc.; Evonik Degussa; Fort Dodge Animal Health; Foster Farms; Intervet/Schering-Plough; Merial Select, Inc.; Novus International, Inc.; Pactiv Corporation; Phibro Animal Health; Pitman Farms; Preserve International; Valley Fresh Foods, Inc.; Veterinary Service Inc.; Wells Fargo Bank.
  Silver Club: American AgCredit; Aviagen Inc.; Aviagen Turkeys, Inc.; Archer Daniels Midland; Bayer Animal Health; Big Dutchman USA; BJK Flexible Packaging; Diestel Turkey Ranch; Haley Farms, Inc.; Hubbard, LLC; Huvepharma; J.S. West Milling Co.; Jones-Hamilton Co. PLT/PWT/SAS; Lehar Sales Company; Lohmann Animal Health; Lubing Systems LP; Rabobank; RAH Consulting Services Inc.; Tipper Tie Inc.; Volk Enterprises; Walco International, Inc.; Woodland Farms.
  
  More information about the conference is available on the CPF website by clicking here.  
   

• Newsweek special report looks at Valley economic crisis- - Newsweek magazine this week is carrying a series of unprecedented articles looking at the severe economic crisis hitting the San Joaquin Valley. The series of articles takes an in-depth look at the lack of water for farming and increasing loss of farmland due to urbanization. The series’ first article on the water crisis can be read by clicking here. Aug. 25, 2009 Newsweek

• Mike Berryhill taking on Rep. Cardoza - - Mike Berryhill, a Turlock Irrigation District director and a member of a prominent political family, announced Monday that he is running for Dennis Cardoza's congressional seat. Cardoza, D-Merced, is up for re-election in 2010. Cardoza's district includes part of Stanislaus County. Berryhill is a former Ceres Unified School District trustee and has served on the TID board since 1983. His term expires this year and he is not running for re-election. <more> Aug. 25, 2009 Modesto Bee

Monday, Aug. 24, 2009

• Fresno rendering plant odor fuels new debate - - A new debate has begun over a 56-year-old rendering plant that west Fresno activists say is ruining their quality of life with the overpowering smell of rotting animals. The plant's top executive said recent plant upgrades have all but eliminated the foul odors and, just as importantly, the operation has a legal right to stay and continue its pivotal role in the local economy. But questions about whether the plant needs a conditional-use permit have revived community concerns -- and City Hall must find a solution.  At issue is the rendering plant on West Belgravia Avenue owned by Texas-based Darling International Inc. <more> Aug. 24, 2009 Fresno Bee
   

• Production down for US turkeys - - Turkey production in the U.S. for the first six months of 2009 is down 9.4%, totaling 2.8 billion pounds, compared to the same period in 2008, according to the most recent Livestock, Dairy and Poultry Outlook from USDA's Economic Research Service. The drop in production of turkey meat was primarily due to a decline in the number of birds slaughtered. During the first half of 2009, the number of turkeys slaughtered decreased 9.5% compared with the first half of 2008. There was also a small reduction in the average weight of birds going to slaughter. During the first six months of 2009, the number of turkey poults placed for growout totaled only 141 million, down 9.6% from the same period in 2008. Aug. 24, 2009 WattPoultry.com
   

• Annual meeting will feature talk by former Assembly Speaker Brown --  CPF’s annual meeting is Sept. 17-18 at the Resort at Squaw Creek near Lake Tahoe. The meeting opens up Thursday with a luncheon followed by an afternoon of outstanding speakers, including former Assembly Speaker Willie Brown, Roseville Republican Assemblyman Ted Gaines and Todd Hale, Senior Vice President, Consumer & Shopper Insights, for The Nielsen Company. Sponsorship opportunities are also available by contacting CPF President Bill Mattos at (209) 57-6355.  Sponsorships to date include:
  Diamond Club: Alpharma; ASC/Agrecom; Elanco Animal Health; Snackmasters Jerky
  Gold Club: Alltech; Billington Welding & Manufacturing, Inc.; Central Coast Fryer Farms; Cobb-Vantress, Inc.; Cumberland/Hired-Hand; Darling International Inc.; Evonik Degussa; Fort Dodge Animal Health; Foster Farms; Intervet/Schering-Plough; Merial Select, Inc.; Novus International, Inc.; Pactiv Corporation; Phibro Animal Health; Pitman Farms; Preserve International; Valley Fresh Foods, Inc.; Veterinary Service Inc.; Wells Fargo Bank.
  Silver Club: American AgCredit; Aviagen Inc.; Aviagen Turkeys, Inc.; Bayer Animal Health; Big Dutchman USA; BJK Flexible Packaging; Diestel Turkey Ranch; Haley Farms, Inc.; Hubbard, LLC; Huvepharma; J.S. West Milling Co.; Jones-Hamilton Co. PLT/PWT/SAS; Lehar Sales Company; Lohmann Animal Health; Lubing Systems LP; Rabobank; RAH Consulting Services Inc.; Tipper Tie Inc.; Volk Enterprises; Walco International, Inc.; Woodland Farms.
  
  More information about the conference is available on the CPF website by clicking here.  
   

• Sen. Denham wants a part-time Legislature - - A Salinas-area senator is adding to the growing list of calls to return California to a part-time Legislature.  State Sen. Jeff Denham, R-Merced, introduced Friday a constitutional amendment aimed at shortening the legislative session by several months. The amendment would also separate the budget and policy-making processes into odd years and even years, respectively. <more> Aug. 24, 2009 Visalia Times Delta   

• Poll puts Garamendi ahead in race for 10th Congressional District seat - - As soon as Ellen Tauscher announced in March that she was vacating her 10th Congressional District seat to join the Obama administration, a longtime friend, state Sen. Mark DeSaulnier, emerged in many people's eyes as her heir apparent. The region's Democratic giants, Tauscher and Rep. George Miller, both supported DeSaulnier, as did influential Assemblyman Tom Torlakson and a slew of Contra Costa County officials. "One of the really sweet things about this was that (Tauscher) told me and others that one of the things she felt really good about leaving was that I was going to replace her," DeSaulnier said. "It's hard to say no to that."  That coronation was spoiled when one of California's most well-known and enduring politicians – Lt. Gov. John Garamendi – jumped into the race in late April. Garamendi has won key endorsements from organized labor and pulled ahead, according to a mid- August poll conducted by the nonpartisan SurveyUSA firm, which showed him winning the support of 26 percent of respondents to DeSaulnier's 15 percent. <more> Aug. 24, 2009 Sacramento Bee   
   

• Sen Cogdill: California has plenty of water right now; we just don't capture and manage this blessing very well - - Excerpted from a speech by Sen. Dave Cogdill last week at the Capitol urging the Legislature to adopt a comprehensive water solution. This has been a long, ongoing battle but there isn't anything more important to the people of this state, or our economy or our place in the world, and quite frankly the security of the United States, in my opinion, than a safe and secure, clean and abundant water supply for California and the businesses that rely on it. It's something that we have been working for an awful long time. And many of you are painfully aware of the problems that we have in the existing system, where it lacks in its ability to meet our needs on an ongoing basis, certainly through a sustained drought, like we are facing now. <more> Aug. 24, 2009 Sacramento Bee
   

• Vilsack says cap and trade profitable long term - - Economic benefits of cap and trade legislation will outweigh added energy costs, according to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. In a conference call to farm broadcasters Monday, the agriculture secretary maintained that USDA analysis is conservative to the point that some farmers will do better financially than first thought. Some of the payback, says Vilsack, will come from an expected influx of so-called green jobs to rural areas. “This is the first time I’ve seen the opportunity created for Rural America to actually benefit from potential manufacturing opportunities and job growth because the solar panels, the windmills are most likely going to be constructed, maintained and installed in rural areas,” Vilsack told reporters Monday, citing that changes to climate are problematic for agriculture. <more> Aug. 24, 2009 Brownfield Ag News  

Friday, Aug. 21, 2009

• Tyson fined $2 million for Missouri River wastewater violations -- Tyson Fresh Meats, the world's largest beef and pork supplier, will pay $2 million for pumping animal waste into the Missouri River, the Justice Department said Thursday. Justice said the company, a subsidiary of Tyson Foods Inc. of Springdale, Ark., violated a 2002 agreement with the government to limit its discharges into the river from a beef processing facility in Dakota City, Neb. The government said the company did not adequately treat the wastewater it discharges into the river, and as a result, fecal coliform and nitrates were discharged. Officials said the discharges caused high levels of toxicity to aquatic life in the river. <more> Aug. 21, 2009 AP  
   

• Chile confirms swine flu in turkeys -- Chile said Friday that tests show swine flu has jumped to birds, opening a new chapter in the global epidemic. Top flu and animal-health experts with the United Nations in Rome and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta were monitoring the situation closely, but said the infected turkeys have suffered only mild effects, easing concern about a potentially dangerous development. Chile's turkey meat remains safe to eat, they said, and so far there have been no signs of a potentially dangerous mutation. Chile's health ministry said it ordered a quarantine Friday for two turkey farms outside the port city of Valparaiso after genetic tests confirmed sick birds were afflicted with the same virus that has caused a pandemic among humans. <more> Aug. 21, 2009 AP      
   

• Ag secretary Vilsack to visit Modesto area Wednesday - - Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack will visit Modesto next week to hear about troubles in the dairy business and other issues. The visit, Vilsack's first to the area since being appointed by President Barack Obama, will take place Wednesday at the Stanislaus County Agricultural Center. The event is part of the administration's Rural Tour, which has taken Vilsack and a few other Cabinet members to 16 stops around the country this summer, said Caleb Weaver, press secretary at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The visit was arranged with the help of Rep. Dennis Cardoza, D-Merced, who is on the House Agriculture Committee. <more> Aug. 21, 2009 Modesto Bee 
   

• Tom Vilsack's Farm-Country Tour: A Different Kind of Town Hall - - Health care town-hall meetings are certainly stealing the spotlight these days -- but they're not the only game in town. Mostly unnoticed, a quieter series of town halls is taking place on a different crisis: Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack has embarked on a listening tour through rural America to hear about the problems facing farmers. And it's a good thing too, because back on the farm, all is not well. <more> Aug. 21, 2009 Politics Daily
   

• No Lt. Gov. run for Kevin McCarthy - - Congressman Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield) is not mulling a run for lieutenant governor. The political paper Capitol Weekly said Thursday in a wrap-up of campaign-finance news that that McCarthy, R-Bakersfield, is "pondering" a run for lieutenant governor in 2014. It didn't cite a source. It is true that McCarthy has a lieutenant governor campaign-finance account -- he's had it for a long time -- but he said Thursday he's closing it up and not running for the seat. Capitol Weekly didn't talk to him, McCarthy said. <more> Aug. 21, 2009 Bakersfield Californian.
   

• Ag interests lukewarm on state water bills -- Agricultural interests expressed varying reactions to the package of water bills before the legislature at a joint committee hearing Tuesday, Aug. 18.  Three ag representatives -- two from water districts and one with the California Farm Bureau Federation -- testified at the joint hearing of the Senate and Assembly water committees, which met for a public discussion of five Delta-related bills that will soon be considered by a conference committee. The bills address agricultural and urban water efficiency and creation of a management plan and governance structure for the Delta. Brent Walthall, assistant general manager of Kern County Water Agency in the southern San Joaquin Valley, struck a positive tone, saying the package would be workable with some modifications. <more> Aug. 21, 2009 Capital Press  
   

• Capital Press editorial: Food, Inc.' ignores other side - - What would you think of a newspaper story that presented only one side of an issue? You'd call it shoddy journalism. That's exactly the impression left by the new documentary film "Food, Inc." In it, the director and producers present a portion of the picture of production agriculture, in the process building a case in favor of locally produced, organic food. However, huge parts of the story were left out. For example: <more> Aug. 21, 2009 Capital Press
   

• Bill would ax estate tax for agriculture - - Farmers and ranchers are supporting a bill in Congress that would exempt certain land from the federal estate tax as long as the property is kept in agriculture. The bill by U.S. Reps. Mike Thompson, D-Calif., and John Salazar, D-Colo., would deduct from the estate tax the value of farmland in cases where the heir had been involved in the farm operation for five of the past eight years. The idea pleases ranchers such as California cattle producer Kevin Kester, whose family had to pay $2 million over 10 years to the Internal Revenue Service after his grandfather died in 1993. <more> Aug. 21, 2009 Capital Press
   

• EPA to reclassify Central Valley for ozone air pollution - - The Central Valley would get under 2024 to clean up the ozone pollution of the air under a reclassification of the problem proposed Friday by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA move is seen as “signing off on a formality,” by Seyed Sadredin, executive director of the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District. The air direct had made the request in 2007 to have the region’s ozone pollution classified as among the worst in the nation to gain time to find ways to lessen it to meet federal standards. Attainment of the cleaner air standards by 2013, the earlier deadline, was impossible, says Mr. Sadredin. But attainment by 2024 is also impossible since there is no known technology to do it, he says. <more> Aug. 21, 2009 Central Valley Business Times    
   

• Homes pollute: Linked to 50 percent more water pollution than previously believed - - They say there’s no place like home. But scientists are reporting some unsettling news about homes in the residential areas of California. The typical house there — and probably elsewhere in the country — is an alarming and probably underestimated source of water pollution, according to a new study reported today at the 238th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society. In the study, Lorence Oki, Darren Haver and colleagues explain that runoff results from rainfall and watering of lawns and gardens, which winds up in municipal storm drains. The runoff washes fertilizers, pesticides and other contaminants into storm drains, and they eventually appear in rivers, lakes and other bodies of water. <more> Aug. 21, 2009 American Chemical Society   

Thursday, Aug. 20, 2009

• America's Food Crisis and How to Fix It - - With the exhaustion of the soil, the impact of global warming and the inevitably rising price of oil — which will affect everything from fertilizer to supermarket electricity bills — our industrial style of food production will end sooner or later. As the developing world grows richer, hundreds of millions of people will want to shift to the same calorie-heavy, protein-rich diet that has made Americans so unhealthy — demand for meat and poultry worldwide is set to rise 25% by 2015 — but the earth can no longer deliver. Unless Americans radically rethink the way they grow and consume food, they face a future of eroded farmland, hollowed-out countryside, scarier germs, higher health costs — and bland taste. Sustainable food has an elitist reputation, but each of us depends on the soil, animals and plants — and as every farmer knows, if you don't take care of your land, it can't take care of you. <more> Aug. 20, 2009 Time Magazine
   

• Jennie-O Turkey Store profits up  - - Hormel, owner of Jennie-O Turkey Store, the second largest U.S. turkey producer, continues to benefit from consumers seeking greater value. According to a news release, the company's third quarter net income rose by 50% to $77.2 million, or 57 cents a share, while sales fell by 6.7% to $1.57 billion. Jennie-O Turkey Store operating profit was up 97%, while volume was down 2% and dollar sales down 5%. Lower feed costs helped to lift profits for the Minnesota-based company, which also saw strong demand for its grocery products such as Spam and Hormel chili.  Aug. 20, 2009 WattPoultry.com
   

• PETA’s newest target is the overweight- - Just when you thought PETA had offended nearly everyone, the animal-rights group has launched a new ad campaign trying to shame the overweight into turning vegetarian. PETA billboards in Jacksonville, Fla., include a cartoon depiction of an overweight woman, with the words “Save the Whales. Lose the blubber. Go vegetarian.” The campaign is gaining attention over the Internet this week, just as PETA intends, but most of the response has been negative. <more> Aug. 20, 2009 Dairy Herd Management
  
  
   

• Annual meeting will feature talk by former Assembly Speaker Brown --  CPF’s annual meeting is Sept. 17-18 at the Resort at Squaw Creek near Lake Tahoe. The meeting opens up Thursday with a luncheon followed by an afternoon of outstanding speakers, including former Assembly Speaker Willie Brown, Roseville Republican Assemblyman Ted Gaines and Todd Hale, Senior Vice President, Consumer & Shopper Insights, for The Nielsen Company. Sponsorship opportunities are also available by contacting CPF President Bill Mattos at (209) 57-6355.  Sponsorships to date include:
  Diamond Club: Alpharma; ASC/Agrecom; Elanco Animal Health; Snackmasters Jerky
  Gold Club: Alltech; Billington Welding & Manufacturing, Inc.; Central Coast Fryer Farms; Cobb-Vantress, Inc.; Cumberland/Hired-Hand; Darling International Inc.; Evonik Degussa; Fort Dodge Animal Health; Foster Farms; Intervet/Schering-Plough; Merial Select, Inc.; Novus International, Inc.; Pactiv Corporation; Phibro Animal Health; Pitman Farms; Valley Fresh Foods, Inc.; Veterinary Service Inc.; Wells Fargo Bank.
  Silver Club: American AgCredit; Aviagen Inc.; Aviagen Turkeys, Inc.; Bayer Animal Health; Diestel Turkey Ranch; Haley Farms, Inc.; Huvepharma; J.S. West Milling Co.; Jones-Hamilton Co. PLT/PWT/SAS; Lehar Sales Company; Lohmann Animal Health; Lubing Systems LP; RAH Consulting Services Inc.; Tipper Tie Inc.; Volk Enterprises; Walco International, Inc.; Woodland Farms.
  More information about the conference is available on the CPF website by clicking here.  

• Water Compromise Elusive in Calif. Debate Over 'Broken' Ecosystem -- The Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta ecosystem is busted. That view prevails on all sides of a raging fight over the delta’s coveted water supply. Whether an environmentalist, commercial fisher, farmer, bureaucrat, academic or politician – all of whom were invited yesterday to a major hearing in the state Legislature – all seemed to agree that the delta had fallen apart. "Anyone who believes the status quo is working doesn't understand what's going on," said Lester Snow, director of the state Department of Water Resources. "The system is broken." "The delta has gone to hell in a handbasket," added Sen. Joe Simitian, Democrat from Palo Alto. <more> Aug. 20, 2009 NY Times
   

• LA Times Op-Ed: Water battle not as simple as people versus fish - - The "water buffaloes" like to frame their fight as farmers vs. fish. It is not. It's about farmers and fishermen. A California water buffalo is someone who instinctively battles to develop water -- so named, I'm told, after the beast that reputedly can smell water from 200 miles away. The fight isn't necessarily about "versus" either because farmers and fishermen often are in the same boat, dry-docked for lack of water. Up and down the San Joaquin Valley, farm fields have been fallowed and field hands can't find work because there isn't enough water to irrigate crops. <more> Aug. 20, 2009 LA Times
   

• Fresno Bee editorial: Water talks near stalemate - - We had hoped that the latest round of hearings on California's troubled water system would produce a comprehensive solution in the Legislature. But it appears that key Democratic lawmakers would rather talk about water than solve the problem. That's not good for San Joaquin Valley farmers, Southern California residents or those wanting more water for environmental uses. Today's water system is serving 38 million Californians, yet it was built for half that many. The Legislature is handling the water crisis like it handles the budget crisis. Do as little as possible and hope it will go away. It won't and that makes the problem even more difficult to resolve. <more> Aug. 20, 2009 Fresno Bee 
   

Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2009

• Corn set for a bearish slide? - - USDA’s Aug. 12 corn crop production estimate is likely too low and forecasts for corn use and exports too high, which will add even more bearishness to corn once the information is digested by the market, according to Richard Feltes, an analyst with MF Global, speaking at a CME Group press briefing. USDA estimated crop production for corn at 12.8 billion bushels, while corn yields were forecast at 159.5 bushels per acre. For soybeans, USDA projected production at a record 3.2 billion bushels, and soybean yields were forecast at 41.7 bushels. Ending stocks for new crop corn were estimated at 1.6 billion bushels, and for soybeans, at 210 million bushels. <more> Aug. 19, 2009 Western Farm Press   
   

• Annual meeting will feature talk by former Assembly Speaker Brown --  CPF’s annual meeting is Sept. 17-18 at the Resort at Squaw Creek near Lake Tahoe. The meeting opens up Thursday with a luncheon followed by an afternoon of outstanding speakers, including former Assembly Speaker Willie Brown, Roseville Republican Assemblyman Ted Gaines and Todd Hale, Senior Vice President, Consumer & Shopper Insights, for The Nielsen Company. Sponsorship opportunities are also available by contacting CPF President Bill Mattos at (209) 57-6355.  Sponsorships to date include:
  Diamond Club: Alpharma; ASC/Agrecom; Elanco Animal Health; Snackmasters Jerky
  Gold Club: Alltech; Billington Welding & Manufacturing, Inc.; Central Coast Fryer Farms; Cobb-Vantress, Inc.; Cumberland/Hired-Hand; Darling International Inc.; Evonik Degussa; Fort Dodge Animal Health; Foster Farms; Intervet/Schering-Plough; Merial Select, Inc.; Novus International, Inc.; Pactiv Corporation; Phibro Animal Health; Pitman Farms; Valley Fresh Foods, Inc.; Veterinary Service Inc.; Wells Fargo Bank.
  Silver Club: American AgCredit; Aviagen Inc.; Aviagen Turkeys, Inc.; Bayer Animal Health; Diestel Turkey Ranch; Haley Farms, Inc.; Huvepharma; J.S. West Milling Co.; Jones-Hamilton Co. PLT/PWT/SAS; Lehar Sales Company; Lohmann Animal Health; Lubing Systems LP; RAH Consulting Services Inc.; Tipper Tie Inc.; Volk Enterprises; Walco International, Inc.; Woodland Farms.
  More information about the conference is available on the CPF website by clicking here.  
   

• Crackdown on workers' comp billing fraud is dealt a setback - - California's powerful insurance lobby has quietly scuttled an effort to combat fraudulent medical billing that drains hundreds of millions of dollars from the state's workers' compensation insurance system. At issue was a proposal aimed at preventing billing scams backed by a task force of public and private employers, including Los Angeles County and Walt Disney Co. It would have required insurers to send notices to injured workers to check whether they actually received all medical services billed. But insurers balked, complaining about the high cost of increased paperwork. They persuaded state Sen. Roderick Wright (D-Inglewood) to strip the plan from a bill he introduced in February, Wright's office confirmed. The proposal's setback frustrated employers seeking new tools to battle illegal traffic in medical records. <more> Aug. 19, 2009 LA Times  

• Calls for water God Squad intensify but face long odds - - A Valley congressman and a conservative legal group today pushed a long-shot bid for a special federal committee to overrule environmental protections and send more delta water to Valley farms. At a news conference on the Capitol steps, Rep. George Radanovich, R-Mariposa, and the Pacific Legal Foundation portrayed the so-called God Squad as the solution to water shortages that have fallowed fields and left farmworkers without jobs. The squad, formally known as the Endangered Species Committee, is a panel of top federal agency administrators that could conceivably overrule species protections and increase pumping from the delta. The pumping has been restricted to protect fish. <more> Aug. 19, 2009 Fresno Bee   

• Ag Secretary Vilsack to hold Modesto listening session Aug. 26 - - Rep. Dennis Cardoza announced Friday that USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack will visit Modesto Wednesday Aug. 26 for a luncheon listening session at the Stanislaus County Ag Center. The event will begin at 12:30 p.m. in the Harvest Hall. Lunch is optional and seating will be limited. RSVP’s are requested to Cardoza’s Modesto office at (209) 527-1914 or email lisa.mantarro@mail.house.gov.  The lunch will cost $17.50 per person. “I have met numerous times with the Secretary over the past several months to discuss the many challenges facing Valley agriculture, as well as its important role in the U.S. economy,” said Cardoza.

Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2009

• They're laying eggs at an Oakland restaurant - - When the chickens arrived, clucking and pecking, in the rush of Saturday dinner hour -- Witch, Bootsy and five layers to be named later -- they transformed Pizzaiolo restaurant into the latest outpost on food's frontier. Many urban eateries boast their own kitchen gardens, with mizuna and Mr. Stripey heirloom tomatoes sprouting on rooftops and busy street medians. Some farms even host top-flight dining rooms, where next season's prosciutto snuffles placidly nearby. But chef-owner Charlie Hallowell is nudging the local-food movement into new territory here in the freeway-adjacent gourmet ghetto of a city where Gallus gallus domesticus may be legally raised nearly anywhere. Except at restaurants. That, however, has not stopped Hallowell. Just off Pizzaiolo's back patio is a brand-new, custom-built chicken coop. Eggs laid there in the morning will top pizzas by nightfall. Diners will be able to wander over, Barolo in hand, to commune with the creatures that might contribute to their dinner. <more> Aug. 18, 2009 LA Times  
   

• Gov. demands water bond for dams - - The Legislature’s fight over water is evolving into a fight over money. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger today said he will not approve a deal unless it includes a multibillion-dollar bond to pay for dams and other projects. His position, which repeats a pledge he’s made for three years, is at odds with the Democrats who control the Legislature, who are seeking policy changes first. The divide threatens to derail negotiations on legislation to shore up water supplies and fix the ailing Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Lawmakers began water hearings today and hope to finalize a deal before the legislative session ends on Sept. 11. <more> Aug. 18, 2009 Sacramento Bee  
   

• Connie Conway named vice chair of Assembly Appropriations Committee - - Assemblywoman Connie Conway has been named to a key post on one of the state Legislature's most powerful committees. Conway, of Tulare, was named vice chair of the Assembly Appropriations Committee, which makes decisions on budget issues and deals with public bonds and alternative financing. Conway will be the ranking Republican on the 16-member committee, which has five other GOP members. "Assemblywoman Conway will play an important role for Assembly Republicans in our efforts to stop wasteful government spending," said Assembly Republican Leader Sam Blakeslee of San Luis Obispo. "She will be an effective advocate for Republicans as we work to make state government more efficient and effective for Californians." <more> Aug. 18, 2009 Visalia Times Delta
   

• Annual meeting will feature talk by former Assembly Speaker Brown --  CPF’s annual meeting is Sept. 17-18 at the Resort at Squaw Creek near Lake Tahoe. The meeting opens up Thursday with a luncheon followed by an afternoon of outstanding speakers, including former Assembly Speaker Willie Brown, Roseville Republican Assemblyman Ted Gaines and Todd Hale, Senior Vice President, Consumer & Shopper Insights, for The Nielsen Company. Sponsorship opportunities are also available by contacting CPF President Bill Mattos at (209) 57-6355.  Sponsorships to date include:
  Diamond Club: Alpharma; ASC/Agrecom; Elanco Animal Health; Snackmasters Jerky
  Gold Club: Alltech; Billington Welding & Manufacturing, Inc.; Central Coast Fryer Farms; Cobb-Vantress, Inc.; Cumberland/Hired-Hand; Darling International Inc.; Evonik Degussa; Foster Farms; Intervet/Schering-Plough; Merial Select, Inc.; Novus International, Inc.; Pactiv Corporation; Phibro Animal Health; Pitman Farms; Valley Fresh Foods, Inc.; Veterinary Service Inc.; Wells Fargo Bank.
  Silver Club: American AgCredit; Aviagen Inc.; Aviagen Turkeys, Inc.; Bayer Animal Health; Diestel Turkey Ranch; Haley Farms, Inc.; Huvepharma; J.S. West Milling Co.; Jones-Hamilton Co. PLT/PWT/SAS; Lehar Sales Company; Lohmann Animal Health; Lubing Systems LP; RAH Consulting Services Inc.; Tipper Tie Inc.; Volk Enterprises; Walco International, Inc.; Woodland Farms.
  More information about the conference is available on the CPF website by clicking here.  
   

• Counties hold key to Williamson Act's future - - When Gov. Schwarzenegger blue-penciled all but $1,000 of state money to support the Williamson Act farmland conservation program last month, the veto created confusion among the thousands of farmers and ranchers in California who have enrolled their land under the law.  "While the provisions of the Williamson Act remain in effect, there is a great deal of concern among our members due to the uncertainty of what the counties might do in response," says John Gamper, California Farm Bureau Federation taxation and land use director. Under the law, landowners sign contracts with counties. The landowners agree to maintain their land in agricultural production for at least 10 years. The counties agree to tax the land based on its agricultural income, its acquisition value under Proposition 13 or its current market value, whichever is lower. <more> Aug. 18, 2009 Ag Alert   
  
   

• Modesto Bee editorial: Ag is backbone of our economy - - While things aren't looking quite so good for farmers in 2009 — especially in the dairy industry — no other sector of our economy is likely to come close to matching agriculture's nearly $2.5 billion value. The crop report lists only gross income to farmers. As with every other kind of business, farmers only make a profit if their income exceeds their costs, and the production costs related to agriculture — things like water, fuel, pest control and fertilizers — have mostly gone up. The 19-page crop report (www.stanag.org/ag)  is an accounting of income and acreage per commodity. The dollar figures are big — such as the $689 million in income for 2008 that makes dairy our top ag product. You might think that everyone knows that — maybe not all the details but at least the big picture. But most people need to have a better grasp of how ag operates and what it needs to survive. <more> Aug. 17, 2009 Modesto Bee
   

• Legislative hearings on state's water crisis begin -- Lawmakers say they are determined to start solving the state's water problems this week.  "I think we have to get something done on water, period. Expect major action," predicted Sen. Dean Florez, D-Shafter. But with only four weeks left in the legislative session, groups on all sides of the debate are skeptical that Democrats and Republicans can strike a deal to stabilize city and farm water supplies while reversing the environmental decline of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Informational hearings on legislation will start today and continue for two weeks. At that point, a special joint committee of the Senate and Assembly is scheduled to convene, leaving only two weeks for compromise. "We don't have a lot of time left," said Sen. Dave Cogdill, R-Modesto, a lead water negotiator. But he said he is confident that "if we don't get it done by the regular session, [Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger] will call a special session on water and keep after it." <more> Aug. 18, 2009 Fresno Bee    

Monday, Aug. 17, 2009

• Animal ag groups write White House on importance of antibiotics - - A coalition of 20 organizations related to animal agriculture sent a letter today to Melody Barnes, assistant to President Barack Obama for domestic policy, regarding the on-farm use of low-level antibiotics in livestock and poultry. The letter outlined the actions taken by our groups, both individually and collectively, to ensure these important, safe, effective Food & Drug Administration (FDA)-approved products are used judiciously, minimizing risk to human health. The letter said, "The bottom line for on-farm antibiotic use is this:  Farmers and ranchers strive daily to provide best possible management of their animals through superior genetics, nutrition, veterinary care, housing and handling. Optimal animal health and welfare leads to production of safe, affordable and abundant food, critical to U.S. food security. Maintaining the health of U.S. herds and flocks requires farmers and ranchers to have all approved safe and effective technologies, including animal health products, available to us." <more> Aug. 17, 2009 FeedStuffs.com    
   

• OSHA promises more inspections and enforcement - - Elections have consequences. The Obama administration’s secretary of labor, Hilda Solis, at her first public speaking engagement as labor secretary in March reportedly said, “The Labor Department is back in business. … Yes, I think you can rest assured that there is a new sheriff in town.”  Jordan Barab, acting assistant secretary of labor for OSHA, was quoted as having said, “He wanted to be absolutely clear that OSHA is back in the business of standards and enforcement.” What will this all mean for the poultry industry? <more> Aug. 17, 20-09 WatPoultry.com  
   

• Annual meeting will feature talk by former Assembly Speaker Brown --  CPF’s annual meeting is Sept. 17-18 at the Resort at Squaw Creek near Lake Tahoe. The meeting opens up Thursday with a luncheon followed by an afternoon of outstanding speakers, including former Assembly Speaker Willie Brown, Roseville Republican Assemblyman Ted Gaines and Todd Hale, Senior Vice President, Consumer & Shopper Insights, for The Nielsen Company. Sponsorship opportunities are also available by contacting CPF President Bill Mattos at (209) 57-6355.  Sponsorships to date include:
  Diamond Club: Alpharma; ASC/Agrecom; Snackmasters Jerky
  Gold Club: Alltech; Billington Welding & Manufacturing, Inc.; Central Coast Fryer Farms; Cobb-Vantress, Inc.; Cumberland/Hired-Hand; Darling International Inc.; Evonik Degussa; Foster Farms; Intervet/Schering-Plough; Merial Select, Inc.; Novus International, Inc.; Phibro Animal Health; Pitman Farms; Valley Fresh Foods, Inc.; Veterinary Service Inc.; Wells Fargo Bank.
  Silver Club: American AgCredit; Aviagen Inc.; Aviagen Turkeys, Inc.; Bayer Animal Health; Diestel Turkey Ranch; Haley Farms, Inc.; Huvepharma; J.S. West Milling Co.; Jones-Hamilton Co. PLT/PWT/SAS; Lehar Sales Company; Lohmann Animal Health; Lubing Systems LP; RAH Consulting Services Inc.; Tipper Tie Inc.; Volk Enterprises; Walco International, Inc.; Woodland Farms.
  More information about the conference is available on the CPF website by clicking here.
   

• AVMA report to congress disputes Pew Commission study - - The nation’s largest veterinary association released to Congress a scientific response that disputes several of the findings and recommendations made in a report released last year by the Pew Commission on Industrial Farm Animal Production. In a letter sent with the American Veterinary Medical Association’s (AVMA) response to members of the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate, Dr. Ron DeHaven, CEO of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), expressed concerns about the Pew Commission’s report and urged members to vote against H.R. 1549 and S. 619, the Preservation of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment Act (PAMTA) as they are written. The Pew Commission’s findings and recommendations are being used to advocate for PAMTA. <more> Aug. 17, 2009 Dairy Herd Management   
   

• Poultry Science Assn. names new officers at annual conference  - – The Poultry Science Association (PSA) held its 98th Annual Meeting on July 20 – 23 in Raleigh, NC.  Hosted by North Carolina State University, the four-day meeting was the setting for several major symposia, the presentation and discussion of hundreds of scientific papers, and the announcement of more than 20 research and industry-related awards.  PSA also announced its new slate of officers and directors for the upcoming 12 months. A total of 776 people attended this year’s annual meeting – an increase of almost 7% from PSA’s 2008 Centennial Meeting in Niagara Falls.  Excluding staff members and several students attending only one of the symposia, the attendees hailed from 40 states (including the District of Columbia) and 34 countries, with international participants accounting for 27% of the total. Attendees had the opportunity to attend five key symposia, select to hear any of 241 oral presentations and view 211 poster exhibitions on basic and applied research on poultry-related topics. <more> Aug. 17, 2009 PSA Press Release
   

• EPA showing bias against ethanol? - - Is the Environmental Protection Agency deliberately trying to “stack the deck” against ethanol and other biofuels? That’s the question being raised after the agency released the peer review it had said it would conduct on the computer models used to calculate the impact of indirect land use change in its Renewable Fuel Standard-2 proposed rule. “We are pleased that this independent peer review has affirmed EPA’s approach (to greenhouse gas emission rulemaking) to be fair, credible and grounded in science,” an EPA spokesman said in response to a query from reporters following the peer review’s release. But the Renewable Fuels Association, House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin C. Peterson, D-Minn., and other groups such as the National Corn Growers Association blasted the 135-page document, charging EPA “stacked the deck” by naming a group of anti-ethanol advocates to the scientific panel that was asked to review the indirect land use change models. <more> Aug. 17, 2009 Western Farm Press
   

•  It's Fish Versus Farmers in the San Joaquin Valley - - By Rep. Devin Nunes - - In 1931, a severe drought began that within a few years engulfed the Oklahoma panhandle and a third of the Great Plains in a "Dust Bowl." Tens of thousands of people fled the region—many traveling to California along Route 66, which John Steinbeck called "the mother road, the road of flight" in "The Grapes of Wrath." A lot of the "Okies" settled in the San Joaquin Valley. In the decades that followed, state and federal officials built dams and other irrigation projects that helped turn the valley into some of the world's richest farmland. But today the San Joaquin Valley is being transformed into a dust bowl. Hundreds of thousands of acres are fallow, while almond and plum trees are being left to die in the scorching sun. Tens of thousands of people have been tossed out of work—the town of Mendota alone has an unemployment rate of about 40%—and the lines for food donations stretch down streets. The reason? There isn't enough water to go around this year, and the Obama administration is drawing up new reasons to divert more of it from farms and people and into the San Francisco Bay. <more> Aug. 17, 2009 Wall Street Journal
   

• Farm usage of high-speed internet is increasing - - Farm usage of high-speed internet is increasing. According to the latest farm computer usage data from USDA, 36 percent of U.S. farms used DSL to access the internet in 2009.  That’s up 12 percent from 2007.  Satellite and wireless usage both came in at 13 percent, with cable at 11 percent.  At the same time, dialup access dropped from 47 percent in ‘07 to 23 percent in ‘09. Fifty-nine percent of U.S. farms now have internet access, compared with 57 percent in 2007. Sixty-four percent of farms have access to a computer in 2009, the same level as 2007. <more> Aug. 17, 2009 Dairy Herd Management

Friday, Aug. 14, 2009

• Judge in Oklahoma: Poultry litter is solid waste -- A federal judge ruled Friday that poultry litter could be classified as a solid waste under federal environmental laws when applied in excessive amounts on farmland. The decision was a partial victory for the state of Oklahoma in its environmental lawsuit against 12 Arkansas poultry companies. Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson claims excessive application of chicken waste has resulted in runoff polluting the Illinois River watershed. The case has drawn national attention because it could lead to similar lawsuits across the country challenging how the industry does business. A trial is set for Sept. 21. <more> Aug. 14, 2009 AP
   

• Near record corn crop projected - - More than 12.76 billion bushels of corn are expected to be harvested this year, a near record crop with yields also approaching the previous record, according to USDA’s “Crop Production” and “World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates” reports this week. If the harvest proves to be 12.76 billion bushels, the crop would be 5.5 percent above the 12.10 billion bushels in 2008 and only 2.1 percent under the record harvest of 13.04 billion bushels in 2007.  This year’s corn yields are now estimated at 159.5 bushels per acre, up 6.1 bushels from USDA’s July estimate and less than a bushel under the 160.4 bushels per acre in 2004, the record yield. USDA left its harvest corn acreage estimate unchanged from last month’s 80.1 million acres. Last year’s comparable corn acreage was 78.6 million acres, and in 2007, it was 86.5 million acres. Corn for ethanol usage for 2009-10 was increased 100 million bushels from the July estimate to 4.20 billion bushels or 32.9 percent of expected corn production this year. With the greater abundance of corn likely, the board reduced its projected farm corn price for 2009-10 to $3.10-$3.90 per bushel, 25 cents less on both ends of last month’s range of $3.35-$4.15. The comparable corn price for 2008-09 is estimated at about $4.05 and in 2007-08 the price was $4.20 per bushel. Aug. 14, 2009 USDA Outlook
   

• Annual meeting will feature talk by former Assembly Speaker Brown --  CPF’s annual meeting is Sept. 17-18 at the Resort at Squaw Creek near Lake Tahoe. The meeting opens up Thursday with a luncheon followed by an afternoon of outstanding speakers, including former Assembly Speaker Willie Brown, Roseville Republican Assemblyman Ted Gaines and Todd Hale, Senior Vice President, Consumer & Shopper Insights, for The Nielsen Company. Sponsorship opportunities are also available by contacting CPF President Bill Mattos at (209) 57-6355.  Sponsorships to date include:
  Diamond Club: ASC/Agrecom; Snackmasters Jerky
  Gold Club: Alltech; Billington Welding & Manufacturing, Inc.; Central Coast Fryer Farms; Cobb-Vantress, Inc.; Cumberland/Hired-Hand; Darling International Inc.; Evonik Degussa; Foster Farms; Intervet/Schering-Plough; Merial Select, Inc.; Novus International, Inc.; Phibro Animal Health; Pitman Farms; Valley Fresh Foods, Inc.; Veterinary Service Inc.; Wells Fargo Bank.
  Silver Club: American AgCredit; Aviagen Inc.; Bayer Animal Health; Diestel Turkey Ranch; Haley Farms, Inc.; Huvepharma; J.S. West Milling Co.; Lehar Sales Company; Lohmann Animal Health; Lubing Systems LP; RAH Consulting Services Inc.; Tipper Tie Inc.; Volk Enterprises; Walco International, Inc.; Woodland Farms.
  More information about the conference is available on the CPF website by clicking here.  
   

• California workers’ comp rates may jump - - California’s Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau’s (WCIRB) wants to increase the Workers Compensation Cost Claims Benchmark by 22.8 percent, impacting the insurance premiums paid by businesses statewide. But the state Department of Insurance may oppose the increase. “Last month, I rejected WCIRB's request to increase the Cost Claims Benchmark, in part because I found that insurers were inefficient and were not fully using available tools to control costs,” says Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner. <more> Aug. 13, 2009 Central Valley Business Times
   

• Brown leads Newsom, 29-20 in new poll but gap narrowing - - San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom is gaining ground on State attorney general Jerry Brown in the 2010 California governor's race, according to a new poll from non-partisan Research 2000 which calls the Democratic contest "anyone's game.''  The poll commissioned by the Daily Kos showed that Brown leads Newsom by just 9 points, 29-20 -- a gap that has been cut in half since a J. Moore Methods poll in late June showed Brown with a 20 point lead over the San Francisco mayor. The poll of 600 likely state voters was taken Aug. 9-12, and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points. The Kos analysis: "There's a bit of a gender gap, with Jerry Brown leading Gavin Newsom among women 32-16.' <more> Aug. 14, 2009 SF Chronicle
   

• Frank Fat’s: An iconic eatery celebrates its 70th birthday - - It’s not often that a restaurant celebrates its 70th anniversary. It’s even more uncommon when that restaurant happens to be a political landmark. But on Sept. 9, the city’s oldest eatery, Frank Fat’s, will be looking back on seven decades as the toast of the state political world. A short walk from the Capitol, Fat’s established itself from the beginning in 1939 as a place where politicians could meet with colleagues and discuss business, as well as enjoy a bite to eat and have a nice conversation. Frank Fat was known for a simple mantra: “You give people good food, a nice place to eat it in and make them happy. Pretty simple, really.”  Many associate Fat’s with its delectable dishes that include a killer banana-cream pie. But some may know that Fat’s was the California equivalent to French coffee-houses during the revolution. During its hey-day it was known as the states’ “Third House,” where deals were forged on the tables of Fat’s by politicians and lobbyists alike. Its diners have included governors, U. S. senators and representatives along with lobbyists, state stakeholders and legislators from both sides of the aisle. <more> Aug. 14, 2009 Capitol Weekly  
   

• Plotting the path of renewable power lines - - A new state report tries to tackle one of the touchiest issues in California's effort to expand renewable power, suggesting possible routes for new transmission lines to carry electricity from wind farms and solar plants. Power lines often generate intense opposition from environmentalists and landowners. But without new lines, the solar power plants and wind farms planned throughout California won't be able to ship their electricity to the towns and cities that need it. So several state agencies, electrical utilities, renewable power developers and environmental groups have joined together to figure out where to put new lines, hoping to prevent public fights. The effort, called the Renewable Energy Transmission Initiative, released its latest report this week. The report examines where transmission lines are needed most, will cost the least and will cause the least harm to the environment. It doesn't recommend exact routes, nor does it specify how many lines must be built. <more> Aug. 14, 2009 SF Chronicle

   

Thursday, Aug. 13, 2009

• Annual meeting will feature talk by former Assembly Speaker Brown --  CPF’s annual meeting is Sept. 17-18 at the Resort at Squaw Creek near Lake Tahoe. The meeting opens up Thursday with a luncheon followed by an afternoon of outstanding speakers, including former Assembly Speaker Willie Brown, Roseville Republican Assemblyman Ted Gaines and Todd Hale, Senior Vice President, Consumer & Shopper Insights, for The Nielsen Company. Sponsorship opportunities are also available by contacting CPF President Bill Mattos at (209) 57-6355.  Sponsorships to date include:
  Diamond Club: ASC/Agrecom; Snackmasters Jerky
  Gold Club: Alltech; Billington Welding & Manufacturing, Inc.; Central Coast Fryer Farms; Cobb-Vantress, Inc.; Cumberland/Hired-Hand; Darling International Inc.; Evonik Degussa; Foster Farms; Intervet/Schering-Plough; Merial Select, Inc.; Novus International, Inc.; Phibro Animal Health; Pitman Farms; Valley Fresh Foods, Inc.; Veterinary Service Inc.; Wells Fargo Bank.
  Silver Club: American AgCredit; Aviagen Inc.; Bayer Animal Health; Diestel Turkey Ranch; Haley Farms, Inc.; Huvepharma; J.S. West Milling Co.; Lehar Sales Company; Lohmann Animal Health; Lubing Systems LP; RAH Consulting Services Inc.; Tipper Tie Inc.; Volk Enterprises; Walco International, Inc.; Woodland Farms.
  More information about the conference is available on the CPF website by clicking here.  
   

• Workers' comp bureau seeks 22.8% rate hike - - Get ready for another round of workers' compensation insurance premium increases next January. An influential group controlled by the insurance industry Wednesday recommended a 22.8 percent rate increase. The Workers' Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau of California, in arguing for the higher rates, said rising medical costs are largely the reason. The findings are advisory but generally set the pattern for the industry. Insurers raised rates nearly 10 percent on average in July after the bureau called for a 23.7 percent increase. Rates generally are set twice a year, in January and July.  <more> Aug. 13, 2009 Sacramento Bee
   

• California workers’ comp rates may jump - - California’s Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau’s (WCIRB) wants to increase the Workers Compensation Cost Claims Benchmark by 22.8 percent, impacting the insurance premiums paid by businesses statewide. But the state Department of Insurance may oppose the increase. “Last month, I rejected WCIRB's request to increase the Cost Claims Benchmark, in part because I found that insurers were inefficient and were not fully using available tools to control costs,” says Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner. <more> Aug. 13, 2009 Central Valley Business Times
   

• Fixing the Delta: How Will We Pay for It? - - This report by the Public Policy Institute examines the question of how to pay for urgently needed investments in the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta. For years, stakeholders have been at odds over beneficiary financing (charging those who use the water). But recent federal intervention to save endangered fish species and the decline of state and federal funding sources may finally break the impasse. This report situates the beneficiary payment debate in historical, legal, and political context. It also explores how this kind of financing might work for several “big ticket” items: water conveyance facilities, storage reservoirs, environmental mitigation, and levee improvements. <more> Aug. 13, 2099 Pacific Policy Institute
   

• Feds seek solutions in Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta - - The federal government is saying it's ready to be a team player again to solve water and environmental problems in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, the hub of California's water system. But the ballpark may have become a battlefield. The Schwarzenegger administration has vowed to start building a Delta canal by 2011, even though a new joint state-federal program called the Bay Delta Conservation Plan is still debating its merits. The Obama administration hasn't taken a position on the canal. "In all candor, it is really premature to be getting behind something like that," Hayes said. "We could find out that solution is not any better than the status quo." A veteran of prior California water battles as a member of the Clinton administration, Hayes said he's been "stunned" by the antagonism over water now. But he thinks a partnership is still possible. <more> Aug. 13, 2009 Sacramento Bee  
   

• Ag Vision document will guide lawmakers toward food production in 2030 - - - - California's Agricultural Vision process has entered the home stretch on creating a two-decade strategic plan for food production. The goal of Ag Vision, an effort sparked by agriculture secretary A.G. Kawamura, is to create an advisory document that would guide development of public policy and industry practice with an eye to environmental sustainability and public health. "The goal of this is a living document," said Karen Ross, who helps direct the process as a member of the State Board of Food and Agriculture. <more> Aug. 13, 2009 Capital Press
   

• Food Firms Fret Over Potential Impact of Climate Bill - - Some of the nation's biggest food and agriculture companies are planning to release a flurry of studies in coming weeks that scrutinize the potential impact of climate-change legislation, warning that it could lead to higher food prices. A group of agriculture giants including Cargill Inc., along with meat company Tyson Foods Inc. and food maker General Mills Inc., is concerned the companies might bear a disproportionate share of the costs of such legislation, according to a memo reviewed by The Wall Street Journal. The group also is worried that a House bill passed in July doesn't provide sufficient incentives for food and agricultural companies to receive and generate carbon credits to offset their carbon emissions. <more> Aug. 13, 2009 Wall Street Journal

Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2009

• Aug. 12 deadline for CPF special room rates -- The deadline to get the special room rates for the CPF's annual conference is Wednesday, Aug. 12. The special rates are $209 for a deluxe room and $245 for a fireplace suite. After that date, hotel rooms will only be available, as space permits, and special group rates may not apply. Contact the CPF at (209) 576-6355 to make your hotel reservation.
   CPF’s annual meeting is Sept. 17-18 at the Resort at Squaw Creek near Lake Tahoe. The meeting opens up Thursday with a luncheon followed by an afternoon of outstanding speakers, including former Assembly Speaker Willie Brown, Roseville Republican Assemblyman Ted Gaines and Todd Hale, Senior Vice President, Consumer & Shopper Insights, for The Nielsen Company. Sponsorship opportunities are also available by contacting CPF President Bill Mattos at (209) 57-6355.  Sponsorships to date include:
  Diamond Club: ASC/Agrecom; Snackmasters Jerky
  Gold Club: Alltech; Billington Welding & Manufacturing, Inc.; Central Coast Fryer Farms; Cobb-Vantress, Inc.; Cumberland/Hired-Hand; Darling International Inc.; Evonik Degussa; Foster Farms; Intervet/Schering-Plough; Merial Select, Inc.; Novus International, Inc.; Phibro Animal Health; Pitman Farms; Valley Fresh Foods, Inc.; Veterinary Service Inc.; Wells Fargo Bank.
  Silver Club: American AgCredit; Aviagen Inc.; Bayer Animal Health; Diestel Turkey Ranch; Haley Farms, Inc.; Huvepharma; J.S. West Milling Co.; Lehar Sales Company; Lohmann Animal Health; Lubing Systems LP; RAH Consulting Services Inc.; Tipper Tie Inc.; Volk Enterprises; Walco International, Inc.; Woodland Farms.
  More information about the conference is available on the CPF website by clicking here.  
   

• United Egg Producers say new regulations to cost $81 million -- New federal legislation designed to reduce the risk of salmonella in eggs will cost the industry $81 million, the United Egg producers trade group estimates. Several salmonella scares in recent years linked to other foods, such as peppers, tomatoes, cookie dough and peanut products have caused increased government scrutiny. The new guidelines require egg producers to regularly test eggs for salmonella and buy egg-producing chicks from sellers who also test for salmonella and other diseases. Jackson-based Cal-Maine Foods is the nation's largest egg producer and distributor. "We'll have to increase the amount of testing that we do, but it's not a material cost to the company," said Tim Dawson, Cal-Maine chief financial officer.<more> Aug. 12, 2009 AP 
   

• Capital Press editorial: Egg producers need real standards  - - California Assemblyman Jared Huffman, D-San Rafael, has put a hold on a bill that would require out-of-state producers who sell their eggs in California to meet the animal care standards mandated by Proposition 2.  Assemblyman Huffman said he wants to wait until producers and animal rights advocates agree on a caging system. But those advocates don't want a caging system. Huffman should press on, despite the objections of HSUS and its allies. Let's see if the experts at the University of California can design a cage that fits the bill. Then egg producers across the West can decide whether it's economically viable, and HSUS can mount its inevitable legal challenge. At any rate, the process will have been advanced toward an end that will benefit producers. <more> Aug. 12, 2009 Capital Press   
   

• Pacific Ethanol posts bigger loss -- Pacific Ethanol Inc., a California-based company that shuttered its Burley, Idaho, facility earlier this year, said its second-quarter loss more than tripled on slowing sales and struggles to restructure its debt.  Pacific said in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing its loss in the three months ended June 30 widened to $27.4 million, from $8.3 million in 2008. Sales at the Sacramento-based company plummeted by nearly two-thirds to just $70 million, from $197 million. <more> Aug 12, 2009 AP
   

• Lobbyist talks Williamson Act - - Following Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's elimination of funding for the Williamson Act, a Sacramento lobbyist is spurring dialogue on how the popular farmland-conservation program might be restructured. Bill Geyer is a political consultant who runs the Resource Landowners Coalition, an interest group of farmers, ranchers and water agencies. "I think what we are imagining is a fairly broad review of even the basic assumptions that we started out with, and the way the whole program operates," Geyer said. "It could wind up that we could have an equitable subvention program that serves the state's interest at half the cost of the present program."  <more> Aug. 12, 2009 Capital Press
   

• Obama urged to see water-starved Valley  - - Community activists and Valley politicians are stepping up their efforts to bring national attention to the area's water shortage -- pleading Tuesday for President Barack Obama to visit the drought-plagued farmlands. Members of the California Latino Water Coalition, several local mayors and two Valley congressmen -- Reps. George Radanovich, R-Mariposa, and Jim Costa, D-Fresno -- gathered Tuesday on an outdoor basketball court in Mendota to announce the invitation. The backdrop: A food line. Nearly 500 people also were in Rojas-Pierce Park to receive donated food. Among them was Mendota resident Maria Zermeno, who had her own request for Obama: "Please help us get back to work."  Members of the coalition have sent a letter signed by 50 Central Valley mayors asking the president to visit the area and help find a solution to its water shortages. <more> Aug. 12, 2009 Fresno Bee
   

• National Attention to the Valley's Water Crisis- - - - People all across America learned about the valley's water crisis on Tuesday. The west Fresno County town of Huron served as the backdrop for a segment on the "Sean Hannity" show.  To view the seven-minute segment, please click here. California Highway Patrol estimates nearly 25 hundred people came to an almond orchard with the hopes of bringing national attention to the valley's thirst for water. The voice of FOX New's Sean Hannity energized this crowd of thousands who say seeing the affects of parched land is hard to believe.  Among continuous rows of dead almond trees the voice of comedian Paul Rodriguez spoke about the issue most important to valley farmers. <more> Aug. 12, 2009 KFSN-TV Fresno

Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2009

• Aug. 12 deadline for CPF special room rates -- The deadline to get the special room rates for the CPF's annual conference is Wednesday, Aug. 12. The special rates are $209 for a deluxe room and $245 for a fireplace suite. After that date, hotel rooms will only be available, as space permits, and special group rates may not apply. Contact the CPF at (209) 576-6355 to make your hotel reservation.
   CPF’s annual meeting is Sept. 17-18 at the Resort at Squaw Creek near Lake Tahoe. The meeting opens up Thursday with a luncheon followed by an afternoon of outstanding speakers, including former Assembly Speaker Willie Brown, Roseville Republican Assemblyman Ted Gaines and Todd Hale, Senior Vice President, Consumer & Shopper Insights, for The Nielsen Company. Sponsorship opportunities are also available by contacting CPF President Bill Mattos at (209) 57-6355.  Sponsorships to date include:
  Diamond Club: ASC/Agrecom; Snackmasters Jerky
  Gold Club: Alltech; Cobb-Vantress, Inc.; Cumberland/Hired-Hand; Darling International Inc.; Evonik Degussa; Foster Farms; Intervet/Schering-Plough; Merial Select, Inc.; Novus International, Inc.; Phibro Animal Health; Pitman Farms; Valley Fresh Foods, Inc.; Veterinary Service Inc.
  Silver Club: American AgCredit; Aviagen Inc.; Bayer Animal Health; Haley Farms, Inc.; Huvepharma; J.S. West Milling Co.; Lehar Sales Company; Lohmann Animal Health; Lubing Systems LP; RAH Consulting Services Inc.; Tipper Tie Inc.; Walco International, Inc.; Woodland Farms.
  More information about the conference is available on the CPF website by clicking here.  
   

• Climate bill may fall by the wayside - - With the fight over health care reform absorbing all the bandwidth on Capitol Hill, Democrats fear a major climate change bill may be left on the cutting-room floor this year.  A handful of key senators on climate change are almost guaranteed to be tied up well into the fall on health care. Democrats from the Midwest and the South are resistant to a cap-and-trade proposal. And few if any Republicans are jumping in to help push a global warming and energy initiative.  As a result, many Democrats fear the lack of political will and the congressional calendar will conspire to punt climate change into next year. <more> Aug. 11, 2009 Politico.com   
   

• Emergency H1N1 plan developed by APHIS - - USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service-APHIS-has developed a plan for dealing with a positive diagnosis of the Type A H1N1 virus in a U.S. swine herd. Agency officials are holding a series of meetings with government agencies, state animal health and public health officials, and pork industry associations to share the plan and recommendations.  APHIS has also shared the information with the Agricultural Research Service, the Food Safety Inspection Service and the Centers for Disease Control.   <more> Aug. 11, 2009 Brownfield Ag News
   

• White House Objects to Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine Poster That Invokes Obama Children - - The posters went up last week, 14 in Union Station. On each of the large displays, a thought bubble rises up from a picture of a beautiful 8-year-old: "President Obama's daughters get healthy school lunches. Why don't I?"  A Washington nonprofit that advocates nutrition-policy reform paid $20,000 to get its message across and carefully maneuvered Metro's tangle of regulations to display its posters. Metro gave it a go -- but the White House did not, according to the group. Within 24 hours of the signs' appearance, the White House asked the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine to take down the ads, which feature Jasmine Messiah, a vegetarian who attends a Miami-Dade County public school that, she says, offers no vegetarian or vegan lunch options. The Physicians Committee has declined to take down the posters. <more> Aug. 11, 2009 Washington Post  
   

• Water officials to discuss drought - - President Barack Obama's point man on the California water crisis will meet with state officials Wednesday, and Delta advocates are urging the public to attend. U.S. Deputy Secretary of the Interior David J. Hayes will meet with Lester Snow, director of the California Department of Water Resources, at 1 p.m. at the Capitol Plaza Holiday Inn, 300 J. St. in downtown Sacramento. The meeting, which is open to the public, will focus on the Delta and California's water challenges, state officials said in a news release.  <more>  Aug. 11, 2009 Stockton Record    
   

• Report: California has enough water, if it’s used wisely - - A new report Tuesday argues that California has enough water supply right now to avoid drought-like conditions, if it were properly managed. “California has already developed enough water supplies to satisfy our needs into the foreseeable future by utilizing existing infrastructure and existing cost effective technologies,” says the report by a group calling itself the Environmental Water Caucus. “Water efficient technologies and approaches … can save or reduce water consumption in urban areas by as much as 5 million acre feet a year by 2030 compared with current trends – enough water to support a population growth of 29,000,000 people,” the report says. That would be more than current population projections for the next 40 years. <more> Aug. 11, 2009 Central Valley Business Times

Monday, Aug. 10, 2009

• CPF annual meeting registration underway -- Registration is underway for the CPF’s annual meeting Sept. 17-18 at the Resort at Squaw Creek near Lake Tahoe. First out of the gate to register was Terry Winfrey of Lehar Sales. The meeting opens up Thursday with a luncheon followed by an afternoon of outstanding speakers, including former Assembly Speaker Willie Brown, Roseville Republican Assemblyman Ted Gaines and Todd Hale, Senior Vice President, Consumer & Shopper Insights, for The Nielsen Company. Sponsorship opportunities are also available by contacting CPF President Bill Mattos at (209) 57-6355.  Sponsorships to date include:
  Diamond Club: ASC/Agrecom; Snackmasters Jerky
  Gold Club: Alltech; Cumberland/Hired-Hand; Darling International Inc.; Foster Farms; Intervet/Schering-Plough; Novus International, Inc.; Phibro Animal Health; Pitman Farms; Valley Fresh Foods, Inc.; Veterinary Service Inc.
  Silver Club: American AgCredit; Haley Farms, Inc.; Huvepharma; J.S. West Milling Co.; Lehar Sales Company; Lohmann Animal Health; Lubing Systems LP; RAH Consulting Services Inc.; Tipper Tie Inc.; Walco International, Inc.; Woodland Farms.
  More information about the conference is available on the CPF website by clicking here.  
   

• Water crisis getting national coverage Tuesday - - The plight of Westside farmers will get national network television time on Fox News in the coming week. At 6 p.m. Tuesday, Sean Hannity is expected to do a live interview with Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Visalia, comedian Paul Rodriguez and possibly some local growers in an abandoned almond orchard near Huron. Hannity will remain in Fox’s New York studios and will conduct the interview by satellite. The segment will air live on Fox News on the Sean Hannity Show beginning at 6 p.m., according to Sarah Woolf, spokeswoman for Westlands Water District. Aug.10, 2009 Hanford Sentinel
   

• Summer grilling tips featured in NTF video - - - – Summer is sizzling and so is the grill with a new healthy and easy recipe from National Turkey Federation (NTF).  NTF’s how-to turkey cooking video on www.eatturkey.com features Gena Knox, co-founder of Fire & Flavor, who dishes up Herb Marinated Grilled Turkey with Panzanella Salad.  “The herb marinated grilled turkey is a simple dish that uses all fresh seasonal ingredients,” said Knox.  “I’ve found that by sticking with fresh ingredients and great seasonings, you can trim things down a bit and still be blown away by the incredible rich tastes.” In the video, Knox whisks up an easy marinade with garlic, lemon and fresh herbs, such as parsley, thyme and rosemary, which is then poured over turkey cutlets.  After marinating for at least 15 minutes, the cutlets are then grilled to perfection.  Knox’s mission of providing quality, simplicity and great taste is apparent in this grilled turkey.  Her passion for Southern cooking is also noticeable in the video as she layers the turkey cutlets with a Panzanella Salad that is traditionally an Italian dish.  Cubed Ciabatta bread is toasted and tossed with tomatoes, cucumber, red onion and topped with turkey bacon.    “Knox prepares and presents a delectable meal combination that highlights the versatility of turkey,” said Sherrie Rosenblatt, NTF’s vice president of marketing and communications.  “At-home chefs can take advantage of this easy recipe, while providing their friends and family with a tasteful summer dish.” NTF’s turkey cooking video is available at http://www.eatturkey.com/consumer/cooking-videos-2.html.  Aug. 10, 2009 NTF Press Release  
   

• Video looks at rise in backyard chicken farming - - Mad City Chickens tells the story of how more and more city dwellers are choosing to reject industrial farming by keeping birds in their backyards. Experts and authors, a rescued landfill chicken, an inexperienced family that takes the poultry plunge, and a mad scientist and giant hen are all featured in the film. To view the trailer, please click here.  Aug. 10, 2009 YouTube   
   

• Antitrust Enforcers Begin Visiting Farm Belt - - The Obama administration will take an extensive look at concentration in U.S. agriculture as part of its increased emphasis on antitrust enforcement, a Justice Department official said Friday. Philip J. Weiser, a telecommunications-law expert who was recently named deputy assistant attorney general, told a farmer gathering here that federal antitrust regulators are "committed to examining" the level of competition in several agribusiness sectors, such as the marketing of genetically modified seed, dairy processing and meatpacking. Washington has often sympathized with farmers who find themselves selling their commodities to fewer and larger processors. But the Obama administration is taking a further step, with plans for a nationwide series of sessions next year for the U.S. Agriculture Department to hear competitive concerns of farmers. <more> Aug. 10, 2009 Wall Street Journal
   

• Agritourism is largely untapped way to make extra money - - A recent University of California survey found that visitor education is one of the most common reasons - second only to increasing profits - farmers and ranchers decide to include agritourism in their operations. UC researchers estimate California ranchers and farmers hosted 2.4 million visitors in 2008, based on the survey results. That was based on responses from 554 farm operators, including 332 who currently had agritourism businesses.  Most of those welcoming visitors reported some profits from the agritourism ventures; 22 percent reported $100,000 or more in agritourism sales last year. A great majority, nearly 64 percent, said they planned to expand or diversify agritourism products and services within the next five years. Also, more than one in three - 37 percent - said they would invest more money in the operation. <more> Aug. 10, 2009 Stockton Record
   

• Preparing for Swine Flu's Return - - As the first influenza pandemic in 41 years has spread during the Southern Hemisphere's winter over the past few months, the United States and other northern countries have been racing to prepare for a second wave of swine flu virus. At the same time, international health authorities have become increasingly alarmed about the new virus's arrival in the poorest, least-prepared parts of the world. While flu viruses are notoriously capricious, making any firm predictions impossible, a new round could hit the Northern Hemisphere within weeks and lead to major disruptions in schools, workplaces and hospitals, according to U.S. and international health officials. <more> Aug. 10, 2009 Washington Post  

Friday, Aug. 7, 2009

• CPF annual meeting registration underway -- Registration is underway for the CPF’s annual meeting Sept. 17-18 at the Resort at Squaw Creek near Lake Tahoe. First out of the gate to register was Terry Winfrey of Lehar Sales. The meeting opens up Thursday with a luncheon followed by an afternoon of outstanding speakers, including former Assembly Speaker Willie Brown, Roseville Republican Assemblyman Ted Gaines and Todd Hale, Senior Vice President, Consumer & Shopper Insights, for The Nielsen Company. Sponsorship opportunities are also available by contacting CPF President Bill Mattos at (209) 57-6355.  Sponsorships to date include:
  Diamond Club: ASC/Agrecom; Snackmasters Jerky
  Gold Club: Alltech; Cumberland/Hired-Hand; Darling International Inc.; Foster Farms; Intervet/Schering-Plough; Novus International, Inc.; Phibro Animal Health; Pitman Farms; Valley Fresh Foods, Inc.; Veterinary Service Inc.
  Silver Club: American AgCredit; Haley Farms, Inc.; Huvepharma; J.S. West Milling Co.; Lehar Sales Company; Lohmann Animal Health; Lubing Systems LP; RAH Consulting Services Inc.; Tipper Tie Inc.; Walco International, Inc.; Woodland Farms.
  More information about the conference is available on the CPF website by clicking here.   
   

• EPA peer review draws fire - - The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released the results of their Renewable Fuels Standard Lifecycle Analysis on Friday. The review is part of the process in making proposed changes to the Renewable Fuels Standard referred to as RFS2. An independent third-party contractor was hired to assess the RFS2 in four areas including land use models and greenhouse gas emissions from foreign crop production. As far as land use models, the peer groups found the EPA approach, “Was scientifically justifiable, especially given existing data and technology constraints.” They did note some problems with the satellite imagery being used. The review of emissions from foreign crop production found “the methodologies used (for fertilizer and pesticides; N2O emissions; agricultural energy use; and CH4 emissions from rice) to be generally acceptable and a “good first approximation” of changes in GHG emissions, with “exceptions that can be easily upgraded.” <more> Aug. 7, 2009 Brownfield Ag News  
   

• The ‘farm bloc’ reborn - - By Steve Kopperud - - Climate change barely squeaked through the House even at the lightning speed with which it moved, and is now seriously bogged down in the Senate. The House victory was a gift handed to Obama acolytes House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D, CA) and House Energy & Commerce Committee Chair Henry Waxman (D, CA) by Rep. Collin Peterson (D, MN), the chair of the House Ag Committee. Peterson, a good, solid Minnesota DFLer,  is the man who at the 11th hour threatened not only to hold the bill hostage, but to kill it outright if had to.  Why? Peterson was being true to his school. He honestly believed the original bill would wreak disproportionate havoc on farms and ranches, translating into economic suffering in rural America, fundamentally creating more problems than it solved.  The real surprise to Pelosi and Waxman was Peterson had enough Democrat allies to make good on his threat. In the Senate, about a dozen members, a bipartisan gaggle and mostly from midwestern and southern states - “fly-over states” to the folks on the coasts - are following the Peterson battle plan. They’re signaling Sen. Barbara Boxer (D, CA), chair of the Environment & Public Works Committee and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D, NV) that no climate change bill will move without agriculture and rural America getting their due. This intransigence translates into the Senate schedule on climate change/cap-and-trade slipping by more than a month - so far. <more> Aug. 7, 2009 Brownfield Ag News
   

• California Blue Dogs break with caucus over health care - - If you’re following the national debate over revamping the nation’s health care system, it’s hard not to notice California representatives at every turn. Californians chair many of the key committees and subcommittees that HR 3200 needs to navigate.  Golden State legislators also are key players in the major group that has been standing in the way of President Barrack Obama’s health care plan, the group of 52 conservative Democrats known as the Blue Dogs. California has seven Blue Dogs, the most of any state. But when it came to the health care debate, five of the seven declined to sign on to a May letter from the Blue Dog Caucus to the Obama administration opposing key aspects of the health care plan. That same five did sign on to a pledge from the group Healthcare for America Now that states, “Our government’s responsibility is to guarantee quality affordable health care for everyone in America.” It also demands that a “public option” remain part of the plan, a goal that many blue dogs have opposed.  <more> Aug. 6, 2009 Capitol Weekly
   

• Immigration Effort Draws GOP Backer - - Senate Democrats have found a Republican in Sen. Lindsey Graham to help them push for passage of a comprehensive immigration overhaul this year. But the lag in getting prominent support from a Republican -- more than two months after Democrats first announced their push -- shows how complicated prospects for passage could be this year, as immigration remains a wedge inside an increasingly divided GOP. Democrats and Republicans say Mr. Graham of South Carolina is working behind the scenes with Sen. Charles Schumer (D., N.Y.) to gain support from other GOP members. Mr. Schumer is quarterbacking this year's campaign for an overhaul. <more> Aug. 7, 2009 Wall Street Journal
   

• Water plan in print, draws immediate fire - - The first outline of a plan to overhaul California’s water system includes a dramatic boost in conservation, an expansion of water officials’ authority, a fee-based financing scheme and the potential for major new water projects that include canals through or around the delta east of San Francisco.  The package of five bills, all authored by Democrats, are scheduled to go before a joint Senate-Assembly policy committee for information hearings beginning Aug. 18. But the actual legislation is likely to be drawn up by a two-house conference committee. The Senate membership of that committee has yet to be determined.  The Capitol has been marked by political disputes over water for generations, with partisans often divided geographically as the north vs. the south, and philosophically between environmentalists and water district officials. But those traditional lines have been blurred in recent years, in part because the Schwarzenegger administration supports options that include major capital construction projects.  <more> Aug. 6, 2009 Capitol Weekly

Thursday, Aug. 6, 2009

• China bans U.S. meat from 3 pork, 2 poultry plants - - China this week banned imports of meat from three U.S. pork plants and two poultry plants, but no reason was given, according to a U.S. Agriculture Department document. As of Aug. 3, China is not accepting meat from the Smithfield Foods' pork plant at Tar Heel, North Carolina; the John Morrell & Co pork plant at Sioux City, Iowa; the Seaboard Foods pork plant at Guymon, Oklahoma; the Equity Group-KY Division poultry plant at Albany, Kentucky; and the Mountaire Farms poultry plant at Selbyville, Delaware. John Morrell & Co is a unit of Smithfield Foods. Aug. 6, 2009 Reuters
   

• Avian flu found in Minnesota turkeys - - An unidentified commercial turkey flock in central Minnesota has been quarantined by the Board of Animal Health after routine testing discovered a strain of the avian flu virus, labeled H7N9, according to an Associated Press news report. Minnesota Board of Animal Health Assistant Director Dale Lauer stressed that the avian flu strain found at the Meeker County farm was different from the strain that has caused problems in birds and humans mostly in Asia. <more> Aug. 6, 2009 WattPoultry.com  
   

• CPF annual meeting registration underway -- Registration is underway for the CPF’s annual meeting Sept. 17-18 at the Resort at Squaw Creek near Lake Tahoe. First out of the gate to register was Terry Winfrey of Lehar Sales. The meeting opens up Thursday with a luncheon followed by an afternoon of outstanding speakers, including former Assembly Speaker Willie Brown, Roseville Republican Assemblyman Ted Gaines and Todd Hale, Senior Vice President, Consumer & Shopper Insights, for The Nielsen Company. Sponsorship opportunities are also available by contacting CPF President Bill Mattos at (209) 57-6355.  Sponsorships to date include:
  Diamond Club: ASC/Agrecom; Snackmasters Jerky
  Gold Club: Alltech; Cumberland/Hired-Hand; Darling International Inc.; Foster Farms; Intervet/Schering-Plough; Novus International, Inc.; Phibro Animal Health; Veterinary Service Inc.
  Silver Club: Haley Farms, Inc.; Huvepharma; Lehar Sales Company; Lohmann Animal Health; Lubing Systems LP; Tipper Tie Inc.; Walco International, Inc.; Woodland Farms.
  More information about the conference is available on the CPF website by clicking here.   
   

• Line-item vetoes illegal, say lawyers for lawmakers - - Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger exceeded his constitutional powers by imposing nearly $500 million in additional spending cuts last week to balance California's budget, according to an opinion Wednesday by the Legislature's legal counsel. Schwarzenegger drew fire from Democrats after he used his line-item veto authority to slice spending to health, welfare and other programs, going beyond the cuts that were part of a budget deal he struck just days earlier with legislative leaders. A spokesman for the governor said Schwarzenegger acted properly and continues to stand by the decision to make those additional cuts to bring the budget fully into balance and provide a rainy-day reserve. <more> Aug. 6, 2009 LA Times
   

• Ag competition issues to be explored at USDA-Justice Department workshops - - Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Attorney General Eric Holder announced that the USDA and the Department of Justice will hold joint public workshops to explore competition issues affecting the agriculture industry in the 21st century and the appropriate role for antitrust and regulatory enforcement in that industry. These are the first joint USDA/Department of Justice workshops ever to be held to discuss competition and regulatory issues in the agriculture industry. The joint USDA/Department of Justice workshops will address the dynamics of competition in agriculture markets including, among other issues, buyer power (also known as monopsony) and vertical integration. They will examine legal doctrines and jurisprudence and current economic learning, and will provide an opportunity for farmers, ranchers, consumer groups, processors, the agribusinesses, and other interested parties to provide examples of potentially anticompetitive conduct. The workshops will also provide an opportunity for discussion for any concerns about the application of the antitrust laws to the agricultural industry. <more> Aug. 6, 2009 USDA Press Release
   

• Tons of beef from Fresno plant recalled - - Thousands of tons of ground beef packed this summer at a Fresno meat plant are being recalled in four states because of an outbreak of a drug-resistant salmonella strain in Colorado. The recall, announced today by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, focuses on more than 825,000 pounds of ground beef processed at Beef Packers Inc. in June. The meat was shipped to retailers in California, Colorado, Utah and Arizona in June. The USDA classified the recall as Class 1, or a high health risk. State health officials in Colorado report that 21 people were sickened last month by a strain of Salmonella called Newport that has been traced to ground beef originally shipped from the Fresno plant. <more> Aug. 6, 2009 Fresno Bee
   

• Clinton says farm investment top US priority - - US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called Wednesday for a new approach to food aid, saying one that aims to boost agriculture is a key part of the new US administration's foreign policy. In Nairobi at the start of an African tour, Clinton toured a farm institute where she heard of efforts to increase crop yields, improve the role of women and develop seeds that can withstand the continent's droughts. Clinton highlighted a 20 billion-dollar plan spearheaded last month by President Barack Obama under which the United States and 30 other countries will help small farmers grow more food. <more> Aug. 6, 2009 AFP   

Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2009

• CPF annual meeting registration underway -- Registration is underway for the CPF’s annual meeting Sept. 17-18 at the Resort at Squaw Creek near Lake Tahoe. First out of the gate to register was Terry Winfrey of Lehar Sales. The meeting opens up Thursday with a luncheon followed by an afternoon of outstanding speakers, including former Assembly Speaker Willie Brown, Roseville Republican Assemblyman Ted Gaines and Todd Hale, Senior Vice President, Consumer & Shopper Insights, for The Nielsen Company. Sponsorship opportunities are also available by contacting CPF President Bill Mattos at (209) 57-6355.  Sponsorships to date include:
  Diamond Club: ASC/Agrecom; Snackmasters Jerky
  Gold Club: Alltech; Darling International Inc.; Foster Farms; Intervet/Schering-Plough; Novus International, Inc.; Phibro Animal Health; Veterinary Service Inc.
  Silver Club: Haley Farms, Inc.; Huvepharma; Lehar Sales Company; Lohmann Animal Health; Walco International, Inc.  
  More information about the conference is available on the CPF website by clicking here.   
   

• Report calls for detailing additives in enhanced meat - - Manufacturers of enhanced meat products should specify levels of potassium and phosphates the meat carries, according to a report published in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology. Over consumption of potassium may cause irregular heartbeats or even heart attacks in dialysis patients while phosphorus could interfere with calcium absorption and heart function, the report said. These findings were published after researchers analyzed the potassium and phosphate content present in 36 uncooked meat and poultry products — both enhanced and natural — bought from different retailers. Eight out of 25 enhanced products reportedly did not list the additives on the food label. Enhanced meat has been a growing source of these minerals since a 1982 ruling regarding the additives from the Food Safety Inspection Service, according to the researchers. Aug. 5, 2009 WattPoultry.com
   

• SF legislator promises ag support - - Assemblywoman Fiona Ma got a good look — and taste — of Tehama County agriculture on Monday. Ma (D-San Francisco) and her Capitol director, Nick Hardeman, arrived in Corning at 8 a.m. and was escorted by Tehama County Supervisor Bob Williams on a day-long tour of the county and its agricultural diversity. "I was sitting by Bob (Williams) at a dinner in Sacramento and was telling him about my goal to visit each county in the state and learn firsthand about its agriculture. He invited me to come to Tehama County and here I am," said Ma, a member of the Assembly Agriculture Committee. At the close of the tour, which ended where it began at Corning's Transportation Center, Ma said the importance of water to the agriculture industry was the most critical information she would be taking back to her committee. <more> Aug. 5, 2009 Corning Observer
   

• Lawmakers prepare to bring water to a boil – again - - Another in a string of proposed legislative fixes to California's broken water delivery system was unveiled today, drawing immediate criticism from a coalition of environmental and fishing interests. The proposals from Democrats include creating an appointed oversight commission with unprecedented authority over water issues in the fragile Sacramento Delta.  One piece would authorize unspecified fees from those who draw water out of the delta to help pay for various programs. Other provisions in the measures include mandatory conservation of 20 percent for cities and incentives for urban and agriculture to conserve, specifically giving those saving water priority for existing grants. <more> Aug. 5, 2009 San Diego Union   
   

• State prepares for climate change  - - Along with California's efforts to crack down on its own greenhouse gas emissions, state officials have begun preparing for the worst: heat waves, a rising sea level, flooding, wildlife die-offs and other expected consequences from what scientists predict will be a dramatic temperature increase by the end of this century. California's Natural Resources Agency on Monday issued the nation's first statewide plan to "adapt" to climate change. It offers strategies to cope with threats in seven sectors from firefighting to public health and water conservation. Resources Secretary Mike Chrisman called the plan an effort to acknowledge the problem and suggested that Californians "recognize their role in solving that problem and alter their behavior so that the change lasts." <more> Aug. 5, 2009 LA Times  
   

• U.S. study:  consumers spared big costs in climate bill - - A new U.S. government study on Tuesday adds to a growing list of experts concluding that climate legislation moving through Congress would have only a modest impact on consumers, adding a bit more than $100 to household costs in 2020. Under the climate legislation passed by the House of Representatives in June, electricity, heating oil and other bills for average families will rise $114 in 2020 and $288 in 2030, according to the Energy Information Administration, the country's top energy forecaster. The bill requires energy companies to help consumers lower costs during the early years of the program which would "mute the impact of higher energy prices for households until at least 2025," said Kay Smith, an EIA economist. <more> Aug. 5, 2009 Reuters  
   

• Field Poll contends GOP is isolated as California shifts left - - The climbing number of independent voters over the past 30 years has fueled a more liberal shift in attitudes among Californians about hot-button issues such as same-sex marriage and abortion, according to a Field Poll survey released Tuesday. That trend has favored Democratic candidates who have counted on independent voters to provide crucial swing votes in close elections, said Mark DiCamillo, director of the non-partisan Field Poll. Meanwhile, Republican voters are moving in the opposite direction and have hardened their stance against same-sex marriage and euthanasia over the past three decades, the study found. Tuesday's survey results examined trends in past poll results. "What you're seeing on a number of social issues is California voters have become more accepting and tolerant," DiCamillo said. "Republicans are not moving and hold the same opinion as 30 years ago. That may be one of the problems the party faces." <more> Aug. 5, 2009 Sacramento Bee
   

• Dirty Jobs’ Mike Rowe on animal agriculture (video) - - Drawing on his experiences picking up roadkill, feeding swine, and castrating a lamb with his teeth, Mike Rowe, host of Discovery Channel's "Dirty Jobs," discusses how modern American culture belittles necessary labor. Click here to view the video. In addition, Dirty Jobs is looking for farmers to share ag stories on their new online forum  Aug. 5, 2009 Dairy Herd Management  

Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2009

• Tyson, Pilgrim's Pride Signal Rebound for Poultry - - Chicken giants Tyson Foods Inc. and Pilgrim's Pride Corp. posted improved results, a sign that the poultry industry may finally be starting a recovery after months of getting battered by high feed costs and weak demand. But both companies cautioned that the dead weight from the recession has yet to lift. The looming prospect of volatility in the grain markets and continuing lackluster meat demand pose potential problems. Tyson Chief Executive Leland Tollett warned investors on a conference call Monday that the meat business in the current quarter isn't likely to perform as well as in the one recently ended because of "soft demand for protein." Tyson's shares fell 31 cents to $11.12 in 4 p.m. composite trading on the New York Stock Exchange. <more> Aug. 4, 2009 Wall Street Journal  
   

• Hygieia Biological Laboratories names new VP for research and development - - Dr. Girish Sarma, previously of Biomune, has joined Hygieia Biological Laboratories as Vice President -for Research and Development, according to Gary Spina, Hygieia's national sales manager.  Aug. 4, 2009
   

• CPF annual meeting registration underway -- Registration is underway for the CPF’s annual meeting Sept. 17-18 at the Resort at Squaw Creek near Lake Tahoe. First out of the gate to register was Terry Winfrey of Lehar Sales. The meeting opens up Thursday with a luncheon followed by an afternoon of outstanding speakers, including former Assembly Speaker Willie Brown, Roseville Republican Assemblyman Ted Gaines and Todd Hale, Senior Vice President, Consumer & Shopper Insights, for The Nielsen Company. Sponsorship opportunities are also available by contacting CPF President Bill Mattos at (209) 57-6355.  Sponsorships to date include:
  Diamond Club: ASC/Agrecom; Snackmasters Jerky
  Gold Club: Darling International Inc.; Foster Farms; Intervet/Schering-Plough; Novus International, Inc.
  Silver Club: Haley Farms, Inc.; Huvepharma; Lehar Sales Company; Lohmann Animal Health; Walco International, Inc.  
  More information about the conference is available on the CPF website by clicking here.   
   

• Keeping Their Eggs in Their Backyard Nests - - As Americans struggle through a dismal recession, many are trying to safeguard themselves from what they fear will be even worse times ahead. They eat out less often. They take vacations closer to home. They put off buying new cars. And some raise chickens. Lloyd Romriell, a married father of four in Annis, Idaho, recently received seven grown chickens and a coop from a relative. The hens lay a total of about two dozen eggs a week. “It’s because times are tough. You never know what’s going to happen,” Mr. Romriell said. Although he manages a feed store, he had not kept chickens since he was a child. “If you lose your job tomorrow, you’ve still got food.” As a backyard chicken trend sweeps the country, hatcheries that supply baby chicks say they can barely keep up with demand. Do-it-yourself coops have popped up in places as disparate as Brooklyn, suburban Chicago and the rural West. <more> Aug. 4, 2009 NY Times   
   

• Prodding the Liberal Agenda With a Pitchfork - - Climate change legislation was moving along in the House in June when it ran into a tractorcade. Dozens of farm-state lawmakers, led by the blunt-talking Minnesotan who chairs the House Agriculture Committee, blocked the way.  Only after Democratic leaders agreed to a raft of changes drawn up by Rep. Collin Peterson (D-Minn.) did the bill squeak through the House, 219 to 212. It was a striking demonstration of agricultural interests stamping their imprint on key parts of the Democratic program. That may come as a surprise to those who thought the "farm bloc" disappeared sometime around the end of the Eisenhower administration. In fact, its clout has been reshaping -- and in some cases halting -- the ambitious agenda of President Obama and Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.). A bloc of moderate-to-conservative rural Democrats in both houses now holds the fate of health-care legislation in its hands. Meanwhile, the American Farm Bureau Federation, the nation's largest farm organization, has vowed to kill the climate change bill in the Senate. And last week, farm groups forced significant changes in food safety legislation by limiting the Food and Drug Administration's role in tracing suspected pathogens back to farms. You might call these newly empowered farm-state lawmakers the Agracrats. <more> Aug. 3, 2009 Washington Post
   

• Novartis: Animal rights activists steal ashes of CEO's mom - - Drug maker Novartis AG said Tuesday that animal rights activists have stolen the ashes of its CEO's mother and set fire to his Austrian hunting lodge. Swiss authorities, however, said they didn't know who was behind the attacks. In the latest incident, CEO Daniel Vasella's Tyrollean lodge in Bach, Austria, was badly burned early Monday morning. "It was arson with a professional fire accelerator," Novartis spokeswoman Isabel Guerra said in Basel. One week earlier, someone dug up an urn containing the ashes of Vasella's mother, who died in 2001, and took them from her grave in the eastern Swiss city of Chur, leaving behind the spray-painted message "Drop HLS Now" in red letters on the gravestone. <more> Aug. 4, 2009 AP
   

• Florez-Denham lead in fundraising for Lt. Governor - - Here's a look at how campaign finances are shaping up in races for constitutional offices in 2010.  Valley state senators Dean Florez and Jeff Denham lead the way in race for lieutenant governor.  Sen. Dean Florez, (D-Shafter) has an edge on his opponents, with $872,682 in the bank after raising more than $500,000 in the first six months of the year. Sen. Jeff Denham ( R-Merced) raised $335,352 and ended the reporting period with $190,950 on hand. Sen. Sam Aanestad, R-Penn Valley, raised $37,550 and finished the money race in the No. 3 spot, with $158,950 in his fund for lieutenant governor.  <more> Aug. 4, 2009 Sacramento Bee
   

• Dan Walters: Polling reveals California's fragmented electorate - - California, it's been observed, is a canary in the socioeconomic mine, telling the rest of the nation what to expect in the future, for better or worse. If so, then the rest of the nation had best be prepared for fragmentation, which is the only word that fully captures the division of a once-cohesive society into its many component parts. This fragmentation, coupled with ever-lower levels of voter participation, means politicians must cater to an electorate that reflects an ever-narrower slice of the socioeconomic whole while trying to meet the needs of an isolated, nonvoting underclass. It manifests itself in such things as a chronically unbalanced state budget and political gridlock.  <more> Aug. 4, 2009 Sacramento Bee   
   

• USDA Study: Child born in 2008 will cost $221,190 to raise  - - The USDA  released a new report, Expenditures on Children by Families, finding that a middle-income family with a child born in 2008 can expect to spend about $221,190 ($291,570 when adjusted for inflation) for food, shelter, and other necessities to raise that child over the next seventeen years. Issued by USDA each year since 1960, the report is a valuable resource to courts and state governments in determining child support guidelines and foster care payments. For the year 2008, annual child-rearing expenses for a middle-income, two-parent family ranges from $11,610 to $13,480, depending on the age of the child. <more> Aug. 4, 2009 USDA Press Release

Monday, Aug. 3, 2009

• Tyson Foods 3Q profit jumps as chicken sales rise - - Tyson Foods Inc. posted a strong third-quarter profit Monday, powered by its poultry division, but beef and pork also made money as the world's largest meat producer finally overcame last year's steep increases in feed and fuel prices. Tyson earned $134 million, or 35 cents per share, compared with $9 million, or 3 cents per share, a year earlier, though sales were down slightly. Earnings from continuing operations were $127 million, or 33 cents per share, compared with a loss of $3 million, or a penny per share. Tyson says sales dipped 3 percent to $6.66 billion from $6.85 billion on declines in beef and pork sales, but chicken sales improved partly on higher average prices. Analysts forecast profit of 22 cents per share on revenue of $6.68 billion. <more> Aug. 3, 2009 AP   
   

• Poultry animal welfare auditor training session Oct. 6 in North Carolina- - -The fourth edition of the Professional Animal Auditor Certification Organization’s (PAACO) highly popular and well-respected poultry welfare auditor training course will be held Oct. 6-8, 2009, in Raleigh, NC. Co-sponsored by North Carolina State University’s Department of Poultry Science – Extension, the three-day course is the first step in reaching PAACO certification status for poultry (broiler, egg layer and turkey) welfare auditors.  After passing an examination at the conclusion of the instruction, attendees move into a shadowing phase of training.  Certification is granted after successfully completing two shadowed audits monitored by a PAACO-certified poultry auditor.  To date, PAACO has certified over 110 poultry welfare auditors. As testimony to the prestige the annual course has garnered since its inception in 2006, more than a dozen industry-related companies are providing financial support for this year’s training.  Primary contributors are Alltech; Alpharma Animal Health; Cobb; Hybrid Turkeys; Intervet Schering Plough Animal Health; Jones-Hamilton Co.; Kemin AgriFoods North America, Inc.; Lohmann Animal Health International; Novus; and Phibro Animal Health Corporation.  Daily breaks will be sponsored by CEVA Biomune; Century Poultry, Inc.; and Hy-Line Layers.  Biosecurity items for the hands-on segment of the training will be provided by Ivesco. The course features instruction by leading industry specialists and on-farm live animal production and processing audit field experience at various sites in the Raleigh area.  Course instructors include Dr. Ken Anderson, poultry science professor/Extension specialist at North Carolina State University; Dr. James Barton, laboratory director for The Poultry Federation Laboratory; Karen Christensen, director of technical services, O.K. Farms, Inc.; Dr. Eric Gingerich, staff veterinarian and adjunct assistant professor, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine; Dr. Temple Grandin, president of Grandin Livestock Handling Systems; Dr. Jesse Grimes, professor of poultry science, NC State; Dr. Dave Hermes, regional veterinarian for broiler chickens and turkeys, Perdue Farms, Inc.; and Dr. Mike Wineland, professor of poultry sciences, NC State.  Hosts of the on-farm visits are Townsends, Inc.; Goldsboro Milling/Butterball; and Braswell Foods. Registrations will be accepted on a first come, first served basis, with an official deadline of Sept. 11.  Previous courses have been filled several weeks prior to the deadline, so interested participants are urged to sign up now to secure a spot.  Past attendees at the training have had broad backgrounds and included academia, producers, packers/processors and customers from retail and foodservice.  PAACO reserves the right to limit class size. For more information and registration materials, go to PAACO’s website, www.animalauditor.org  or contact Mike Simpson, executive director of PAACO, at 402-403-0104; e-mail mike@animalauditor.org. Aug.3, 2009 PAACO Press Release
   

• CPF annual meeting registration underway -- Registration is underway for the CPF’s annual meeting Sept. 17-18 at the Resort at Squaw Creek near Lake Tahoe. First out of the gate to register was Terry Winfrey of Lehar Sales. The meeting opens up Thursday with a luncheon followed by an afternoon of outstanding speakers, including former Assembly Speaker Willie Brown, Roseville Republican Assemblyman Ted Gaines and Todd Hale, Senior Vice President, Consumer & Shopper Insights, for The Nielsen Company. Sponsorship opportunities are also available by contacting CPF President Bill Mattos at (209) 57-6355.  Sponsorships to date include:
  Diamond Club: ASC/Agrecom; Snackmasters Jerky
  Gold Club: Darling International Inc.; Foster Farms; Intervet/Schering-Plough; Novus International, Inc.
  Silver Club: Huvepharma; Lehar Sales Company; Lohmann Animal Health; Walco International, Inc.  
  More information about the conference is available on the CPF website by clicking here.   
   

• Goodwill planting helps victims of water shortage - - A 15-acre plot may not seem like much of a farm on the west side, where crops stretch for miles. But the produce grown here isn't for sale. It goes to help some of the Valley's neediest families. The Woolf Farming Co. planted 15 acres near Huron in early June to supply fresh produce to workers who have lost jobs or hours because of the Valley's water shortage. Because of drought and environmental restrictions, farmers in the Westlands Water District have received less water this year, forcing them to fallow thousands of acres and lay off workers in Huron, Firebaugh and Mendota. Morgan Woolf, a 20-year-old member of the farming family and a UC Davis student, organized the project that has produced about 119 tons of vegetables, including squash, three types of corn, jalapeño peppers and bell peppers. <more> Aug. 1, 2009 Fresno Bee
   

• Ag Leadership Announces New CEO - - The California Agricultural Leadership Foundation has hired Bob Gray as its new president and CEO.  Gray officially assumes his new role on Sept. 1.  He will be responsible for directing all Foundation activities and enhancing an educational program which prepares and inspires men and women in California agriculture for more effective leadership. Gray joins the Foundation having spent the last 29 years with A. Duda & Sons, one of the largest family-owned agribusiness and land management companies in the United States.  When named Executive Vice President of the parent corporation, Gray was only the second non-family member to serve in that capacity.  As CEO of Duda Farm Fresh Foods, Gray guided the division through internal consolidation as a business unit and unprecedented growth, and successfully steered the company's flagship celery business from a solely "commodity-based" offering to a program that included a significant "value-added" segment. After earning his undergraduate degree from the University of Arizona, Gray received a British Marshall Scholarship and completed his master's degree at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland.  Gray continues to serve as chair of the San Francisco Regional Selection Committee for Marshall Scholars and is also the immediate past chairman of the board of directors for the Western Growers' Association. Aug. 3, 2009 Ag Leadership Notice
   

Friday, July 31, 2009

• WTO panel probes US ban on Chinese poultry - - The World Trade Organization launched a formal investigation Friday of the United States' ban on Chinese poultry, after the Asian country alleged that Washington was fundamentally breaking global commerce rules. Beijing told the WTO's dispute settlement body that Washington had imposed "naked discriminative protectionism measures" in completely banning Chinese chicken products entering the U.S. market. The United States countered that it was still examining whether Chinese poultry was safe for human consumption. It was China's second request for the WTO to establish an investigative panel. The U.S. blocked China's first request last month, but could not do so again under WTO rules. <more> July 31, 2009 AP
   

• Federal Departments Take Steps to Reduce Foodborne Pathogens - - Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today announced that prevention and partnership will guide their departments' efforts to safeguard the food Americans eat every day. Today's announcements are based on the public health principles embraced by the White House Food Safety Working Group led by Secretary Sebelius and Secretary Vilsack. "Making prevention a priority is critical to reducing foodborne illness and one of the three food safety principles of President Obama's Food Safety Working Group," said Vilsack. "The actions we are taking today will result in safer food in our country, which means healthier children and less costly healthcare." Agriculture Secretary Vilsack announced that USDA's Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) is issuing guidance for inspectors to begin conducting routine sampling of bench trim for E. coli. Bench trim is pieces left over from steaks and other cuts that are then used to make ground beef. FSIS will also be issuing streamlined, consolidated instructions to its personnel for inspection, sampling and other actions to reduce E. coli O157:H7 in beef. <more> July 31, 2009 USDA Press Release
   

• Q & A: House's food safety bill - - The House on Thursday approved a big food safety bill by a 283-142 margin. The legislation could affect every facet of the nation's food supply chain, from farm to grocery store. Questions still linger about the 159-page Food Safety Enhancement Act; some of them have answers.<more> July 31, 2009 Fresno Bee
   

• CPF annual meeting registration underway -- Registration is underway for the CPF’s annual meeting Sept. 17-18 at the Resort at Squaw Creek near Lake Tahoe. First out of the gate to register was Terry Winfrey of Lehar Sales. The meeting opens up Thursday with a luncheon followed by an afternoon of outstanding speakers, including former Assembly Speaker Willie Brown, Roseville republican Assemblyman Ted Gaines and Todd Hale, Senior Vice President, Consumer & Shopper Insights, for The Nielsen Company. Sponsorship opportunities are also available by contacting CPF President Bill Mattos at (209) 57-6355.  Sponsorships to date include:
  Diamond Club: ASC/Agrecom; Snackmasters Jerky
  Gold Club: Darling International Inc.; Foster Farms; Intervet/Schering-Plough; Novus International, Inc.
  Silver Club: Huvepharma; Lehar Sales Company; Lohmann Animal Health  
  More information about the conference is available on the CPF website by clicking here.   
   

• International Poultry and Feed Expo Preregistration Opens Online- - Online preregistration for the 2010 International Poultry and Feed Expo is available as of Monday, August 3, 2009. Sponsored by U.S. Poultry & Egg Association and the American Feed Industry Association, the Expo is scheduled January 27-29, at the Georgia World Congress Center, Atlanta, GA. The preregistration fee is $35 (USD). The preregistration deadline is January 8. On-site registration is $60 (USD) - no checks, no refunds, and no substitutions.  To register online, go to www.ipe10.org.  New for 2010 is the unique “Members to Atlanta” program, which will waive the registration fee for attendees from member firms of either association engaged in the production of poultry, egg, and feed products.  The program is supported through the sponsorship of Expo exhibitors, who will be identified with the customers they sponsor and recognized at the show. July 31, 2009 USPEA Press Release
   

• FSIS extends roaster comment period - - The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced last Friday that it is extending the comment period for its re-proposed definition and standard for “roaster” and “roasting chicken” that was published July 13. The comment period has been extended an additional 30 days and will now close September 11. FSIS’s action is in response to a request made by the National Chicken Council. The proposed rule would define a “roaster” or “roasting chicken” as a young chicken from 8 to 12 weeks of age with a ready-to-cook carcass weight of five pounds or more. In response to a request from NCC regarding clarification of the current regulation, FSIS said that any whole young chicken meeting the proposed definition and standard for roaster or roasting chicken would have to be labeled as such. A copy of the proposed rule is available at http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/pdf/E9-16402.pdf. July 31, 2009 NCC Newsletter
   

• AMS Market News portal now includes poultry - - USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) has expanded its Market News Portal to include poultry news. The portal provides instant access to daily and historical reports on agricultural commodity markets for processors, producers, shippers, handlers, wholesale and retail marketers, market analysts, and others. The portal permits users to customize the data they wish to access. The portal may be accessed at www.marketnews.usda.gov. July 31, 2009 NCC Newsletter
   

• U.K. retailer Tesco to sell live chickens as consumers embrace back-to-basics movement - - After success in an initial pilot, British grocer and mass merchant Tesco will begin selling live chickens and egg-laying hens at its Dobbies Garden Centres, the retailer announced this week, as consumers embrace the money-saving grow-your-own movement with gusto. The U.K.'s largest retailer, which bought the 24-store Dobbies chain a year ago, has applied to set up 30 allotments near one of the garden centres in north of England and is looking to set up allotments at other sites around the country, executives told the Telegraph newspaper. Allotments are small plots of unused land which residents rent from local councils in order to grow produce or flowers. <more> July 31, 2009 NationalPost.com    
   

• The Omnivore’s Delusion: Against the Agri-intellectuals - - By Blake Hurst - - Farming has always been messy and painful, and bloody and dirty. It still is. This is something the critics of industrial farming never seem to understand. I’m dozing, as I often do on airplanes, but the guy behind me has been broadcasting nonstop for nearly three hours. I finally admit defeat and start some serious eavesdropping. He’s talking about food, damning farming, particularly livestock farming, compensating for his lack of knowledge with volume. I’m so tired of people who wouldn’t visit a doctor who used a stethoscope instead of an MRI demanding that farmers like me use 1930s technology to raise food. Farming has always been messy and painful, and bloody and dirty. It still is. The distance between the farmer and what he grows has certainly increased, but, believe me, if we weren't closely connected, we wouldn't still be farming. It's important to our critics that they emphasize this alienation, because they have to ignore the "industrial" farmer's experience and knowledge to say the things they do about farming. <more> July 31, 2009 Journal of the American Enterprise Institute
   

• S.F. food policy heading in a healthy direction - - San Francisco's food policy - proposed by the mayor earlier this year as a way to bring healthy, sustainable meals from regional farms to city residents - is morphing into what will likely be a series of proposals that could someday change the way the entire Bay Area eats. The policy, which should be ready early next year, also could expand beyond food to include new rural-urban partnerships for alternative-energy production and water conservation. The city's first formal food policy doesn't exist yet, but food experts from all over California have been meeting this month and last to brainstorm ideas for connecting the Bay Area to its regional "foodshed" - which is the 100- to 200-mile radius of farmland around San Francisco. The idea is to decrease reliance on imported food and create stronger ties between local farms and their immediate market. Of course, a policy adopted in and by San Francisco would not apply to the rest of the Bay Area, but those involved in the planning hope it will become a model for government agencies outside the city. <more> July 31, 2009 SF Chronicle  

Thursday, July 30, 2009

• House passes far-reaching food safety bill - - The House passed a far-reaching food safety bill Thursday, July 30, in the wake of the recent outbreak of salmonella in peanuts that killed at least nine people. The legislation would require more government inspections and oversight of food manufacturers and give the Food and Drug Administration new authority to order recalls. It also would require the FDA to develop a system for better tracing food-borne illnesses, and the government could impose new penalties on those who violate the law. Food companies would be required to create detailed food safety plans. The House passed the bill 283-142 a day after rejecting it. Farm-state members had argued that the bill would be too invasive on farms and had pushed colleagues to vote against it as it was considered under a special procedure that requires a two-thirds vote. It was rejected by a few votes. <more> July 30, 2009 AP  
   

• Foster Farms gifts half a million dollars to CSU Stanislaus - - Mr. Ron Foster, President and CEO of Foster Farms, has contributed $500,000 to California State University, Stanislaus to fund The Foster Farms Endowed Chair in Business Economics with an emphasis in econometrics. The chair holder who will have expertise in Econometrics will engage in economic forecasting for the region and help business leaders, investors, and citizens make informed decisions based on a thorough understanding of the current economic environment. Research conducted by the endowed chair will also measure the fiscal impact CSU Stanislaus has on the Central Valley. President Shirvani said, “I am grateful to Ron for his continued support of the University and for his enduring dedication in advancing the Central Valley. This endowment will greatly advance the economic growth and prosperity of the area.” <more> July 30, 2009 CSU Stanislaus Press Release  
   

• Study Says Farming is a Heroic Career - - Here is a good helping of positive media coverage for farmers and ranchers this week. In a recent article at MSN Careers, a study was conducted to identify the top ten careers people consider the most notable and prestigious. Ranchers were listed at number eight and were joined by firefighters, scientists, doctors, nurses, teachers, military officers, police officers, religious leaders and engineers. Too often, the American public is mislead against farmers and ranchers, and often, they don’t trust our dedication to animal care and environmental stewardship while producing a safe and wholesome product to feed the world. Yet, this study proves that we still have the support of many consumers, and maybe the general public does trust and support the good old American farmer and rancher, after all. <more> July 30, 2009 BeefMagazine.com
   

• CPF annual meeting registration underway -- Registration is underway for the CPF’s annual meeting Sept. 17-18 at the Resort at Squaw Creek near Lake Tahoe. First out of the gate to register was Terry Winfrey of Lehar Sales. The meeting opens up Thursday with a luncheon followed by an afternoon of outstanding speakers, including former Assembly Speaker Willie Brown, Roseville republican Assemblyman Ted Gaines and Todd Hale, Senior Vice President, Consumer & Shopper Insights, for The Nielsen Company. Sponsorship opportunities are also available by contacting CPF President Bill Mattos at (209) 57-6355.  Sponsorships to date include:
  Diamond Club: ASC/Agrecom; Snackmasters Jerky
  Gold Club: Darling International Inc.; Foster Farms; Intervet/Schering-Plough
  Silver Club: Huvepharma; Lohmann Animal Health  
  More information about the conference is available on the CPF website by clicking here.    
   

• The Meat of the Problem - - By Ezra Klein - - The debate over climate change has reached a rarefied level of policy abstraction in recent months. Carbon tax or cap-and-trade? Upstream or downstream? Should we auction permits? Head-scratching is, at this point, permitted. But at base, these policies aim to do a simple thing, in a simple way: persuade us to undertake fewer activities that are bad for the atmosphere by making those activities more expensive. Driving an SUV would become pricier. So would heating a giant house with coal and buying electricity from an inefficient power plant. But there's one activity that's not on the list and should be: eating a hamburger. If it's any consolation, I didn't like writing that sentence any more than you liked reading it. But the evidence is strong. It's not simply that meat is a contributor to global warming; it's that it is a huge contributor. Larger, by a significant margin, than the global transportation sector. <more> July 30, 2009 Washington Post
   

• Standard Maximum Deposit Insurance Amount Extended Temporarily - - On May 20, 2009, President Barack Obama signed the Helping Families Save Their Homes Act, which extends the temporary increase in the standard maximum deposit insurance amount (SMDIA) to $250,000 per depositor through December 31, 2013. This extension of the temporary $250,000 coverage limit became effective immediately upon the President's signature. The legislation provides that the SMDIA will return to $100,000 on January 1, 2014. <more> July 30, 2009 FDIC Notice  
   

• Organic food is no healthier, study finds - - Organic food has no nutritional or health benefits over ordinary food, according to a major study published Wednesday. Researchers from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine said consumers were paying higher prices for organic food because of its perceived health benefits, creating a global organic market worth an estimated $48 billion in 2007. A systematic review of 162 scientific papers published in the scientific literature over the last 50 years, however, found there was no significant difference. "A small number of differences in nutrient content were found to exist between organically and conventionally produced foodstuffs, but these are unlikely to be of any public health relevance," said Alan Dangour, one of the report's authors. <more> July 30, 2009 Reuters
   

• Williamson Act cut, but hope lingers - - Observers and negotiators say there's still hope for the Williamson Act in this year's state budget, despite Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's suspension of the program. Schwarzenegger signed a new budget on Tuesday after using his veto power to cut roughly $656 million in program funding that lawmakers had approved. Among the cuts was the Williamson Act, through which the state pays subventions to local governments - money that replaces property taxes lost when jurisdictions enter contracts with landowners to preserve farmland in exchange for lower tax assessments. The program enjoys broad political support. Lawmakers, currently on summer recess, could still override the vetoes. But Assemblyman Jim Nielsen, R-Gerber, says he wants to continue working with the governor's office on a compromise. <more> July 30, 2009 Capital Press

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

• Foster Farms sues Livingston over water rate increase - - The city of Livingston broke state law and health codes when it adopted a resolution that will increase water rates by an initial 40 percent, according to a lawsuit filed in Merced County Superior Court by Foster Farms, the city's largest water user. The suit also claims the company will be negatively impacted by the city's July 7 resolution and demands that the court order the city to rescind the increase. The lawsuit was filed July 14. "The city has pursued a 'shell game' in which the city announces proposed water rate increases yet fails to justify the basis for massive increased rates in the manner required by law," states the lawsuit. "The increased rates cannot be justified because they are intended to pay for unrelated city activities to generate unlawful surpluses, not to provide water service to the city's residents." <more> July 29, 2009 Merced Sun Star
   

• CPF annual meeting registration underway -- Registration is underway for the CPF’s annual meeting Sept. 17-18 at the Resort at Squaw Creek near Lake Tahoe. First out of the gate to register was Terry Winfrey of Lehar Sales. The meeting opens up Thursday with a luncheon followed by an afternoon of outstanding speakers, including former Assembly Speaker Willie Brown, Roseville republican Assemblyman Ted Gaines and Todd Hale, Senior Vice President, Consumer & Shopper Insights, for The Nielsen Company. Sponsorship opportunities are also available by contacting CPF President Bill Mattos at (209) 57-6355.  Sponsorships to date include:
  Diamond Club: ASC/Agrecom; Snackmasters Jerky
  Gold Club: Darling International Inc.; Foster Farms; Intervet/Schering-Plough
  Silver Club: Lohmann Animal Health  
  More information about the conference is available on the CPF website by clicking here.     
   

• Production and Health Seminar to Examine Future of Antibiotics - – The 2009 Poultry Production and Health Seminar will examine what the future holds for antibiotics in animal agriculture, along with other sessions to keep live production managers and service representatives up to date on the latest management practices and technology to maintain healthy and productive flocks.  Sponsored by U.S. Poultry & Egg Association’s Poultry & Egg Institute, the seminar will be held September 22-23, at the Peabody Hotel, Memphis, TN. “Healthy birds are the foundation of the poultry industry,” said program committee chairman Larry Gandy, Marshall Durbin Company, Waynesboro, MS.    “It is vital that we keep up with the latest advancements that can enhance bird health and performance. This year’s program will ensure that we stay informed on the key issues that impact live production,” he added. The program also will feature other important topics such as Coccidiosis Vaccination Options, Salmonella in Live Production, An MS Outbreak Case Study, Preparing the Poultry House for Seasonal Changes, and Energy Cost Saving Techniques. Members of the program committee are (seated from left): Dr. Phil Stayer, Sanderson Farms, Laurel, MS; Dr. Marshall Putnam, Wayne Farms, Oakwood, GA; Doc Williams, Tyson Foods, Forest, MS; and (standing from left): Robert Crowe, Harrison Poultry, Bethlehem, GA; Dr. John Smith, Fieldale Farms, Baldwin, GA; Gandy; Dr. Casey Ritz, University of Georgia; and Frank Halpin, Pilgrim’s Pride Corporation, Canton, GA. To register for the Poultry Production and Health Seminar, go to www.poultryegg.org  July 29, 2009 USPEA Press Release
   

• Genetic Markers Will Allow Breeds to be More Tailored - – In the future, genetic markers will make it possible to select for traits previously too difficult or too expensive to measure and incorporate into a breeding program, according to Dr. Bill Lee, Heritage Breeders.  “New genetic testing will allow for breeds to be tailored to individual market niches and customers,” he said.  Lee was speaking on a panel discussing “Primary Breeder Trends” at the 2009 Hatchery-Breeder Clinic.  Sponsored by U.S. Poultry & Egg Association’s Poultry & Egg Institute, the conference provided a comprehensive look at factors that influence production and performance, such as future breeder trends, effective management practices, and technology advancements at the breeder farm and in the hatchery.  Another breeder panel member, Dr. Mike Hellwig, Hubbard, said that, “disease resistance, immune response, and similar traits will depend in part on the progress we make with genetic markers.  Other traits suited to markers include livability; egg production, before onset of production; carcass traits, such as yield and fat; and heat tolerance,” he added. <more> July 29, 2009 USPEA Press Release
   

• Williamson Act funding cut by Governor -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Tuesday eliminated state support for a farmland preservation program that is heavily used in the Valley -- a move that could force counties to make more budget cuts. Funding for the Williamson Act was one of 21 vetoes the governor announced in order to bring the state's 2009-10 budget back into balance after the Legislature last week passed a plan that was slightly in the red. <more> July 29, 2009 Sacramento Bee   

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

• CPF annual meeting registration underway -- Registration is underway for the CPF’s annual meeting Sept. 17-28 at the Spa at Squaw Creek near Lake Tahoe. First out of the gate to register was Terry Winfrey of Lehar Sales. The meeting opens up Thursday with a luncheon followed by an afternoon of outstanding speakers, including former Assembly Speaker Willie Brown, Roseville republican Assemblyman Ted Gaines and Todd Hale, Senior Vice President, Consumer & Shopper Insights, for The Nielsen Company. Sponsorship opportunities are also available by contacting CPF President Bill Mattos at (209) 57-6355.  Sponsorships to date include:
  Diamond Club: Snackmasters Jerky
  Gold Club: Foster Farms; Intervet/Schering-Plough
  Silver Club: Lehar Sales Company; Lohmann Animal Health  
  More information about the conference is available on the CPF website by clicking here.     
   

• Humane Society says chicken manure piles endangering Central Valley water - - The Humane Society of the United States has filed a petition with the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board seeking an investigation of a major egg farm’s practice of dumping manure on the ground next to a ditch that drains directly to the San Joaquin River. The waste is from the more than 700,000 hens housed at the French Camp facility operated by Olivera Egg Ranch Inc. The petition alleges that manure from the facility may contaminate the local residential water supply, which may have happened in recent weeks. It also says that Olivera recently used a backhoe to dig out tons of wet and solid manure from its 16-acre manure cesspool and then dumped it within feet of a ditch connecting to the San Joaquin River. <more> July 28, 2009 Central Valley Business Times
   

• U.S. should give Chinese chicken a chance: meat group - -  The U.S. meat sector on Tuesday urged Congress to lift a ban that effectively prevents Chinese poultry imports in order to avoid retaliation on their own exports to China. U.S. law allows any of the other 152 countries that belong to the World Trade Organization to be able to apply to export meat to the United States, and it is unfair that China has been singled out, a coalition of meat companies and trade groups said in a testimony to a House committee that has championed the ban. "We will not be able to avoid a serious trade confrontation with China if Congress does not reconsider" the measure, trade lawyer Kevin Brosch said, speaking for the coalition in remarks prepared for the House agriculture appropriations subcommittee.  China has launched a WTO complaint about the ban, and trade groups said China recently stopped issuing import permits for U.S. chicken in retaliation, threatening the largest market for U.S. poultry, worth almost $700 million per year.<more> July 28, 2009 Reuters
   

• Pilgrim's Pride to close two processing plants - - Pilgrim's Pride Corp. announced the closing of two of its chicken processing plants within 60-75 days. The plants to be idled are in Athens, Ala. and Athens, Ga. Production will be consolidated in nearby Pilgrim's plants, bringing them to capacity. The company anticipates offering new positions to many employees from the closing facilities. The hatchery in Moulton, Ala., the feed mill in Falkville, Ala., and other live production operations associated with the Athens, Ala. plant will continue to operate. The company filed for voluntary bankruptcy petition on December 1, 2008, and has been working to bring its facilities to full capacity since then. July 28, 2009 WattPoultry.com
   

• Online course offered in management of animal health-related groups - - Kansas State University will offer a new 16-credit-hour online graduate certificate in the management of animal health-related organizations beginning this fall. The certificate program was developed by K-State's College of Business Administration through a partnership with K-State's Beef Cattle Institute and Division of Continuing Education. "The collaborative efforts involved in developing this program will provide education to help employees of the animal health industry become more effective, which is of great value to businesses in Kansas, the Midwest region and the world," said Yar Ebadi, dean of K-State's College of Business Administration. Students in the program will learn to use applied skills and attain an understanding of basic functional areas of business and how each contributes to an effective business organization in the context of the animal health industry. The certificate will educate employees by preparing them for additional responsibilities and expanding their career opportunities. <more> July 28, 2009 KSU Press Release
   

• Chickens Roam Their Roosts in Urban Backyards - - In her cozy yard filled with the dense growth of summer vegetables, Christa Backson is an example of Santa Barbara’s blend of self-reliance, love of local produce and obsession with foodie culture.  But the Mesa resident hasn’t just taken to feeding her family solely off the produce she cultivates in the small yard behind her childhood home. Walk past the sprawling vines of squash and cucumbers, and the soft clucking of five hens wafts out into the yard. Backson built a small coop between her house and the fence after deciding to raise hens for their eggs. It’s a movement that’s catching on with many city dwellers who want to get back to the source of their food. <more> July 28, 2009 Santa Barbara Noozhawk  
   

• House vote expected this week on food-safety bill - - The nation's food suppliers will face new fees, inspections and penalties under a multibillion-dollar food-safety bill set for a vote as early as Wednesday by the House of Representatives.  From importers and growers to processors and distributors, the painstakingly negotiated 133-page bill touches every facet of the U.S. food supply chain. While taxpayers and businesses will pay more, consumers are supposed to be safer. "There is no partisan gap when it comes to keeping the food supply safe," declared Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., the chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Enacting the tougher food-safety measures, such as increased inspections, will cost the federal government $3.5 billion during the next five years. New industry inspection and registration fees will pay for nearly half the tab. <more> July 28, 2009 McClatchy Newspapers
   

• Small Farms Challenge Expansion of FDA's Authority - - Small to mid-size farms and those growing organic foods are challenging the congressional effort to expand the Food and Drug Administration's food-safety powers. The farmers say food-safety legislation that passed the Energy and Commerce Committee in June gives the FDA authority to set production standards on their farms and charge them the same registration fees large food processors would be required to pay. The agency, they fear, could also require them to keep more records so contaminated products could be traced more easily. "I'm not against food safety if we have a problem,'' said Nick Maravell, who has a 165-acre organic farm here, about 40 miles from Washington, D.C. He said he already keeps detailed records to comply with existing U.S. Department of Agriculture rules for organic products. "To do it again would be time- and cost-sensitive," he said. Smaller farmers aren't alone. Cattle ranchers and grain farmers, already regulated by USDA, don't want to be subjected to an overlay of FDA food-safety rules. <more> July 28, 2009 Wall Street Journal  

Thursday, July 23, 2009

• Judge: Okla. can't seek damages in poultry suit-  - Oklahoma can't pursue monetary damages in its environmental lawsuit against a dozen Arkansas poultry companies because it didn't name the Cherokee Nation as a plaintiff, a federal judge ruled Wednesday in a major blow to the state. Oklahoma had hoped to collect more than $611 million from companies it claims polluted the Illinois River watershed with bird waste. But the 1-million-acre river valley lies in an area set aside by the federal government for the Cherokee Nation, and Oklahoma doesn't have the authority to seek damages on the nation's behalf, U.S. District Court Judge Gregory K. Frizzell ruled. He said the state could continue to pursue the lawsuit to stop poultry companies from disposing of what Oklahoma claims are excessive amounts of chicken waste on farmland in the watershed. <more> July 23, 2009 AP
   

• Water Hardness Plays a Role in Removing Bacteria from Chicken Skin- - Reducing water hardness may increase its ability to remove bacteria from broiler chicken skin, according to Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists in Athens, Ga.  Water hardness varies in different geographical locations, but most water tested in the United States has some degree of hardness.  "Hard" water has higher concentrations of dissolved minerals, such as calcium and magnesium.  Water is softened by removing these minerals, either mechanically or chemically.  Microbiologist Arthur Hinton, Jr., and chemist Ronald Holser of the ARS Richard B. Russell Research Center in Athens conducted studies comparing the ability of very hard, moderately hard, and "soft" water to rinse away bacteria like Campylobacter, Staphylococcus and Pseudomonas from the skin of broiler chicken carcasses. <more> July 23, 2009 ARS Press Release
   

• CDFA: Expect deep cuts - - Officials of California's Department of Food and Agriculture told the state's ag board on Wednesday that the agency is preparing for the possibility of big budget cuts. No specific trims of CDFA were outlined in the budget agreement reached by lawmakers this week. But worker furloughs and government-wide cuts have already trimmed up to a third of the general-fund portion of CDFA's budget, George Deese, CDFA's deputy secretary of finance, told the State Board of Food and Agriculture. The agency's budget totals just over $300 million. Of that, $98 million comes from the state's general fund. The rest comes from industry fees and federal programs. At Wednesday's board meeting, CDFA undersecretary Will Brown called attention to estimates that revenue assumptions underlying this week's budget agreement are unrealistically high. That circumstance is giving the agency pause, Brown said. <more> July 23, 2009 Capital Press
   

• Climate bill needs "off ramp": Senate farm chief - - The climate bill being assembled in the U.S. Senate should include an "off ramp" allowing the United States to relax its greenhouse gas rules if other nation fail to control theirs, said the Senate Agriculture Committee chairman on Wednesday. Agriculture Committee Chairman Tom Harkin of Iowa told reporters that he would allow other nations three to five years to act to curb carbon emissions. "If other countries don't join us ... hey, we're off the ramp," he said during a break in an Agriculture Committee hearing on climate legislation. Harkin said the "off ramp" should be written into the Senate bill. <more> July 23, 2009 Reuters
   

• Ag secretaries past and present split on climate bill - - It seems U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack and Sen. Mike Johanns, R-Neb., would disagree on the color of corn these days. Johanns is a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, which heard testimony Wednesday from Vilsack and others about the role of farmers in the climate change bill approved last month by the House. By requiring power plants and factories to obtain allowances for greenhouse gas emissions, the bill is likely to increase prices for electricity, fuel and other farm necessities. But it also would provide credits to farmers for planting trees and practicing environmentally friendly techniques. A new analysis by the Agriculture Department’s chief economist shows that farmers would receive more from the credits — potentially a lot more — over the long term than they would lose from their increased costs, Vilsack testified. But Johanns, who was agriculture secretary under President George W. Bush, jumped on several aspects of that analysis. He pointed out that Vilsack was touting nationwide farm benefits without providing a state-by-state breakdown. <more> July 23, 2009 Omaha World-Herald  
   

• Unusual process sends state water bills to committee - - In an unusual move, the state Legislature is opting to address delta water policy through a little-used conference committee approach. The Assembly and the Senate took the first steps last week to pull existing legislation related to water issues into a group of five bills and refocus them on the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Existing language was stripped from the bills and placeholder language inserted to indicate future intention. The Assembly amended three Senate bills and the Senate amended two Assembly bills, all of which were then directed to the new conference committee. Legislative staff said creating a conference committee to address issues related to delta water policy will allow for a "full, extended and open public process" to consider delta water issues. <more> July 23, 2009 Ag Alert  

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

• National food groups caution Congress on climate change bill - - A group of major national food-related trade associations today cautioned the Senate Agriculture Committee to consider fully the impact climate-change legislation will have on the nation’s ability to provide abundant and affordable food and necessary consumer goods to U.S. and world consumers. The organizations, whose members encompass  food, agricultural commodity, feed, ingredient, beverage and consumer-product processors, manufacturers, distributors and retailers, emit only about 2 percent of the nation’s greenhouse gases, but said they are disproportionately vulnerable to indirect cost increases that would occur under the House-passed version of the climate-change bill.  Those costs include increased input, fuel and transportation expenses. “If not crafted correctly, climate-change legislation could significantly increase the price of food and other household products,” the organizations said.  “Congress must take extreme care to avoid adverse impacts on food security, prices, safety and accessibility to necessary consumer products.  Congress also needs to consider that increases in food, agricultural commodity and feed prices could reduce the international competitiveness of U.S. agriculture- and food-related companies whose exports are vital to the U.S. agricultural economy and make it one of the sole positive contributors to the U.S. balance of trade.” <more> July 22, 2009 NTF Press Release
   

• A 'Green' Process For Biodiesel From Feather Meal - - Scientists in Nevada are reporting development of a new and environmentally friendly process for producing biodiesel fuel from "chicken feather meal," made from the 11 billion pounds of poultry industry waste that accumulate annually in the United States alone. Their study is scheduled for the July 22 issue of ACS' Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, a bi-weekly publication. In the study Mano Misra, Susanta Mohapatra, Narasimharao Kondamudi, and Jason Strull note that chicken feather meal consists of processed chicken feathers, blood, and innards that have been processed at high temperatures with steam. Currently feather meal is used as animal feed and fertilizer because of its high protein and nitrogen content. With as much as 12 percent fat content, feather meal has potential as an alternative, nonfood feedstock for the production of biofuel, the report says. <more> July 22, 209 RedOrbit.Com
   

• China ups ante in US WTO dispute over poultry - - China on Monday upped the ante in a dispute with Washington over poultry exports, calling on the World Trade Organization to rule on its complaint against US "discriminatory" legislation. According to Beijing, Washington is breaching international trade rules through a US spending bill that it says contains a clause banning imports of Chinese poultry. "While violating various WTO rules, the measure has severely undermined the stable development of Sino-US trade (in) poultry products and damaged the lawful rights and interests of China's poultry industry," a Chinese official said at a WTO dispute settlement body meeting. "This constitutes a typical discriminatory protectionism measure in international trade," the official added. <more> July 22, 2009 AFP
   

• USDA releases study showing economic benefit to ag from climate change bill - - U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack today testified to the Senate Agriculture Committee on the role that rural America can play in addressing climate change. In his testimony, Vilsack will announce the results of USDA economic analysis showing that the economic benefits to agriculture from the cap and trade legislation will likely outweigh the costs in the short term, and that the economic benefits from offsets markets will easily outpace increased input costs over the long term. Below are excerpts from Secretary Vilsack's prepared testimony: "Although we realize there are a variety of specific approaches that can be used to achieve clean energy and climate goals, over the last several weeks, USDA has analyzed costs and benefits of the House-passed climate legislation for agriculture. Our analysis demonstrates that the economic opportunities for farmers and ranchers can potentially outpace - perhaps significantly - the costs from climate legislation. <more> July 22, 2009 USDA Press Release
   

• Obama Hones Immigration Policy - - The Obama administration is using its executive powers to change U.S. immigration policies and practices on a range of fronts, not waiting for efforts by Congress to tackle a broader overhaul of the system. Administration officials say they want to shift the emphasis in immigration enforcement to what the White House calls the demand-side of illegal immigration by focusing on employers, moving away from high-profile raids that resulted in thousands of worker arrests during the Bush years. The Obama approach also toughens individual enforcement against illegal immigrants with criminal records, but takes a less stringent line with economic migrants and victims of abuse. In some cases, the Obama administration is pushing ahead with plans set under President George W. Bush -- such as putting into effect a mandate that all federal contractors and subcontractors use a government employment-verification system called E-Verify. <more> July 22, 2009 Wall Street Journal  
   

• Study: Central Valley can be saved from current water crisis - - A strong and healthy California agricultural sector can flourish despite diminishing water supply and future uncertainty from climate change, if new steps are taken to significantly increase the efficiency of water use in California fields, says new research released Wednesday by the Pacific Institute.  It says the foundations are already in place with the farmers, ranchers and irrigation districts that have already made water-use efficiency improvements. But the report says there is still tremendous untapped potential – in millions of acre-feet – if policy and water management changes are made. “These are management scenarios and management practices and technologies that some farmers are using, but that more could be using,” says Heather Cooley, senior research associate at the Pacific Institute and co-author of the report. <more> July 22, 2009 Central Valley Business Times  
   

• Cardoza links Pelosi to centrists of caucus - - When the House Democratic leadership assembles each week in the Speaker’s Conference Room, Rep. Dennis Cardoza (D-Calif.) is the only lawmaker in the meeting with no official title and no leadership staff. He has no real reason to be there. Except that Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) wants him on hand. If he did have a title, it would probably be “Blue Dog ambassador.” Cardoza, a Blue Dog from Pelosi’s home state of California, has emerged as the emissary between the liberal Speaker and the fiscally conservative Blue Dog Coalition. And that’s helped Cardoza become what associates say he has wanted to be from his first day in Congress — a consummate inside player. “He cautions leadership about likely reaction from Blue Dogs. He’s kind of an early warning sign,” said Rep. Jim Costa (D-Calif.), a friend of Cardoza’s and fellow Blue Dog. “I wish they would listen to him more.” <more> July 21, 2009 The Hill.com
   

• Ag has credibility in water debate - - California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger proved prophetic, if not action-packed, when he appeared at the Walk for Water rally on the banks of San Luis Reservoir in mid-April. Schwarzenegger invoked the United Farmworkers of America to encourage the 15,000 farm workers and farmers who participated in the Walk for Water to not stop at one march and rally, but continue to call attention to their plight. The governor did not win any friends with his mention of the UFW at the rally, since the labor union for farm workers was conspicuously absent from the rally then and continues to boycott the effort for whatever reason. However, Schwarzenegger’s admonition to continue the fight has proven predictive. That was obviously the plan of the Latino Water Coalition, its firebrand leader, comedian and former farm worker Paul Rodriquez and the farmers. <more> July 21, 2009 Western Farm Press  

Monday, July 20, 2009

• Meat and Poultry Trade Groups Oppose EPA Petition to Increase Ethanol Blends in Gasoline - - Meat and poultry trade groups today urged the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to reject an ethanol group’s petition to allow blends of more than 10 percent ethanol in gasoline because the higher blend could divert nearly half of the U.S. corn crop from food and feed to fuel. The American Meat Institute and National Turkey Federation noted that prematurely allowing blends of E12 or E15 will create incentives for gasoline refiners to eventually use as much as 22 billion gallons of corn ethanol.  This change will have direct impacts on the ability of livestock and poultry producers to effectively predict future annual budgets and costs due to volatility in the markets as feed is the largest input cost associated with raising food producing animals. “While the RFS and blend rates may mandate ethanol production, they cannot mandate corn plantings, production or the prices,” the comments noted.  “Nor can mandates create more total land for farm use.  Since 2005, corn prices have increased significantly, and price volatility has quadrupled, largely as a result of increased corn demand for ethanol production and limited land available for corn plantings.” The comments were filed in response to a petition submitted earlier this year by Growth Energy, asking EPA to increase the allowable ethanol blend to 15 percent. Largely as a result of increased ethanol use, the cost of the 2008 crop corn was increased by $2.10 per bushel over the 2005 crop.  Based on 12 billion bushels of total use that represents a $25.2 billion annual cost increase for corn’s food, feed, ethanol and export users.  Higher corn prices have also had the effect of causing higher prices for soybeans, wheat, rice and other crops.  Cost of production and prices of ethanol are also increased. FarmEcon LLC estimates that 2009 U.S. meat and poultry product will decline a record 3 billion pounds from 2008.  Approximately $7.8 billion in retail meat and poultry sales will be lost to the economy. The comments pointed out that any economic value added by additional ethanol production is being more than destroyed by higher costs, lost sales and increased business risks elsewhere in the economy.  Lower production of other items that depend on grains has resulted.  Forced ethanol production is a net economic drag on the economy, and as such expansion should be discouraged.  July 20, 2009 NTF Press Release
   

• Humane Society, Ohio farmers prepare for war - - Ohio farmers are fighting back against a proposal by the Humane Society of the United States to change how chickens, pigs and calves are confined. The two sides already are scrapping over what is expected to become a heated, emotional and costly statewide ballot issue in November and perhaps again in 2010. What's happening is ''tremendously scary to Ohio farmers . . . and what's happening will impact everyone in Ohio,'' Stark County farmer Frank Burkett III said. The outcome could cost farm jobs in Ohio and affect prices, opponents contend. <more> July 20, 2009 Ohio.com
   

• Walmart sustainability index to put suppliers under spotlight - - More than 100,000 suppliers to Walmart will be asked to prove their green credentials after the company unveiled plans yesterday to develop a world-wide sustainable product index. The goal of the ambitious scheme, which is expected to take years to complete, could see each and every item sold by the retail giant given an eco-rating that will tell consumers how green and sustainable it is. Walmart CEO Mike Duke declared it would make the company’s supply chain “more transparent”. The initial impact of the proposals will fall on the company’s suppliers – many from the food and beverage industries – and, as the world’s largest retailer, Walmart is seen as one of the very few companies with the clout to persuade its suppliers to modify or change their practices. According to reports in the US media, the company will not grant suppliers exemptions to their eco-standards. When asked what relationship Walmart would maintain with suppliers that don’t supply the data, chief merchandising officer John Fleming is reported as saying: “We probably won’t have one.” <more> July 20, 2009 FoodProductionDaily.com
   

• Fresno County, left in the dust - - By Rick Wartzman - - A couple of years ago, were you to have swung by Westside Grocery in the town of Mendota on a Thursday or a Friday, you probably would have had to linger for a while in the sizzling Central Valley heat. The little store was so busy that the line of customers waiting to cash paychecks and make purchases would often spill out the door and halfway down 7th Street. But now the paychecks have dried up, along with the farmland in these parts, thanks to a cruel confluence of drought, environmental regulation and years of political neglect. On a recent end-of-week visit to the market, I found the place empty, save for two jobless men loitering inside and the owner, Joseph Riofrio, and his teenage son, who stood behind the front counter hoping for customers. Over the next hour, half a dozen or so folks trickled in. A couple bought snacks. Most, though, had stopped by to take care of their utility bills -- many of them delinquent. Westside Grocery doubles as a Pacific Gas & Electric payment center. <more> July 20, 2009 LA Times
   

• Voices of the drought - - Two growers and a processor from the Central Valley talk about the changes that water shortages have brought to their operations and their lives. Drought. Environmental regulations. Growing urban demand. It's all meant less water for California farmers. Times editorial writer Marjorie Miller Marjorie Miller spoke with growers and a processor from the Central Valley about how water shortages have affected them. These are edited transcripts of their comments. Bill Diedrich, Shields, Calif. I have 515 acres of almonds, 75 acres of prunes and 23 acres of peaches, and I don't have a choice: I have to irrigate. If I don't irrigate, I'm going to lose all my capital investment. There have been some broad general statements about the water supply not being all that bad, only 5% off normal. Certainly for the Westside Central Valley Project, it's not the truth. This growing year, we're getting 90% less water than our usual allotment. That has to be made up through water purchases and transfers. <more> July 20, 2009 LA Times
   

• PG&E online survey of efficient energy management for wastewater- - -PG&E is beginning a study of conventional and best practices for energy efficient management of agricultural and food processing wastewater. Results of the study will be used to help customers reduce wastewater treatment and energy costs through financial incentives for optimizing these systems and operations. The first step in this study is to collect information on practices that are currently in use via an online survey. PG&E is encouraging participation by poultry processors to ensure that the results accurately reflect and are most beneficial to your industry. The survey is completely confidential, and all questions are optional. It can be accessed here: http://www.surveymonkey.com/pge_wastewater . Please allow 15-30 minutes to respond. Additional information on the goals of study on the study can be viewed by clicking here.

Friday, July 17, 2009

• Senate Democrats Drop Card Check Provision - - A half-dozen senators friendly to labor have decided to drop a central provision of a bill that would have made it easier to organize workers.  The so-called card-check provision — which senators decided to scrap to help secure a filibuster-proof 60 votes — would have required employers to recognize a union as soon as a majority of workers signed cards saying they wanted a union. Currently, employers can insist on a secret-ballot election, a higher hurdle for unions.  The abandonment of card check was another example of the power of moderate Democrats to constrain their party’s more liberal legislative efforts. Though the Democrats have a 60-40 vote advantage in the Senate, and President Obama supports the measure, several moderate Democrats opposed the card-check provision as undemocratic. In its place, several Senate and labor officials said, the revised bill would require shorter unionization campaigns and faster elections. <more> July 17, 2009 NY Times   
   

• Democrat Jerome Horton appointed to state tax board - - Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger today announced the appointment of Jerome Horton, a business-friendly former Democratic lawmaker, to the state’s tax board. The pick probably will shift the balance of power on the tax panel, which, despite its low public profile, holds broad influence over corporate taxes. Horton’s appointment is a coup for California’s business lobby, which has regular dealings with the state Board of Equalization. Horton, who was termed out of the state Assembly after six years in 2006, will replace Judy Chu, a liberal Monterey Park Democrat elected to Congress on Tuesday. <more> July 17, 2009 LA Times
   

• Consumer spending and favorable prices drive chicken consumption - - Consumer spending and favorable prices drive chicken consumption, according to a study commissioned by the National Chicken Council and completed last month by Dr. Tomas E. Elam, president of FarmEcon, LLC. Overall consumer spending adjusted for inflation and the relative price of chicken compared to competing meat was found by Elam to be highly correlated with chicken consumption and also explained a very high degree of changes in chicken consumption, Elam told participants at NCC’s Marketing Seminar held this week in California.  Elam explained that record decline in chicken consumption during late 2008 and early 2009 was not the result of a change in the fundamental underlying demand structure for chicken but rather other major factors at work. He cited reduced real consumer income and stepped-up savings rate coupled with higher production costs for chicken. Elam noted that in 2006 there was a decline in chicken prices not fully explained by a change in income or excessive supply. The decline in chicken prices persisted into 2008 and may stem in part from the demise of the Atkins diet boom and the 2005 H5N1 avian influenza global epidemic. Further processed chicken products that gained consumer acceptance in the 1980s and 1990s are credited by Elam as expanding chicken’s market share. As the percentage of chicken being further processed since 2005 has “flatten,” it may be a contributing force slowing consumption increases, Elam said. Increasing the variety of offerings of innovative, value-added products would likely penetrate new markets and expand chicken’s market share, Elam predicted. Elam’s presentation “Consumers Demand for Chicken” is available at http://rhodeislandred.chickenusa.org/CMS09.  No log-in is required. July 17, 2009 NCC Newsletter
   

• PG&E online survey of efficient energy management for wastewater- - -PG&E is beginning a study of conventional and best practices for energy efficient management of agricultural and food processing wastewater. Results of the study will be used to help customers reduce wastewater treatment and energy costs through financial incentives for optimizing these systems and operations. The first step in this study is to collect information on practices that are currently in use via an online survey. PG&E is encouraging participation by poultry processors to ensure that the results accurately reflect and are most beneficial to your industry. The survey is completely confidential, and all questions are optional. It can be accessed here: http://www.surveymonkey.com/pge_wastewater . Please allow 15-30 minutes to respond. Additional information on the goals of study on the study can be viewed by clicking here.
   

• Animal rights, writ too large? - - Have you seen the billboards around town that say "Protect Your Right to Own a Pet"? They show a child hugging a puppy and provide a website, www.exposeanimalrights.com,   flanked by international "no" symbols (a circle with a slash though it) containing the initials PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) and HSUS (Humane Society of the United States). When I first passed one a couple of weeks ago, I was confused. Are we supposed to imagine that a PETA activist is about to snatch the puppy from the boy's hands because it's his "pet" and not his "animal companion"? Or -- and I admit this reaction is the result of living in a neighborhood with, shall we say, "conflicting" philosophies about pet care -- was something else afoot? Was "protect your right to own a pet" code for "protect your sleazy right to keep your dog chained up in the yard all day"? <more> July 16, 2009 LA Times  
   

• Senate acts to retain Social Security No-Match rule - - The Senate this week approved by a vote of 84-6 fiscal year 2010 appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that included a provision barring DHS from rescinding its controversial Social Security no-match rule. The Senate vote came just one day after the DHS announced it will be proposing a new regulation that would rescind the no-match rule. The provision barring DHS from rescinding the no-match rule was offered as an amendment to the appropriations bill by Senator David Vitter (R-LA) and was approved by unanimous consent. “The Senate’s unanimous approval of this amendment sends a clear message to the Obama administration that we will not allow weak immigration laws,” Senator Vitter said. “That the Senate passed this amendment on the very next day after the administration stated their intent to rescind the ‘no-match’ rule serves as an even stronger indicator of where Congress stands on this issue,” he said. Said Matt Chandler, DHS spokesman, in response to the Vitter amendment, “The Senator’s actions are designed to prevent real progress on immigration enforcement and are a reflection of the old administration’s strategy: all show, no substance.” The DHS appropriations bill passed by the Senate also contains two other provisions relating to E-Verify. The first would make E-Verify permanent and mandate it for all federal contractors. Contracts for commercially available off-the-shelf (COTS) items as well as items that would be classified as COTS items, but for minor modifications, would still be exempt. The second provision would allow employers to use E-Verify to verify employment eligibility for all employees and not just new hires. The House-approved version of the DHS appropriations bill, which passed on June 24 does not address the no-match rule. The House version does, however, contain a provision that would provide a two-year extension of the E-Verify program. July 17, 2009 NCC Newsletter
   

• At Wal-Mart, Labeling to Reflect Green Intent - - Shoppers expect the tags on Wal-Mart items to have rock-bottom prices. In the future they may also have information about the product’s carbon footprint, the gallons of water used to create it, and the air pollution left in its wake. As the world’s largest retailer, Wal-Mart Stores is on a mission to determine the social and environmental impact of every item it puts on its shelves. And it has recruited scholars, suppliers, and environmental groups to help it create an electronic indexing system to do that. The idea is to create a universal rating system that scores products based on how environmentally and socially sustainable they are over the course of their lives. Consider it the green equivalent to nutrition labels. <more> July 17, 2009 NY Times    
   

• Climate change dividing farm groups? - - The climate change legislation now before the Senate has succeeded in doing something neither the nation’s environmental groups or the Bush administration could do: Create fault lines in the farm bloc. The American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009, also known as the Waxman-Markey bill, H.R. 2454, is drawing decidedly mixed reviews from farm organizations. Some are condemning the bill outright, some seeking significant changes and others are behind it all the way. The American Farm Bureau Federation has taken dead aim at the legislation, which passed the House by a narrow margin (219-212), with AFBF President Bob Stallman recently characterizing it as “embarking on a fool’s errand,” if the United States tries to go it alone on solving the problem. On the other side of the spectrum, the National Farmers Union and American Farmland Trust have been throwing their lobbying efforts behind the legislation, with the AFT claiming its passage would “usher in a new agricultural era.” <more> July 17, 2009 Delta Farm Press
   

• House OKs bill to address Calif. water - - The House of Representatives today approved a $33 billion energy and water bill that includes money for addressing California water problems.  By a 320-97 vote, the House approved the legislation funding the Army Corps of Engineers and Bureau of Reclamation for Fiscal 2010. The bill includes $10 million for constructing two projects potentially useful in increasing San Joaquin Valley water supplies.  One project, called the “Intertie,” would connect the federal Delta-Mendota Canal with state canals. The other, called the “Two-Gates” project, would stop fish from being sucked into Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta pumps and thereby allow more irrigation water to flow out of the Delta. The House bill won the support of Reps. Dennis Cardoza, D-Merced, Jim Costa, D-Fresno and Devin Nunes, R-Visalia. It was opposed by Rep. George Radanovich, R-Mariposa. The House bill must still be reconciled with a Senate version, which is still being written.  July 17, 2009 Fresno Bee
   

• Winery looks for a sipper who Twitters - - Most vinophiles can swirl and sip. The Murphy-Goode winery wants one who can sip and click. Hoping to make a splash in the world of social media, the Northern California winery is looking to pay an Internet-savvy wine-lover $10,000 a month for six months in return for tweeting and blogging about the joys of wine country. The move, which comes as more businesses mine the consumer relations possibilities of networks such as Facebook and Twitter, is aimed at reaching new customers and tracking tastes in real time. "Trends in winemaking and wine styles change every five, six years, so it's nice to be able to be on the front edge of that," says Murphy-Goode winemaker David Ready Jr. <more> July 17, 2009 AP 

Thursday, July 16, 2009

• Association of California Egg Farmers comments on withdrawal of egg bill - -  Debbie Murdock, Association of California Egg Farmers (ACEF) executive director, issued the following statement today regarding Assemblymember Jared Huffman’s withdrawal of AB 1437 from this year’s legislative session. The proposed legislation sought to level the playing field by applying Prop. 2 mandates to eggs produced out-of-state. “The Association of California Egg Farmers commends Assemblymember Huffman for authoring legislation that would ensure California consumers’ expectations for animal care and food safety are met, no matter where the eggs are produced. However, we have consistently stated that farmers first need to know exactly how much space to provide an egg-laying hen and what enclosure systems will comply with Proposition 2.” <more> July 16, 2009 ACEF Press Release
   

• Turkey industry asks for measureable public health outcome in food safety system - - National Turkey Federation’s (NTF) Chairman of the Technical and Regulatory Committee told members of the House Agriculture Committee that as the food safety debate moves to the forefront of the congressional agenda, any changes that are enacted should ensure in measurable improvement in public health. “As science and technology improves, it is highly plausible that the food safety inspection process would and should be improved as well,” said NTF Chairman of the Technical and Regulatory Committee Bob Reinhard.  “Changes to FSIS and FDA statutory authority should not be so prescriptive that they stifle innovation and prevent industry, the Secretary of Agriculture, or the Secretary of Health and Human Services from making science-based improvements with definable public health outcomes.” Reinhard explained to committee members that FSIS’ Pathogen Reduction/Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) program and Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (SSOPs) have yielded significant and measurable successes for the turkey industry as shown by FSIS’ pathogen testing data.  Since 2000, the meat and poultry industry has seen a 74-percent reduction in the incidence of Listeria monocytogenes in ready-to-eat products.  Since 1996, the industry has seen a 64-percent reduction in the prevalence of Salmonella on raw turkey carcasses.  Although successful, Reinhard said better attribution data is needed to confirm that these food safety improvements have a correlation to the decline in foodborne illness.  Reinhard said that it is not necessary to re-build a system, but there is an opportunity to enhance a system that is already working.    He then explained, “Now is the time to build on successes and use data with attribution information to drive the changes that will lead to improvements in public health.” “All food safety systems should be designed to manage and reduce risk to the food supply,” Reinhard said.  “Congress may want to consider giving FSIS expanded authority to allocate inspection resources according to risk so that inspectors are focused most closely on those tasks that will have the biggest impact on food safety.” Reinhard closed by encouraging Congress not to pass food safety legislation that focuses primarily on new way to assess blame and punishment when a food safety problem has arisen.  Rather, Reinhard said, Congress should “give USDA and FDA additional tools to collaborate with industry, consumers, academia and all other stakeholders to prevent food safety problems from occurring in the first place.”  Reinhard’s testimony is available on the House Committee on Agriculture’s Web site, http://agriculture.house.gov/hearings/statements.html.  July 16, 2009 NTF Press Release
   

• House Ag Chair Chairman concerned over food safety bill - - The House Agriculture Committee chairman threatened Thursday to slow the progress of a food safety bill until the concerns of farm groups are addressed. Minnesota Democrat Collin C. Peterson said he is worried that the bill would allow the Food and Drug Administration to regulate farm activities. “Having read this bill they are clearly, in my opinion, going to be on the farm,” he said at a hearing on the issue. Unless his concerns are met, Peterson said he may hold a markup on the bill and report it out unfavorably. On complicated measures such as this one, bills get reviewed and changed by several committees with jurisdiction over all or perhaps just a portion of the legislation. The first version of the food safety bill (HR 2749) was approved by the Energy and Commerce Committee on June 17. If Peterson’s committee gives the bill what is known as an adverse report, that will have an impact on when — or whether — it is brought up for floor action. <more> July 16, 2009 CQ Politics  
   

• PG&E online survey of efficient energy management for wastewater- - -PG&E is beginning a study of conventional and best practices for energy efficient management of agricultural and food processing wastewater. Results of the study will be used to help customers reduce wastewater treatment and energy costs through financial incentives for optimizing these systems and operations. The first step in this study is to collect information on practices that are currently in use via an online survey. PG&E is encouraging participation by poultry processors to ensure that the results accurately reflect and are most beneficial to your industry. The survey is completely confidential, and all questions are optional. It can be accessed here: http://www.surveymonkey.com/pge_wastewater . Please allow 15-30 minutes to respond. Additional information on the goals of study on the study can be viewed by clicking here.

   

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

• CPF members enjoy summer meeting in coastal setting- - The cool breezes of the Central Coast provided the perfect backdrop for the California Poultry Federation’s summer meeting Monday and Tuesday as more than 80 members, friends and supporters gathered at the Cliffs Resort in Shell Beach for golfing, fun in the sun and a little bit of business. Monday’s outing at the Avila Beach golf course provided plenty of awards that were handed out at the evening’s reception and dinner at the home of Richard and Kathy Zacky. Golf organizer Marty Jakosa handed out a slew of prizes to deserving golfers. Top prizes included:

  Low Gross: Rich Edwards

  Low Net- Men: Marty Jakosa

  Low Net-Women: Linda Haley

  Longest Drive-Men: Mark Sullivan

  Longest Drive- Women: Pat Nelson

  Closest-to-the-hole- Men: Nick Adams

  Closest-to-the-hole- Women: Kathy Shipley.

  At its Tuesday board meeting, CPF directors heard a legislative update from Michael Boccadoro of The Dolphin Group who reported that animal welfare issues continue to play an increasing role in the Legislature following the successful passage of Prop. 2 last November. Directors also learned that USDA Area Veterinarian in Charger Dr. Kevin Varner will be leaving his post after 3 1/2 years for a similar post in Texas in the next few months. Varner reported that the current “swine flu” pandemic should be a wake up call for the poultry industry as it provided insights into the type of media frenzy and public health community concerns that could prevail during a “bird flu” outbreak. California Department of Food and Agriculture State Veterinarian Dr. Richard Breitmeyer gave a candid assessment of the challenges facing the animal health branch in the face of a shrinking budget and a steady exodus of younger vets to private industry due to more competitive salary packages. Over 70% of the current workforce of 22 CDFA vets faces potential retirement in the next few years and prospects for attracting new candidates do not appear promising.  

  CPF director Evans Keller was fondly remembered at both the reception and dinner at the Zacky home and at the Tuesday board meeting. At the reception, a sign invited CPF members to "Have a shot of Jack Daniels" in memory of Evans, who passed away unexpectedly on June 13. Keller's name plate was placed on the board table in front of  an empty chair at Tuesday's board meeting and his name was read during the roll call as board members honored his many years of service to the California Poultry Federation.

  To view a slide show of photos from the gathering, please click here. July 15, 2009
   

• Administration Seeks to Restrict Antibiotics in Livestock - - The Obama administration announced Monday that it would seek to ban many routine uses of antibiotics in farm animals in hopes of reducing the spread of dangerous bacteria in humans. In written testimony to the House Rules Committee, Dr. Joshua Sharfstein, principal deputy commissioner of food and drugs, said feeding antibiotics to healthy chickens, pigs and cattle — done to encourage rapid growth — should cease. And Dr. Sharfstein said farmers should no longer be able to use antibiotics in animals without the supervision of a veterinarian. Both practices lead to the development of bacteria that are immune to many treatments, he said. The hearing was held to discuss a measure proposed by Representative Louise M. Slaughter, Democrat of New York and chairwoman of the Rules Committee. It would ban seven classes of antibiotics important to human health from being used in animals, and would restrict other antibiotics to therapeutic and some preventive uses. <more> July 14, 2009 NY Times
   

• House livestock antibiotics bill goes to key hearing - - The House Rules Committee held a key hearing July 13 on a bill seeking to limit the use of antibiotics in food animals. The bill, H.R. 1549, was introduced March 17 by Rules Committee Chairwoman Louise Slaughter, who was a microbiologist before her Congressional career. Many witnesses for Monday's hearing, which were announced on Friday, are proponents of the legislation, with the notable exception of House Agriculture livestock subcommittee chairman Leonard Boswell (D., Iowa).  The bill, the Preservation of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment Act of 2009, would require the Secretary of Health & Human Services to deny an application for a new animal drug that is a critical animal drug unless the applicant demonstrates there is a reasonable certainty of no harm to human health resulting from antimicrobial resistance, according to the Congressional Research Service.  Additionally, the bill requires the withdrawal of a nontherapeutic use of such drugs in food producing animals two years after the date of enactment "unless certain safety requirements are met," CRS reports. July 15, 2009 Feedstuffs.com
   

• Bill to phase out federal support of corn-based ethanol introduced - - Legislation that would gradually phase out government support for corn-based ethanol over five years and encourage the commercial development of second generation biofuels has been introduced in the House. The Balanced Food and Fuel Coalition, a partnership of meat, livestock and poultry organizations, issued a statement on The Affordable Food and Fuel for America Act:  “We commend the leadership of Reps. Joseph Crowley, D-N.Y., and Mary Bono Mack, R-Calif., for introducing legislation that is absolutely critical to both producers and consumers of food by controlling volatile commodity markets and ensuring all users of feed grains compete on a level playing field.  This legislation H.R. 3187 would gradually phase out government support for corn-based ethanol over five years and encourage the commercial development of second generation biofuels.  If passed, the bill would permit badly needed adjustments in the corn-based ethanol mandates required by law.  It represents an important step in weaning ethanol from its reliance on government protections to be commercially viable and compete with other commodities that rely on corn as their major input. The Before Food and Fuel Coalition also supports both legislative and regulatory action that will help relieve the volatility and escalation of feed costs, which have significantly affected the cost of poultry and livestock production and ultimately negatively impacted rural jobs and the cost of raising protein for consumption. This is a significant development in the effort to create a more level playing field for all segments of agriculture.  Once again we applaud Reps. Crowley and Mack for their leadership on this critical issue.”  July 14, 2009 Balanced Food and Fuel Coalition
   

• PG&E online survey of efficient energy management for wastewater- - -PG&E is beginning a study of conventional and best practices for energy efficient management of agricultural and food processing wastewater. Results of the study will be used to help customers reduce wastewater treatment and energy costs through financial incentives for optimizing these systems and operations. The first step in this study is to collect information on practices that are currently in use via an online survey. PG&E is encouraging participation by poultry processors to ensure that the results accurately reflect and are most beneficial to your industry. The survey is completely confidential, and all questions are optional. It can be accessed here: http://www.surveymonkey.com/pge_wastewater . Please allow 15-30 minutes to respond. Additional information on the goals of study on the study can be viewed by clicking here.
   

• Humane group formed to dispel ties to HSUS - - A new organization with interests in animal care and welfare has been formed to distinguish local humane societies from the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS). The organization, Local Humane, which can be found online at www.localhumane.org,  makes a disclaimer that its purpose is not to "pass judgment on" HSUS - or any humane society - but to clarify common misconceptions held by the public about HSUS and its relationship to local humane societies. In particular, Local Humane, at its web site, emphasizes that local humane societies are not chapters of and are not governed by HSUS and are not funded by HSUS. The web site does not identify the names of humane societies or individuals behind its creation but says "we are a small group of animal welfare leaders, donors and grassroots marketing professionals," and while "we do not wish to speak out against HSUS, we are, quite frankly, tired of the misperceptions (about a local society relationship to HSUS) that continue and often inhibit real progress in the communities in which we live, work and raise our families. The web site provides a link to subscribe to Local Humane communications and says it can be found on Twitter. July 15, 2009 Feedstuffs.com
   

• NCC urges EPA to reject higher levels of ethanol in gas -- The Environmental Protection Agency should resist the ethanol industry’s demand that it legalize blending of ethanol into motor gasoline up to 15 percent, according to the National Chicken Council.  NCC warned that the higher blend could cause damage to cars and trucks built to run on a maximum of 10 percent ethanol and would create additional volatility in the grain market.  Growth Energy, a group led by Poet Energy, the nation’s largest ethanol distiller, petitioned EPA to raise the legal limit from 10 percent to as much as 15 percent, asserting that the higher blend would make no difference to operation of the 240 million cars and trucks in the United States built to run on conventional fuel.  The petition is opposed by environmental groups and by the manufacturers of engines for motorboats, generators, chainsaws and other equipment, who say the higher level of ethanol can cause malfunctions and deterioration of engine components.  <more> July 15, 2009 WattPoultry.com
   

• USDA AND HHS praise guidelines for foodborne illness outbreak response - -  Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today commended the Council to Improve Foodborne Outbreak Response (CIFOR) for the new Guidelines for Foodborne Disease Outbreak Response. These guidelines assist local, state and federal agencies in preventing and managing foodborne disease outbreaks through planning, detection, investigation, control and prevention. "Improving food safety is at the forefront of President Obama's agenda, and these Guidelines will help local, state and federal agencies to prioritize prevention, strengthen surveillance and enforcement, and improve response and recovery," said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. "Last week the Obama Administration took an important step forward by introducing tougher standards to reduce salmonella contamination and E. coli outbreaks, and the Guidelines announced today will help government agencies further that goal." <more> July 15, 2009 USDA Press Release   
   

• Applications for Poultry Science Education Funding Available - – Applications for the Poultry Science Education Fund of the U.S. Poultry & Egg Harold E. Ford Foundation are now available.  The fund supports student recruitment at colleges and universities with poultry science programs that do not have full departments with poultry science degrees.  Any institution of higher education in the United States that offers an identifiable poultry science program is eligible for a recruitment grant of up to $7,000. A committee of poultry science department professionals will evaluate funding requests and make recommendations to the board of directors of the Ford Foundation.  Institutions may apply for a grant by completing the form and submitting nine copies to the U.S. Poultry & Egg Harold E. Ford Foundation by August 1.  The form is available at http://www.poultryegginstitute.org/studentoutreach/docs/psfund.pdf.  Established in 1994, the Ford Foundation funds recruitment and retention efforts at colleges and universities that have full poultry science departments and offer degrees in poultry science.  The Poultry Science Education Fund was added to assist institutions with poultry studies, but without separate departments.  July 15, 2009 USPEA Press Release
   

• Ag snagged in budget bill crossfire  - - Merced County beekeeper Gene Brandi says he had enough problems before getting ensnared in the nasty war of words between Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and the Legislature over California's failure to cure its staggering budget deficit. His Gene Brandi Apiaries in Los Banos, which once produced 400 drums of honey a year, has turned out just 20 drums so far this year as a searing drought has deprived wildland plants of the nectar that bees turn into honey. And Brandi says he is facing competition from food-processing companies that market sugar-added honey products as the real thing. "We've got people who take advantage of the good name of honey to try to sell their product," he says. Now some agricultural producers and Democratic lawmakers say Schwarzenegger and his aides are unfairly exploiting the good names of honey, blueberries, pomegranate juice -- and cow tails -- to bash legislators for fiddling while California burns. The dust-up stirs debate over whether the budget mess should freeze out all other matters -- or whether lawmakers still have a responsibility to continue the business of legislating, no matter how mundane it can appear. <more> July 15, 2009 Sacramento Bee  
   

• Senate Ag Committee talks climate change next week - - The Senate Ag Committee will take up climate change legislation next week. Committee Chair Tom Harkin has called a hearing on the bill next Wednesday, July 22nd to discuss “The Role of Agriculture and Forestry in Global Warming Legislation.” The group is scheduled to hear from Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson, White House Director of Science and Technology Dr. John Holdren, American Farm Bureau President Bob Stallman, National Farmers Union President Roger Johnson and Maine tree farmer Jo Pierce representing the Forest Climate Working Group. July 15, 2009 Brownfield Ag News

Friday, July 10, 2009

• CPF summer meeting kicks off Monday - - The California Poultry Federation's summer meeting will kick off Monday, July 13 at the Cliffs Resort in Shell Beach with a golf tournament, followed by a reception and dinner at the Avila Beach home of Kathy and Richard Zacky. On Tuesday, the CPF board of directors will meet. Their session will include reports from their Sacramento legislative advocate Michael Boccadoro of The Dolphin Group; CDFA veterinarian Dr. Richard Breitmeyer and USDA veterinarian Dr. Kevin Varner. The board will also hear updates on air and water regulations from David Duke, Foster Farms, and the status of the CPF's ongoing animal welfare initiative. Several sponsors have signed up to lend their financial support to the CPF’s summer meeting set for July 13-14 in Shell Beach. Sponsors to date are Alltech; Alpharma; ASC / Agrecom Inc.; Aviagen Inc.; Aviagen Turkeys; Baker Commodities, Inc.; BJK Flexible Packaging; Central Coast Fryer Farms ;Cobb-Vantress; Cryovac/Sealed Air Corporation; Cumberland; CVP Systems; Darling International; Elanco Animal Health; Evonik Degussa Corporation; Foster Farms; Haley Farms, Inc.; Hubbard LLC; Huvepharma; International Paper; Intervet/Schering-Plough; Jones-Hamilton Company;  J.S. West Milling Company; Kemin Industries; Lohmann Animal Health; Merial Select, Inc.; Meyn America, LLC; Motomco Ltd.; Novus International, Inc.; Pitman Farms; Preserve International;  Phibro Animal Health; Tipper Tie, Inc.; Veterinary Service, Inc.; Volk Enterprises; Walco International; Woodland Farms; Zacky Farms and Zinpro Corporation.
   

• USDA increases forecast for broiler production for 2009-10 - - Broiler production this year is now expected to be 35.124 billion pounds, 84 million pounds more than the forecast last month and 3.8 percent less than the 36.511 billion pounds in 2008, according to the World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimate report today from USDA’s World Agricultural Outlook Board. Next year’s expected output was also upped in today’s report with 35.640 billion pounds now expected, 99 million pounds more than the Board’s June forecast and 1.5 percent more than the 2009 broiler production. Compared with last month’s report, USDA made no changes to its forecast for broiler exports, prices, or stock levels. Total poultry and red meat production for 2009 was reduced slightly as lower beef marketings were not offset by the higher expected production of broilers. Next year’s combined meat production is forecast at 90.864 billion pounds, up 245 million pounds from the Board’s forecast last month and essentially unchanged from the slightly revised forecast of 90.845 billion pounds for 2009. July 10, 2009 NCC Newsletter
   

• DHS to publish regulation rescinding Social Security No-Match rule - - The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced Wednesday that it will be proposing a new regulation that will rescind its 2007 Social Security No-Match Rule. The rule, which has been blocked by court order and has never taken effect, established procedures that employers would have to follow if they received a Social Security administration no-match letter or notice from DHS that called into question the work eligibility information provided by an employee. In lieu of no-match letters, DHS said it will strengthen E-Verify, which also addresses data inaccuracies, but in a more timely manner. DHS also indicated that E-Verify provides a more robust tool for identifying unauthorized individuals and combating illegal employment. DHS said it will be publishing a new rule that will expand the use of E-Verify by requiring that federal contracts be awarded only to employers who use E-Verify to check employee work authorization. The current federal contract rule extended the use of E-Verify to cover federal contracts and subcontractors, including those who receive American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds. The new rule will expand use of the system even further by requiring full implementation, which will apply to federal solicitations and contract awards government-wide starting on September 8. July 10, 2009 NCC Newsletter
   

• New FSA Livestock Indemnity Program - - Eligible ranchers and livestock producers can begin applying for benefits through the Livestock Indemnity Program on July 13. This program is open to poultry contract growers. This assistance program is contained in the 2008 Farm Bill. "Farm Service Agency administers this program for livestock producers as a safety net to help them overcome the damaging financial impact of natural disasters," said David Schaad, Acting State Executive Director for USDA Farm Service Agency. The Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) provides financial assistance to producers for livestock deaths that result from natural disaster.  LIP compensates livestock owners and contract growers for livestock death losses in excess of normal mortality due to adverse weather, including losses due to hurricanes, floods, blizzards, certain diseases, wildfires, extreme heat and extreme cold. Eligible losses must have occurred on or after Jan. 1, 2008, and before Oct. 1, 2011. Note that drought is not a qualifying event. For more information on available supplemental disaster assistance programs, please visit your FSA county office or http://www.fsa.usda.gov . July 8, 2009 FSA Press Release
   

• House panel rejects Nunes protest of water diversions -- A key House committee has slapped down the latest effort by Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Visalia, to protest the diversion of Central Valley water for environmental protection. On Tuesday night, the House Appropriations Committee rejected Nunes' recurring water amendment by a 33-25 vote. If it had passed, the amendment would have blocked federal spending on decisions that divert irrigation water to protect salmon, the delta smelt and other species.  "People and communities have been replaced by a parade of extreme environmental activists and their misguided causes," Nunes said Wednesday in a statement. <more> July 10, 2009 Fresno Bee  
   

• Obama's drive for climate change bill hits delay - - As President Barack Obama encouraged world leaders meeting in Italy to intensify the fight against global warming, legislation to cut U.S. emissions of greenhouse gases suffered a delay in the Senate on Thursday.  The leading Senate committee responsible for developing the climate change legislation has delayed by at least a month its crafting of a bill, leaving less time for Congress to fulfill Obama's desire to enact a law this year. "We'll do it as soon as we get back" in September from a month-long break, Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Chairman Barbara Boxer announced. Earlier this week, Boxer, a Democrat, said her committee had planned to complete work on a bill by early August. <more> July 10, 2009 Reuters 
   

• CLASSIFIED AD: Plant Operations / General  Manager - - Zacky Farms, a fully integrated poultry processor is seeking a Plant Operations / General  Manager to oversee several processing facilities in Central California. Bachelors or Masters Degree or equivalent combination of education and experience, which includes extensive experience in raw and further processed protein production and processing.  Ten plus years in a progressively responsible leadership position in a fast-paced manufacturing environment. Requires effective leadership and coaching skills, and a proven track record of success in motivating others. Ability and willingness to promote change and drive improvement. Strong interpersonal, organizational and product management skills, ability to build relationships at all levels and foster and maintain a positive working environment. Will lead, coach and develop  supervisory and production employees. Enforce company  policies, and practices, including compliance with regulations, GMP's, quality and safety. Minimize waste and unnecessary costs, improve efficiencies. Maximize yields and throughputs. Ensure orders are filled timely and meeting quality standards. Ensure compliance with USDA and company standards. Manage relationship with USDA inspectors, auditors and quality. Qualified applicants, please send resume to Jobs@zacky.com   EEOE M/F/D/V Posted July 8, 2009
   

Thursday, July 9, 2009

• Lawmaker to drop California bill on hen cages - - A legislative attempt to make peace in the state's chicken-house wars is fizzling, meaning the dispute between California egg farmers and the Humane Society of the United States over the interpretation of Proposition 2 is unlikely to be resolved this year. This week, both sides announced their opposition to Assembly Bill 1437, which would assign the state Department of Public Health to write rules specifying what living quarters are acceptable for the state's egg-laying hens. "It appears that I have found the sour spot that both sides don't like," said Assemblyman Jared Huffman, D-San Rafael, the bill's author. Huffman's district includes large egg producers as well as an electorate that overwhelmingly supported Proposition 2. <more> July 9, 2009 Sacramento Bee
   

• Poizner rejects 23.7 percent average rate hike for workers' comp premiums - -  Workers' compensation costs are going back up in California, but not nearly as much as an influential panel controlled by the insurance industry had urged. Five years after a controversial overhaul of the state's system produced steep savings, insurers are raising workers' comp premiums in "the high single digits" on average, Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner said Wednesday. In a conference call with reporters, Poizner said he rejected a 23.7 percent average rate increase proposed in March by the Workers' Compensation Rating Bureau of California, a nonprofit governed largely by insurers. Poizner, who is elected to his post and is running for governor, said a big increase would devastate employers and isn't justified by the data. <more> July 9, 2009 Sacramento Bee   
   

• Sponsors lining up to support CPF summer meeting - - Several sponsors have signed up to lend their financial support to the CPF’s summer meeting set for July 13-14 in Shell Beach. Sponsors to date are Alltech; Alpharma; ASC / Agrecom Inc.; Aviagen Inc.; Aviagen Turkeys; Baker Commodities, Inc.; BJK Flexible Packaging; Central Coast Fryer Farms ;Cobb-Vantress; Cryovac/Sealed Air Corporation; Cumberland; CVP Systems; Darling International; Elanco Animal Health; Evonik Degussa Corporation; Foster Farms; Haley Farms, Inc.; Hubbard LLC; Huvepharma; International Paper; Intervet/Schering-Plough; Jones-Hamilton Company;  J.S. West Milling Company; Kemin Industries; Lohmann Animal Health; Merial Select, Inc.; Meyn America, LLC; Motomco Ltd.; Novus International, Inc.; Pitman Farms; Preserve International;  Phibro Animal Health; Tipper Tie, Inc.; Veterinary Service, Inc.; Volk Enterprises; Walco International; Woodland Farms; Zacky Farms and Zinpro Corporation. Sponsorship information is available from CPF President Bill Mattos at (209) 576-6355.  June 23, 2009
   

• USDA names Food Safety Deputy Under Secretary - - Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced the appointment of Jerold R. Mande, M.P.H., as Deputy Under Secretary for Food Safety at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). In this position, Mande will have responsibility for the Food Safety and Inspection Service, the USDA agency which protects public health through food safety and defense by ensuring that the nation's supply of meat, poultry and processed egg products are safe and wholesome. "Jerold Mande brings years of experience in health, nutrition and epidemiology, food safety, and public policy in both government and academia that will greatly serve USDA and the public as we continue to work to protect public health," said Vilsack. <more> July 9, 2009 USDA Press Release   
   

•  Meat and Poultry Industries Represent 6 Percent of Nation’s GDP - - The American Meat Institute released a new economic impact study in June that shows the nation's meat and poultry industry contributes roughly $832 billion, nearly 6% of total gross domestic product, to the U.S. economy, along with nearly 6.2 million jobs and $200 billion in wages and benefits.  President and CEO of AMI J. Patrick Boyle says companies and individuals in America who produce, process, distribute, and sell meat and poultry products continue to be a vital part of the U.S. economy. According to the study, conducted by John Dunham and Associates in New York City, the industry also generates sizable tax revenues: more than $81 billion in revenues to federal, state and local governments and more than $2 billion in state sales taxes. The complete study, which includes state-by-state and congressional district breakdowns, is available here. July 9, 2009 BeefMagazine.com
   

• Falling Grain Prices Cheer Livestock Industry- - A USDA estimate of a bumper crop released June 30 boosted the expected size of the nation's corn harvest to over 87 million acres. “That's a three million acre swing from earlier estimates,” says market analyst for Western Milling, Joel Karlin. “It's hard to overstate the importance of this report to the market,” he added. “It's like finding half a million bushels of corn you didn't know you had.” As a result in the week following – the price of corn traded on the futures market has headed south. “It's going to be cheaper for all end users of corn for the foreseeable future,” predicts Ka