Food & Farm News
» May 20, 2009 «
House and Senate to consider new AgJOBS bills 
AgJOBS has been introduced in both the House and Senate as immigration reform measures. The new bills reflect those introduced in the past, as they provide a guest-worker program for farmworkers and a means for workers to legally cross the border to work in farm fields. The bills have the support of Farm Bureau and other agricultural organizations. Those backers hope provisions of the AgJOBS bill are incorporated into any comprehensive immigration reform legislation that's developed.
Yolo County quarantine established
Discovery of a second light brown apple moth in Davis has triggered establishment of a quarantine zone. Residents are required not to move backyard fruit or vegetables out of the area. Farmers have additional restrictions on shipping their produce if they are within a mile-and-a-half radius from the moth detection site. Farmers and ranchers in Yolo County added nearly $500 million to the county economy in 2007, the most recent year for which total numbers are available.
Sales of organic milk inch upward
Organic milk sales in California increased only two-tenths of a percent in March, according to the California Department of Food and Agriculture. Consumers purchased more than 2 and one-half million gallons of organic milk in March. Increased sales of organic low-fat milk were offset by declines in organic whole milk, reduced-fat and fat-free milk. Organic milk production continues to slowly increase each month. California leads the nation in milk production.
Farmers seek salty solutions
San Joaquin Valley farmers and researchers are working together to find solutions to using salty irrigation water on plants. Growers donated land on which experiments are being performed. Researchers are halfway through a two-year study using various techniques to keep plants healthy using brackish water. Adding calcium and acid to some water shows promise. Farmers are being forced to use brackish well water because canal water has been greatly reduced by drought and regulations.
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