WEST

RSS

Joe Biden's decision to nominate Tom Vilsack to run the Agriculture Department for a second time will give Biden a policy veteran who shares his passion for addressing climate change and already has relationships with critical lawmakers and farm groups.

Legislators introduced a number of other measures on Tuesday, several related to agriculture.

With a month to go before Gov. Gavin Newsom unveils his initial budget proposal for the next year, state officials have been emphasizing the fact that 85% of spending on water infrastructure in California has come from the local level.

To better understand issues and solutions involving water availability in the Western United States, USDA’s Natural Resources Convention Service (NRCS) will be hosting virtual “listening sessions” next Thursday and Friday for producers and other members of the public.

A recent pilot project showed some data gaps and offered suggestions to the Food and Drug Administration for improving traceability in the food system.

Like most dairy producers in late 2019, Ryan Klussendorf of Medford, Wis., was optimistic about 2020 dairy prices and he did not sign up for USDA’s Dairy Margin Coverage program. But after seeing the extreme volatility of this year, he’s not taking any chances for 2021 and said other producers shouldn’t either.

Environmental groups and attorneys general from 11 states are opposing EPA’s request to keep the registration of the insecticide sulfoxaflor in place until the agency can comply with Endangered Species Act requirements.

While the total damage amounts from California’s 2020 wildfire season is not yet known and several fires continue to burn, rural businesses such as farms, ranches, and others in the agricultural industry are faced with the continued threat of losing the insurance policies that protect the financial aspects of daily operations.

Assembly Ag Chair Robert Rivas of Hollister has co-authored a bill that would charge Cal/OSHA with establishing a stockpile of N95 respirators to deploy to farmworkers working under wildfire smoke.

The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service in California has appointed Wendy Rash as the new State Water Quality Specialist on the Ecological Sciences Staff and Speaker Anthony Rendon has appointed Assemblymember Eloise Reyes, D- San Bernardino, as the next Assembly Majority Leader for the 2021-22 Session.