Pam Lewison
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 …
Despite recent rains and record snowpack, California’s drought is far from over
The Department of Water Resources announced an increase in allocations from 5 percent to 30 percent of requested water. For agriculture, the increased allocations mean approximately 10 million acre feet of water for the nearly 10 million acres of irrigated farmland in the state or enough water to cover every …
Pork producers await the SCOTUS decision on Prop 12
The law, approved by California voters back in 2018, would require pork producers to give hogs in commercial settings 24-square-feet of housing space in which they would not come in contact with another pig. It also bans gestation crates and requires any pork coming into the state to follow the …
CARB’s plan to covert farms to organic practices may push food producers out of California
When hunting for fresh produce, we are taught to look for the “ideal” fruit or vegetable. Sweet corn cobs have their husks unceremoniously pulled down, apples are squeezed and scrutinized, onions are sniffed and scoured for the tightest skin, all in the name of finding the “best” version available. A …
What’s in a label? Ag should re-evaluate its belief in COOL
The global marketplace provides a vast array of food choices and helps to regulate prices by providing out of season food at nearly any time of year. “Where” food comes from can help consumers make choices about what is important to them – affordability, fair wages for farmworkers, use of …
NPPC, SCOTUS get a reprieve from Prop 12 implementation
Some good news for pork producers nationwide: implementation of Prop 12 has been delayed. On Sept. 1, the Superior Court of Sacramento approved implementation of Prop 12 after a 180-day preparation period. The 180-day period would have given producers until Feb. 28, 2023, to implement all the housing rules of …
Prop 12 has its day in court: will California being the undoing of our national economy?
In 2018, the voters of California supported Proposition 12 as an animal welfare measure that would ban the sale of pork in their state harvested from animals housed in pens smaller than 24 square feet. Prop 12 went into effect on Jan. 1, effectively forcing pork producers in the United …
Hope for WOTUS changes after Supreme Court hearing
Imagine every highway speed limit in the United States changing every few years to a government official’s determination of a “safe” speed. In some ways the interpretation of the Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule is similar. When the federal administration changes, the interpretation of the WOTUS changes to …
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 …
Despite recent rains and record snowpack, California’s drought is far from over
The Department of Water Resources announced an increase in allocations from 5 percent to 30 percent of requested water. For agriculture, the increased allocations mean approximately 10 million acre feet of water for the nearly 10 million acres of irrigated farmland in the state or enough water to cover every …
Pork producers await the SCOTUS decision on Prop 12
The law, approved by California voters back in 2018, would require pork producers to give hogs in commercial settings 24-square-feet of housing space in which they would not come in contact with another pig. It also bans gestation crates and requires any pork coming into the state to follow the …
CARB’s plan to covert farms to organic practices may push food producers out of California
When hunting for fresh produce, we are taught to look for the “ideal” fruit or vegetable. Sweet corn cobs have their husks unceremoniously pulled down, apples are squeezed and scrutinized, onions are sniffed and scoured for the tightest skin, all in the name of finding the “best” version available. A …
What’s in a label? Ag should re-evaluate its belief in COOL
The global marketplace provides a vast array of food choices and helps to regulate prices by providing out of season food at nearly any time of year. “Where” food comes from can help consumers make choices about what is important to them – affordability, fair wages for farmworkers, use of …
NPPC, SCOTUS get a reprieve from Prop 12 implementation
Some good news for pork producers nationwide: implementation of Prop 12 has been delayed. On Sept. 1, the Superior Court of Sacramento approved implementation of Prop 12 after a 180-day preparation period. The 180-day period would have given producers until Feb. 28, 2023, to implement all the housing rules of …
Prop 12 has its day in court: will California being the undoing of our national economy?
In 2018, the voters of California supported Proposition 12 as an animal welfare measure that would ban the sale of pork in their state harvested from animals housed in pens smaller than 24 square feet. Prop 12 went into effect on Jan. 1, effectively forcing pork producers in the United …
Hope for WOTUS changes after Supreme Court hearing
Imagine every highway speed limit in the United States changing every few years to a government official’s determination of a “safe” speed. In some ways the interpretation of the Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule is similar. When the federal administration changes, the interpretation of the WOTUS changes to …
