Click here for video story

Story by Joel Kotkin

The great Central Valley of California has never been an easy place. Dry and almost uninhabitable by nature, the state's engineering marvels brought water down from the north and the high Sierra, turning semi-desert into some of the richest farmland in the world.

Yet today, amid drought conditions, large parcels of the valley--particularly on its west side--are returning to desert; and in the process, an entire economy based on large-scale, high-tech agriculture is being brought to its knees. You can see this reality in the increasingly impoverished rural towns scattered along this region, places like Mendota and Avenal, Coalinga and Lost Hills.

In some towns, unemployment is now running close to 40%. Overall, the water-related farming cutbacks could affect up to 300,000 acres and could cost up to 80,000 jobs. CONTINUED »

Jim Diedrich (L) and his son Todd stand on some of their farmland which will not be planted this season due to lack of water, in Firebaugh, California.

"Now we know how the Indians felt," sighs Jim Diedrich, a farmer who says he feels betrayed by government as California's Central Valley reels from a serious drought.

Mr Diedrich, whose family has farmed in the western US state since 1882, bitterly surveyed their 260-hectare stretch of land.

What would usually be a tomato field has now been reduced to a dusty expanse dotted with weeds.

"We've got zero water this year," explained Mr Diedrich, 66, who has spent 50 years working the land.

Like many other farmers in California, he had to leave idle most of his land in Firebaugh, 230 kilometres south-east of San Francisco. Gone are the 50,000 tons of tomatoes he would have sold for $US4 million ($6.1 million).

The Central Valley, a vast expanse the size of Bulgaria, began as a semi-desert. CONTINUED »

Written by M. David Stirling

A federal court, to preserve an "endangered" fish called the Delta smelt, has ordered the shut-off of water passing through the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta to millions of people who rely on it for drinking, household, and business purposes, and for irrigating thousands of acres of prime farmland. This ruling looms large for the people of California and the entire country. For the past 36 years, hardcore "greens" have used the heavy hand of the 1973 federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) to elevate plant and wildlife species above the economic, social, and even physical needs and endeavors of people. Circumstances now emerging, especially this court ruling (and also including the greens' increased clout in Congress and the White House) may abruptly heighten public recognition of the biased, powerful ESA's heavy impact on the human species.

The ESA has been called "the most important environmental law in history," a view shared by virtually all environmentalist organizations and individuals who regard species preservation as the nation's highest public
policy obligation. In the first U.S. Supreme Court case testing the ESA's scope and authority (Tennessee Valley Authority v. Hill, 1978), the Court majority declared that by enacting the ESA Congress intended the preservation of listed species "whatever the cost." While it was curiously troubling for the Supreme Court to view a publicly funded program like the ESA as without cost constraints (every government program is limited by its price-tag or impact on people's lives), the lower federal courts have come to regard the ESA as a "super statute," enabling preservation of species to trump human endeavors in nearly all circumstances. Yet, despite 36-years of ESA implementation and enforcement, with more than 1350 plant and wildlife species listed for protection, millions of acres of land - much of it privately owned - set aside as species' habitat, and multi-billions of dollars spent or lost in the process, the vast majority of Americans, especially those living in urban population centers, know little, if anything, about the powerful statute. CONTINUED »

Story By GARANCE BURKE

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - Federal water managers said Friday that they plan to cut off water, at least temporarily, to thousands of California farms as a result of the deepening drought gripping the state.
U.S. Bureau of Reclamation officials said parched reservoirs and patchy rainfall this year were forcing them to completely stop surface water deliveries for at least a two-week period beginning March 1. Authorities said they haven't had to take such a drastic move for more than 15 years.

The situation could improve slightly if more rain falls over the next few weeks, and officials will know by mid-March if they can release more irrigation supplies to growers.

Farmers in the nation's No. 1 agriculture state predicted it would cause consumers to pay more for their fruits and vegetables, which would have to be grown using expensive well water.

"Water is our life - it's our jobs and it's our food," said Ryan Jacobsen, executive director of the farm bureau in Fresno County. "Without a reliable water supply, Fresno County's No. 1 employer - agriculture - is at great risk." CONTINUED »

Class 38 of the California Agricultural Leadership Program (CALP) is currently traveling throughout the Balkan states, including Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia. The 24 class members departed on Feb. 15 for a 15-day international seminar.

During this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, global issues and dynamics will be explored first hand and will include politics, economics, trade, commerce, education, religion and cultural issues. Among the many educational activities during the trip, class members will meet with religious leaders, farmers and bankers; visit a UNICEF-sponsored orphanage, a high school and small villages; tour food and agricultural operations; visit the Tunnel of Freedom and participate in a briefing at the U.S. Embassy in Sarajevo; and learn about the Croatian Extension Service and regional politics and history.

Since 1990, CALP classes have visited more than 50 countries in five continents. CONTINUED »

For several years Bob Hammond pondered what might be done with the wind machine standing in his orange orchard. Power to the motor had been disconnected and the prop spun freely in the wind which regularly swept across his trees near the Santa Clara Riverbed. The machine, installed in the 1950s, really wasn’t needed in the micro-climate surrounding Bob’s orchard and had not been used in nearly 10 years.

Last July Bob read an article in Central Coast Farm Bureau Magazine about wind turbines. He thought his wind machine might be converted to a wind generator like the article mentioned. So he contacted Bob Hayes with Prevailing Wind Power in Redondo Beach. Bob researched weather conditions, concluded his wind turbine would work, and checked-out county permits and costs. He was shocked to learn that costs and fees amounted to more than $10,000 and was therefore not feasible. CONTINUED »

Lloyd Carter made his comments during a public debate about water.

Activists agree, while the comments made by Carter are unfortunate, the controversy has brought the original debate once again to the forefront.

And that is, how to bring water here to the valley, while protecting the environment.

Valley U. S. Representatives are pleading with state and federal leaders to turn on the delta pumps, and deliver much needed water to the valley's parched crops.

A Federal judge ordered the pumps be turned off in 2007, the result of a lawsuit to save a fish species, the delta smelt. CONTINUED »

Click here for story

Ventura County (January 20, 2008) The board of directors of the 31st District Agricultural Association, better known as the Ventura County Fairgrounds, has elected former Ventura County District Attorney Michael D. Bradbury to the office of president of the Board of Directors. The board also elected director Janis Berk, to the office of Vice-President.

The Ventura County Fairgrounds is owned by the State of California and administered by the 31st District Agricultural Association under the direction of the Division of Fairs and Expositions, Department of Food and Agriculture. A nine member Board of Directors, appointed by the Governor, oversees the Association. The 31st DAA is a self-supporting entity, receiving no tax dollars.

The 2009 Ventura County Fair, “Where it’s a Wonderful Life” will be from Wednesday, August 5 through Sunday, August 16. More information can be found at www.venturacountyfair.org or by calling (805) 648-3376.

Ventura County Sheriff's Department

Healthy Family Farms - 6780 Wheeler Canyon Road, Santa Paula, CA

Date & Time: December 18, 2008 / 1:00 pm Unit(s) Responsible: Sheriff’s Agricultural Crimes Unit / California Department of Food and Agriculture Milk and Dairy Food Safety Branch

(A)rrestees Address Age
Sharon Ann Palmer Santa Paula, CA 48

During the first week of December 2008, the Sheriff’s Department’s Agricultural Crimes Unit identified a subject suspected of operating an unlicensed milk processing plant. After further investigation, it was confirmed that the processing plant was operating while unlicensed, and using potentially unpasteurized milk to produce various milk products, including goat cheese and yogurt. The milk products produced at the plant were being packaged under the “Healthy Family Farms” label and sold to the public at various farmer’s markets in Ventura, Santa Barbara, and Los Angeles Counties.

On 12-18-2008, a detective from the Agricultural Crimes Unit and investigators from the California Department of Food and Agriculture Milk and Dairy Food Safety Branch, Ventura County Environmental Health Department, Ventura County Weights and Measures, and Ventura County Code Enforcement took part in an undercover operation focused on purchasing illegally produced, and potentially unsafe goat cheese being produced at the location and being sold at farmer’s markets.

Unpasteurized milk is raw milk that has not been heated enough to kill harmful bacteria including Listeria, Salmonella, E. Coli, Staphylococcus, and M. bovis (causes tuberculosis). Persons who become ill could suffer a miscarriage, illness to unborn babies, diarrhea, fever, stomach cramps, swollen neck glands, and blood stream infection.

Various containers of goat cheese and yogurt suspected of being produced using unpasteurized milk were purchased from the processing plant and a local farmer’s market during the operation. The food product containers purchased during the operation were seized by investigators from the California Department of Food and Agriculture and Ventura County Environmental Health Department, and submitted to the state laboratory for testing.

Sharon Palmer was arrested and charged with Food and Agricultural Code Sections 35283(a) – Processing Milk or Milk Products without Pasteurization, 35283(b) – and Processing for Resale Milk or Milk Products without a License. Palmer was booked into the Ventura County Pre-Trial Detention Facility. A background check of Palmer’s criminal history revealed a prior felony conviction for fraud.

Sunday November 9th will see the gathering of the members of the Santa Paula Society of the Arts at the R/R depot - corner of Santa Barbara and 10th St., Santa Paula.
President Judy Dressler will open the meeting at 2 p.m. with news of our sharing the building next to the Santa Paula Coffee Company for the Holiday season while the renovation of the depot is under way.
The meeting will be turned over to Vice President George Appel to introduce the demonstration artist for the day, Don Fay of Santa Barbara, who always presents a very interesting program.
Visitors and guests are always welcome and light refreshemnts will be served.

Fillmore's Planning Commission held a meeting September 17, 2008, at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall. Community Development Director Kevin McSweeney updated the Commission on various projects throughout the city.

The Commission approved changes to the plans for the upcoming Longs Drugstore, which will be located in a shopping center to be built on the corner of C Street and Highway 126. Longs will have two drive-thru windows. The inner drive-thru will access a bank-style window in the side of the building and can be used for pharmacy consults as well as prescription pick-ups. The outer drive-thru will access a pneumatic tube that customers can use to drop off prescriptions. Allowing two drive-thru windows, instead of one, will significantly reduce the number of cars waiting in line. The Commission approved a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) for Longs to sell alcohol, and adjusted a previously poorly-described lot line so that the store would sit on its own parcel.
The Commission discussed a Right-to-Farm Ordinance, which would protect agricultural businesses from nuisance suits by their neighbors. The Ordinance was modeled after a Ventura County law that applies to neighborhoods on County land. The Ordinance would require that in agricultural areas realtors notify potential purchasers and users of land about potential nuisances resulting from area agriculture. Nuisances could include dust, noise, insects, smells, and chemical exposure. The County Agricultural Commissioner would mediate nuisance disputes between farmers and nearby residents. As City Attorney Ted Schneider wrote in the relevant memo, "right-to-farm ordinances mainly serve to inform and educate residents about the local value of agriculture." The Commission recommended that the City Council approve the Ordinance at the next Council meeting.

McSweeney notified the Commission that the pool and skate-park are on schedule. The Groves wants to change its zoning so that it can harbor a fast-food place instead of a restaurant. Many retail and residential projects are moving forward.

Ventura County is no stranger to wind machines. The 30 to 40 foot structures resembling windmills have been part of our farming landscape for many decades. They were designed and installed, primarily to prevent crops from freezing, warming the air during cold snaps in wintertime. Bob Hammond, retired educator, Anglican minister and third generation owner of Hammond Family Ranch, inherited one of these ancient structures along with his nine-acre citrus ranch located on Chambersburg Road in Bardsdale.

Early last July, Hammond read an article in Central Coast Farm Bureau Magazine concerning wind turbines. Specifically designed to harness energy from wind, they are similarly structured with towers and propellers, resembling wind machines. He began thinking about utilizing his existing tower and converting his wind machine into a productive, clean energy maker, to help power his farming operation, cut ever rising costs, and help preserve the environment all at the same time. After contacting Prevailing Wind Power Inc., a Redondo Beach firm, specializing in state-of-the-art, turnkey, turbine solutions, Bob Hayes, a representative of the company visited him. Hayes explained that wind power is the fastest growing energy sector, and how wind turbines help to reduce costs and traditional energy usage from gas and electric driven generators, recharging stations for battery-powered farm equipment, and in rural locations, homes, barns and out buildings. Both men toured the property and Hayes determined that the prevailing winds were sufficient to power his company’s smaller model. That model is 12 feet in diameter and sits atop a 40-foot tower, generates 500-700 kilowatt-hours per month and carries a price tag of $14,500. Hammond was convinced, especially after Hayes informed him of the State’s substantial rebate of $4,200.

The next phase should have been easy. Hayes phoned the Ventura County Planning Department for information on the permitting process and fees for wind turbine installation. He was advised by the planning office, that wind turbines require a Conditional Use Permit (CUP), carrying a fee of $1500. He personally visited the Planning Department, and was shocked to find that Ventura County not only required Planning fees, but Administrative, Environmental, Public Works and Building and Safety fees as well, initially totaling $5,651. However, that was not all. He was also informed that the Planning and Public Works fees were merely deposits, and upon completion of the project, the final, total fees could be closer to $10,000, with no certainty that approval would be granted. Before he left, he learned the process could take months or even years. This is a far cry from Hayes’ claim that State guidelines, practiced in other California counties such as San Diego County, require a permit fee of $42 for wind turbines, installed on any parcel, one acre or more, and are issued over the counter. (Still other counties charge several hundred dollars for CUP fees and may take several weeks for application.) Hayes also says, “State law says that a non-urban lot of an acre or more is allowed to put up a small wind turbine, but Ventura County zoning does not abide by that law.” CONTINUED »

“Art About Agriculture” is an agricultural art exhibit which will be held September 6th through November 16th at the City of Santa Paula’s California Oil Museum, 1001 E. Main Street in historic downtown Santa Paula. The purpose of the exhibit is to promote Art About Agriculture by exploring all the facets of agriculture from workers to water, from machinery to soil and to the food that goes on our plates.

The public is cordially invited to the opening reception on Saturday, September 6 from 4 to 7 p.m. with music and refreshments for your enjoyment. All work in the exhibit will be for sale.

Art About Agriculture features art by 35 artists working in both two and three-dimensional media who create art that in some way draws its inspiration from our agricultural heritage and/or contemporary agriculture. That inspiration includes, but is not limited to, depictions of rural landscape, farm animals, farm products, rural life, and art that in a more abstract way deals with issues and ideas related to agriculture.

In addition to the first, second and third prizes there will be the prestigious Limoneira Purchase Award of $1,000.

The Ag Art Alliance was formed in 2007 by Gail Pidduck and John Nichols. Jennifer Heighton joined them recently. For more information on the exhibit and future activities visit www.agartalliance.com.

WHAT: Ag Art Alliance 2nd Annual Exhibit “Art About Agriculture”
WHERE: California Oil Museum, 1001 E. Main St. Santa Paula, CA
OPENING RECEPTION: Saturday, September 6th from 4 to 7 PM
EXHIBIT DATES: September 6 - November 16, 2008

Adventures in Agriculture is coming to the Ventura County Fairgrounds! The free event will be an educational and fun agricultural festival Saturday, May 31; 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Antique Farm Equipment, Limoneira’s Giant Hot Air Balloon, Farmer’s Market, Children’s Activities, Entertainment, and more are on tap with a goal of educating visitors about the productive fields and agricultural assets here in our own back yard.

The Great American Children’s Dell has more fun than you can shake a stick at! Pony Rides, Kid’s Tractor Pull, The Great American Petting Zoo, Farmyard Follies (Ed-Utainment Animal Show) and Gascar Crazy Animal Races. (Watch a race between a goat a pig a duck and a sheep!) Ventura County Fair’s Uncle Leo will be on hand to show the kids how to milk a cow! The youth group “Alma de Mexico” will perform traditional Mexican Dance in the authentic costumes of Mexico’s many states.

Fine Art and Music are important features of Adventures in Agriculture. Gail Pidduck and John Nichols, acclaimed artists whose work has become well associated with agriculture in Ventura County, will show their artwork in a gallery setting. Ventura County’s favorite songsters “The Tune Bandits” and “The Iron Mountain Boys” will provide musical entertainment

Professional Bull Riding (America’s original extreme sport) will round out the day in the Grandstand arena. The show starts at 2pm and tickets for this special PBR sanctioned attraction are only $15. Tickets are on sale at the Fairgrounds Box Office.

Wyndham Hotels, Toyota and many other generous sponsors make Adventures in Agriculture possible. Stop by the Wyndham booth and ask how you can get a free hot dog and soft drink!

“Agriculture is Ventura County’s most valuable resource. We are happy that we can bring it to the community so that everyone can see the processes, and learn the values and opportunities it brings to us all,” said Barbara Quaid, CEO of the Ventura County Fairgrounds. “We have mixed in some fun and we hope that our neighbors and friends will enjoy what we have to offer.”

For more information please call 648-3376 or visit www.venturacountyfair.org.