Pam Lewison
Colorado River ‘plan’ staves off federal interference, keeps water coming
The Colorado River supplies 4.4-million-acre feet of water to California every year with about 80 percent of that allocation being delivered to farms in the Imperial Valley. (An acre-foot is enough water to cover one acre of land with one foot of water or 326,000 gallons.) Earlier this week, California, …
Celebrate National Beef Month
The best activism is the one that allows everyone to make their own dietary choices
Considering how much beef is consumed annually in the United States, it is odd to think about the amount of vitriol aimed at cattle production. Whether it is a story about the greenhouse gas emissions of cattle, the misunderstanding of animal breeding and care, or the anthropomorphism of animal rights …
Part of WOTUS struck down in victory for private property owners
The ruling changes how “waters of the United States” can be applied by leaving wetlands that are not directly flowing into a body of water that meets the definition of “rivers, lakes, and other bodies of water that flow across or form a part of State boundaries” out of the …
Prop 12 upheld by SCOTUS: What will ruling mean for farmers and pork lovers?
There was no clear-cut verdict in the decision with the justices offering different opinions on the two-pronged argument brought by the National Pork Producers Council and the American Farm Bureau Federation. Attorneys for the NPPC and AFBF argued Prop 12 violated the “dormant commerce clause” and imposed more cost on …
Read latest on California agriculture
Meat production doesn’t have to be cruel
During a recent county fair in California, a little girl sold her show goat but, when faced with having to part with the animal, she and her mother chose to take the animal home during the night. The girl’s mother offered to repay the total amount of money collected to …
Read the latest on animal rights extremism
Animal rights activism is not about the animals
The activists claimed the chickens were suffering from neglect and in need of “rescue.” However, they did not call animal control authorities or anyone else, they simply plucked the chickens off the farm and left. Quite simply they stole the chickens. Livestock – even those raised on a farm paid …
Read blog on California's water challenges
Water, water everywhere …
California is enduring the embodiment of “it never rains but it pours.” After more than two years of drought, the state is being deluged with more water than can be collected. Long, severe droughts have four distinct stages that affect everything from soil moisture to the socioeconomic structure of society. …
Read about effort to stop new green mandate
Congress votes to stay WOTUS rules until the SCOTUS rules
The broadening and narrowing of the scope of WOTUS and the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) ability to use its authority against farmers and other private landowners based on the political leanings of the White House has been an on-going challenge. The current administration was hasty in its decision to issue …
Water fines for farmers will not keep the wells from running dry
When a profoundly important resource like water is no longer abundant, prioritizing where water goes becomes challenging. The California Assembly is considering legislation that would punish people for over-using water during droughts. The bill, however, does not differentiate between water “needs” and water “wants.” Specifically, food producers and municipalities would …
California farmers can reduce emissions and feed the world with regenerative farming
A handful of California farmers, ranging from wine growers in Sonoma to chicken raisers in San Diego, are embracing “regenerative” methods to boost the health of their flocks and crops. But many Golden State farmers are still skeptical, largely because regenerative farming is stereotypically viewed as a new-age, hippie practice, courtesy of its emphasis on reducing …
