Separate path for farm labor in Senate immigration plan
By Charles Abbott
WASHINGTON |
(Reuters) - Agricultural laborers would be on a separate path to U.S. citizenship than other undocumented workers in the immigration reforms proposed by eight senators on Monday that cited the importance of feeding America.
Many of the 1.5 million farm workers employed in the United States annually - perhaps 500,000 to 900,000 in all - are believed to be in the country illegally.
Farmers, ranchers and nursery operators say the immigrant workforce is vital because it is difficult to recruit Americans for the low-paying, often back-breaking labor such as fruit picking, vegetable harvesting and daily care of livestock.
In a four-page outline, the senators say "agricultural workers who commit to the long-term stability of our nation's agricultural industries will be treated differently than the rest of the undocumented population because of the role they play in ensuring that Americans have safe and secure agricultural products to sell and consume."
"These individuals will earn a path to citizenship through a different process under our new agricultural worker program," said the bipartisan group, which includes two of the top-ranking Democrats in the Senate and Arizona Republican John McCain.
SENATORS "STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION"
The phrasing was similar to a proposal from a dozen agricultural and nursery groups, working as the Agricultural Workforce Coalition, for a new farm labor program to replace the guest worker program now in place.
Coalition members regard Sens Dianne Feinstein, California Democrat, and Marco Rubio, Florida Republican, as key legislators in the drive.
"We view this as a step in the right direction," said Kristi Boswell of the American Farm Bureau Federation, a coalition member. Ken Barbic of Western Growers Association, another coalition member, said his group was "largely encouraged" by the senators' proposal and that it mentioned agriculture twice.
Craig Regelbrugge of the American Landscape and Nursery Association said "it is essential that experienced farm workers are incentivized to continue working in the sector."
Besides the separate path for agriculture labor, the framework said reform would include "a workable program to meet the needs of America's agricultural industry, including dairy, to find agricultural workers when American workers are not available."
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/29/us-usa-immigration-agriculture-idUSBRE90S00B20130129
Academic Idea for CA: Dry Farming—Kill Most of Farms and Jobs—Raise Cost of Food
by on 09/23/2012
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Over the years government has held back water needed for farming, changed the rules on pesticides needed to provide quality farm goods. Government has raised the cost of gas and diesel, as well as taxes. Farmers are selling their land for development and solar “farms”. Growing food is not a good business in California. Now we are about to close down farming by “voluntarily” creating “DRY FARMING”.
Wow, now they will “voluntarily” demand farmers dry farm—a sure way to raise the cost of food for the poor and middle class. Some people get too smart—smart enough to hurt families.
“The Oxnard resident, who holds a master’s degree in public policy from the University of Chicago, wondered if there was a better way. She began to research agricultural water use and stumbled upon the concept of dry farming — which uses only precipitation to grow crops.
“I found out that even here, amidst all these irrigated farms, there are a few people dry farming, growing wheat, olives, even apricots, with limited water,” she said.
Ramirez, whose friends aptly call her “Flo,” is now turning her anger at water waste into action. She’s writing a book aimed at consumers on how to “Eat Less Water,” a trademark phrase she uses to explain the concept of conserving the natural resource through farming practices and grocery-buying habits.
And they want to change what we as consumers can buy.
Descendent of farm workers wants to “Eat Less Water”
By Hannah Guzik, California Health Report, 9/13/12
Nearly every afternoon this summer, Florencia Ramirez drove past the strawberries and lima beans growing in the Oxnard plain, and each time she grew angry about what she saw.
As the plants gulped in the Southern California sun, high-powered sprinklers ricocheted over the fields, spraying water into the air during the heat of the day, when evaporation was at its peak.
In an area plagued with water shortages and droughts, some of the largest agricultural producers in the nation seemed to be using water with abandon, Ramirez observed.
“I couldn’t believe it,” she said. “We live in what is technically a desert and I pass thousands of acres of farmland everyday that are wasting a tremendous amount of water.”
The Oxnard resident, who holds a master’s degree in public policy from the University of Chicago, wondered if there was a better way. She began to research agricultural water use and stumbled upon the concept of dry farming — which uses only precipitation to grow crops.
“I found out that even here, amidst all these irrigated farms, there are a few people dry farming, growing wheat, olives, even apricots, with limited water,” she said.
Ramirez, whose friends aptly call her “Flo,” is now turning her anger at water waste into action. She’s writing a book aimed at consumers on how to “Eat Less Water,” a trademark phrase she uses to explain the concept of conserving the natural resource through farming practices and grocery-buying habits.
Dry farming doesn’t work in all locations or for all crops, but it can work successfully even in relatively dry climates, such as Southern California’s, she said. And many of the principles of dry farming, such as paying close attention to the weather and soil composition, can be applied to conventional farming to help save hundreds of thousands of gallons of water a year, Ramirez said. Those plants that require more water, such as lettuce or many vegetables, can be drip irrigated, instead of watered with sprinklers or by flooding a field.
Ramirez says water experts predict that by 2025, two-thirds of the world will be experiencing water scarcity.
“We live in this illusion that we have enough water, but most places, like right here in Oxnard, are experiencing water deficits, which means we are using more than is naturally replenished each year,” she said. “It’s not sustainable.”
The average American household uses 100 to 150 gallons of water daily, a huge amount compared to the four or five gallons an African family uses each day, Ramirez said. “But what we use on a daily basis really is a drop in the bucket compared to industrial use and the virtual water footprint of what we eat, drive and wear, which is 1,100 to 1,300 gallons per day,” she said.
Seven out of every 10 gallons of fresh water on the planet are used to grow food, “so if we’re going to have a true conversation about water usage, we have to talk about what we eat,” Ramirez said.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s organic certification doesn’t include any stipulations on water usage, something Ramirez would like to see changed.
Dry farmer John DeRosier grows primarily wheat, spelt, corn and a number of other grains on five parcels in Paso Robles. He said the key is creating rich soil by rotating crops and conserving moisture.
“That’s absolutely paramount to the whole flow of the operation,” he said. “Although it’s called dry farming, it’s ultimately water management. Instead of rainwater being stored in reservoirs or piped down from the delta, it’s all stored in the subsoil.”
Although dry farming sometimes results in smaller yields than conventional farming, DeRosier said his crops, particularly his tomatoes and watermelons, are much tastier because the sugars are concentrated and they’re not waterlogged.
About 80 percent of the state’s developed water supply goes to agriculture, said Katy Mamen, program director for Ag Innovations Network, a nonprofit that remains neutral on water usage but holds forums for farmers to dialogue on the issue.
Although oftentimes curbing water runoff from farms can help conserve water and prevent pesticides from traveling, it can also have negative effects, altering nearby ecosystems, and resulting in less water seeping into the deep soil to recharging the ground water, she said.
“It’s complicated and real solutions have to be tailored to each individual farm,” Mamen said. “When we talk about water stewardship, there’s not a one-size fits all approach.”
Ramirez says her goal is to get consumers to push for water conservation by buying from dry farmers and growers at farmer’s markets to cut down on water usage. From her kitchen in Oxnard’s historic district, Ramirez serves meals made with ingredients grown on dry farms, and she’s teaching other local residents to do the same. She holds regular cooking classes and has a blog, eatlesswater.com.
At a recent pizza making class, she told the dozen women gathered that 321 gallons of water are used to produce the ingredients in a typical Margherita pizza. That’s 40 gallons a slice.
Adding toppings increases the water footprint even more, so Ramirez recommends adding in-season organic vegetables and other foods produced with limited amounts of water. She also encourages consumers to buy grains grown on dry farms and buy organic food, which doesn’t leach pesticides into groundwater,
Ventura resident Sheri Ward learned how to bake bread using dry-farmed wheat and olive oil in Ramirez’s class this year.
“It really made me think about how much water we actually use and how much we take it for granted,” Ward said. “So often it’s just automatic when we go to the grocery store, so it’s nice to interrupt that pattern and think about ways we can make a change for the better.”
Ward now uses Ramirez’s tips to make bread with her two daughters in her own kitchen, she said.
Throughout 2012, Ramirez is visiting dry farms across the country and writing about her experiences in her book, which she expects to be published in the coming year. The granddaughter of farm workers, Ramirez says she feels that caring about land and water use is in her blood.
“I want to be a part of rewriting what our current story is when it comes to water on the planet,” Ramirez said. “I want to do it for my kids, who are going to inherit this world.”
Farm crop insurance
I was listening to an NPR show this morning called Planet Money and the journalists on this show had dug down into the policy of farm insurance, you can hear the short (16 min) interview here. They really got the heart of the matter and I gleaned much from this program.
For starters, the farmers interviewed on this program say the reason there is a drought right now is simple, it didn’t rain, but most admit they could go a year or two without real financial damage if the weather conditions weren’t good. You see, they have huge equity in their land and they also have a government program built to help them whether they win or lose. That program, one of many in farm bills, is crop insurance and if the Farm Bill of 2012 is allowed to pass without subsequent cutting to it they will have even more help from you- the taxpayer.
The crop insurance they now have has premiums covered by the taxpayer dollar, to the tune of $7 billion dollars annually, and the new Farm Bill wants to expand that even further covering more land that wasn’t covered in past programs, thereby picking winners and losers once again. 84% of acres are already covered by crop insurance and the government wants to extend this to almost all land farmed.
Most farmers have crop insurance and why wouldn’t they, it‘s a no brainer, if you can get the government ( i.e. YOU ) to pay for it why not? Some even admit they aren’t going to turn it down. Does this make the farmer the bad guy, ? No they are just working with a system that is meant to be complex to create an atmosphere of fear amongst consumers and farmers. The more complex the system the harder to understand, thereby making it harder to get rid of…wow sounds like GOVERNMENT!
Even economist Daniel Sumner agrees that politics in important states such as Iowa are involved because they are important to politicians. He also says no one knows how these programs work and the complexity of them seems to be by design.
So you tell me, do you want government involved with farming to the extent that they are “building” our food source and delivery system? Not me, and I want them to stop offering to pay for winner and losers with my tax dollar! Keep in mind, the new Farm Bill 2012 is $969 BILLION U.S. tax dollars, Your money!
Farm Bill passes in Senate, heads to House
Listen Now
Kathy Lohr/NPR
Georgia farmer Donald Chase says the Senate's proposed farm bill favors farmers in the Midwest and leaves Southern farmers without a safety net.
Every five years, the legislative houses re-examine just what kind of food policy our nation will support. The legislation, known as the Farm Bill, involves half a trillion dollars and was approved yesterday in the Senate.
According to the United States Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, this year's bill "ends direct payments, streamlines and consolidates programs, and reduces the deficit by $23 billion. It also strengthens top priorities that help farmers, ranchers, and small business owners continue to grow our economy."
Daniel Sumner of the UC Agricultural Issues Center at UC Davis joins the show to discuss the contents of the bill and how it will affect farmers here in California.
Guest:
Daniel Sumner is the director of the UC Agricultural Issues Center at UC Davis.
Farm Bill talking points:
1. $969 Billion
dollars as it sits out of the Senate
2. 80 % or more of the bill is social welfare, SNAP (Food stamps and other “nutrition” programs)
3. 6-7% farm subsidies
4. Conservative programs still exist which are paying farmers to not farm certain amount of acreage.
5.They just keep spending.
Apparently unfazed by the spending-driven crisis in Europe and our $16 trillion debt here at home, the U.S. Senate is actually voted YES to spend a trillion dollars over the next ten years on the so-called Farm Bill.
In 2008, the country spent $51 billion on these programs and by 2011 it had almost doubled to $98 billion. Somehow the bill’s lead sponsor (Senator Stabenow from Michigan) has the audacity to claim $23 billion in deficit reduction over ten years. As AFP Policy Analyst Christine Harbin wrote, “Lawmakers are now patting themselves on the back for locking in those huge increases and then cutting a little bit around the edges.”
The bill also claims to end direct payments to crop producers but it puts in a whole new program called “shallow loss” where Congress guarantees big agribusinesses’ revenues will never fall below 90% of their average revenues over the last five years. If a crop has a bad year or if prices fall, Uncle Sam is there to make up the difference. It’s a guaranteed minimum income and it’s just as bad as direct payments.
(Thanks to AFP for facts put together on this bill)
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 7, 2012
Fact Sheet: President Obama Leading Administration-wide Drought Response
As communities across the country struggle with the impacts of one of the worst droughts in decades, President Obama is committed to ensuring that his Administration is doing everything it can help the farmers, ranchers, small businesses, and communities being impacted.
To respond to immediate needs, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and other federal agencies are using their existing authorities wherever possible to address the hardships arising from the lack of water, feed, and forage. Within the last month, USDA has opened the Conservation Reserve Program to emergency haying and grazing, has lowered the borrower interest rate for emergency loans, and has called on crop insurance companies to provide more flexibility to farmers. The Department of the Interior has provided additional grazing flexibility on federal lands and the Small Business Administration is working to help with access to investment capital and credit in affected communities.
On Tuesday, August 7, 2012, President Obama convened his White House Rural Council for one of a continuing series of policy meetings to review Executive Branch response actions and to develop additional policy initiatives to assist drought-stricken Americans. Following the meeting, the White House announced several new measures the Administration is implementing to help those impacted by the drought, including providing additional assistance for livestock and crop producers, increasing the capacity for lending to small businesses, and waiving certain requirements on trucks helping to provide relief. President Obama also stressed the need for the entire Administration to continue to look at further steps it can take to ease the pain of this historic drought.
As the drought continues, the Administration will actively implement its longer-term strategy for assessing and managing the effects of the crisis. In addition to impacts on farming and ranching operations, a long-term, widespread drought will also have implications for wildfires, water availability, navigation, and power generation across much of the country and across other sectors. As we move forward, the Administration will work closely with state and local governments, farming and ranching communities and others to ensure an effective and efficient response and recovery.
Finally, while the Administration is exploring every possible avenue to provide relief from the impacts of the drought, Congress still needs to act to ensure that the needed disaster assistance is available to these communities. The best way to do that is by passing a comprehensive, multi-year farm bill that not only provides much-needed disaster assistance but gives farmers and ranchers the certainty they deserve while enacting critical reforms.
https://www.box.com/s/4a1d5d909ed1edec4b19
The rest of this press release can be found at the above link.
National Farm Policy and how it effects the election:
https://www.box.com/s/688038720ad99a68a8fa