Klamath Basin harvest brings good prices, many challenges Fertilizer and fuel expenses up 30 to 50 percent in some areas, Capital Press 12/14/08

< See a video of some of the Klamath Basin's major crops: onions, potatoes, grain, mint and mint plants, alfalfa, horseradish, strawberry plants, and pasture. The video is narrated by Harry L. Carlson, director and farm advisor at the Intermountain Research and Extension Center in Tulelake.

Agriculture

 

< Lucky Ackley. Costs spike, fields go fallow in Klamath, CFBF AgAlert, 6/22/22. " 'That (Upper Klamath) Lake did not exist other than wet years before they built the Link River Dam," he said. "It was built to store water for dry years to irrigate and farm with, and now it's totally being misused, mismanaged, and all the water is getting flushed down the river for salmon or being held in the lake at unhistoric levels for suckerfish.' He said many beef producers have had to sell their cattle at a loss because they can't feed them. If Ackley were eventually forced to sell off his herd, he said, he would lose about 80 years of genetic selection for the best cattle for this rangeland. 'You can't just go buy that back,' he said."

Farm groups troubled by court's bumblebee ruling (bumble bee is a fish), CFBF Ag Alert 6/10/22. "The move triggered full protection for the bumblebees under state law, which prohibits actions that would kill, or "take," candidate species without a permit or other authorization."

!  Oregon Governor Kate Brown's letter to Interior Secretary Haaland urging her to use drought money to permanently retire Klamath Project farmland (because the government is stealing our stored water to use for other purposes.) 4/28/22
Klamath Water Users Association response to Gov. Brown 5/4/22: "...KWUA is dismayed, however, by your letter's unexpected recommendation that funding under the Act be used to permanently retire irrigation water rights in the Klamath Project and effect a shift to dry land farming...."
!!! KID response to Governor Brown's letter to Interior Secretary Haaland, 5/4/22. "...K.I.D. is concerned with your suggestion for long-term solutions without first engaging and discussing with local representatives and governments responsible for implementing such actions. Where we specifically find issue is in the suggestion that permanently idling some of the world’s most productive farmland will be beneficial; we believe this approach is overly simplistic and short sighted as the world population continues to grow and the need for food security/stability is increasing...Unfortunately, poor policy which promotes removing water from the former wetlands has (and continues to) change weather patterns in the Klamath watershed. Before agricultural modification to the landscape, over 188,000 acres of surface area was covered by water. This area was once described as the Everglades of the West...This situation has nothing to do with drying up the Klamath River or interfering or infringing upon water rights of downstream tribes – this is simply about the release of stored water that would not otherwise be physically available but for construction of a dam across the outlet of Upper Klamath Lake"


Yakima Farm Bureau president stands against solar land rush, Capital Press 4/8/22. "...don't call hundreds of acres of panels on steel posts screwed into the ground "solar farms. We dropped that term a long time ago," he said. "We call them solar-industrial complexes...While cows and sheep can graze around windmills, solar projects as configured now blot out agricultural use and take up far more land."

"...states that are using Cloud Seeding as a way to try and Mitigate this climate Change crisis is absolutely preposterous..." Oregon Cattle Rancher's letter to KBC with links describing Cloud Seeding agendas and implementation 4/6/22.


 

Grow housesSheriff wants statewide state of emergency over illegal marijuana grows, H&N 5/23/22. "The county estimates there could be as many as 2,000 grow sites and 5,000 greenhouses just in California’s northernmost county. Those grows can use as much as 3 million gallons of water per day in region dealing with severe drought conditions..."

 

A wake-up call to our national leaders from a Western rancher, Family Farm Alliance President Patrick O'Toole, 3/17/22. "...At a time when the future of Ukraine’s ability to help feed the outside world is at risk, the world’s best producers — Western irrigators — are watching their water flushed to the sea to purportedly help fish populations. Decades of empirical evidence has failed so far to show a positive response from those targeted fish to such water shifting schemes. Meanwhile, our ability to increase food productivity is further diminished..."

How Biden's infrastructure package invests in farming, rural communities, Capital Press 11/9/21. "...$8.3 billion in water projects including irrigation modernization, improved water storage and conveyance, aquifer recharge and repairs...Klamath habitat: Some $162 million will go toward Klamath habitat restoration work by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service..." KBC NOTE: "improved water storage" ? We HAVE excellent water storage which the Bureau of Reclamation, against a court order, did not allow irrigators to use this summer. How can we recharge our aquifer, after we must pump our aquifer to farm because the Bureau stole our stored water, if the Bureau won't allow us water to recharge it? $162M to FWS for Klamath for habitat restoration? That usually means land and water rights acquisitions. What a deal.

Modoc Nation adds local resource and development director, H&N 11/11/21. "The tribes’ top priority is to revive the overgrazed ranchlands recently purchased by the tribe near Tulelake, with the goal of establishing a new branch of the Modoc Nation’s bison herd."

Bill to track foreign ownership of farmland introduced into U.S. Senate, Capital Press 11/1/21. "...foreign investors have bought more than 35 million acres of U.S. farmland worth $62 billion — about 2.7% of all privately held land nationwide..."

Clear connections between Klamath marijuana grows and Mexican cartels, H&N 10/23/21. "...Two major marijuana busts in Klamath County just this month led to the seizure of more than $120 million worth of product had it made it to the illegal market...And the watermaster has seen a 700% increase in marijuana related water theft and other water offenses. They haven’t been able to respond to half of them because they are so understaffed...According to local law enforcement, this industry is based in large part on the miserable suffering of thousands, if not tens of thousands, of people coming across the border illegally, and then being pressed into indentured servitude by cartels...”

Flood Irrigation Forever: Farmers provide crucial habitat for migratory waterfowl, recharge aquifer, Capital Press 10/22/21. "It takes a lot of water, but it also puts a lot of water back in the aquifer"..."Those acres are surrogate dwellings providing shallow-water habitat. The majority of the birds in the field are looking for aquatic invertebrates, such as fly, wasp and beetle larvae. Every time it floods, new larvae hatch as the water recedesFish and Game has spent roughly $131,000 in HIP funding on flood-irrigation projects statewide...He is also monitoring birds, identifying species and counting them, as part of his agreement with NRCS..."

BLM names state director for Oregon/Washington. Farmer and agriculture policy professional Barry Bushue named to oversee more than 16 Million acres of public land, BLM 6/8/2020. "...Bushue was the President of the Oregon Farm Bureau Federation for nearly 20 years, where he advocated on behalf of the Federation’s farming and ranching members. He also served as the Vice President of the American Farm Bureau, based in Washington, D.C."

Reclamation releases Interim Operating Procedures and 2020 Operations Plan for the Klamath Project, Bureau of Reclamation News Release 4/22/2020. "the Project supply from Upper Klamath Lake for the 2020 irrigation season is approximately 140,000 acre-feet. This volume is approximately one-third the historical irrigation demand of the Klamath Project...The 2020 Operations Plan ... provides increased water flows in the Klamath River for Endangered Species Act-listed coho, as well as Chinook salmon, and maintains Upper Klamath Lake elevations important for endangered Lost River and shortnose suckers..." KBC NOTE: Rec concludes "...Finding of No Significant Impact related to the Interim Operating Procedures..." however the plan states that "...involuntary land fallowing of productive irrigable land within the Proposed Action Alternative area would occur leading to an increased risk to local rural agricultural communities.” OUR "risk" of them putting our stored water into the ocean: No water, no farms.

KBC News Farm Bill Page (2012, 2018)

Homeland Security deems agriculture as ‘critical infrastructure’ amid COVID-19 pandemic, AgriPulse, 3/19/2020. "The Trump administration has labeled agriculture as a critical industry in the wake of the Coronavirus outbreak, allowing businesses to continue operating as usual amid current and potential restrictions created to stem the spread of the virus."

Number of small farms is growing in Oregon, Argus Observer 4/19/19. "...The amount of farmland in Oregon had dropped by about 340,000 acres over the five-year period... labor is the top cost on farm, having increased 21 percent since 2012..."

PRESS RELEASE: Reclamation releases 2018 Klamath Project operations and drought plans, Bureau of Reclamation 6/22/18

5/12/18 - USDA FSA and NRCS / The Farm Service Agency offices in Klamath, Modoc and Siskiyou counties are planning an informational meeting on Tuesday May 15. The meeting will begin at 10 a.m. at the Merrill Civic Center 365 Front Street, Merrill Oregon. Topics include reporting requirements needed to maintain eligibility for USDA programs, an overview of prevented planting-failed acreage reporting and available disaster programs.  Representatives from crop insurance, Natural Resource Conservation District and Risk Management have been invited to present information.  For more information contact your Farm Service Agency office.  Klamath County 541-883-6924 x 2, Modoc County Farm Service Agency 530-233-4137 x 2, Siskiyou County Farm Service Agency 530-842-6121 x 2. Modoc County Farm Agency Employees will be available after the meeting to accept acreage reports.

Modoc County Department of Agriculture Grower Checklist (for chemicals), May 2018

More water needs to be allocated for agriculture, by Brandon Criss, Siskiyou County Supervisor District 1, 12/2/14. "Eighty percent of Siskiyou County and 77 percent of the Tulelake basin voted no on dam removal. When dams are a Klamath County campaign issue, pro-dam candidates have consistently won. With the dams in place, we are seeing record runs of Klamath River salmon. Tearing out existing hydropower dams that have proven benefits for fish, Basin agriculture, and this past summer’s firefighting efforts, is no solution."

Statistics show loss and gain of Oregon farmland varies by region. The amount of land in farms in Oregon fell slightly to 16,301,578 acres in 2012, H&N, posted to KBC 12/7/14. "Klamath County reported a whopping 21 percent decrease in number of farms..."

The Nature Conservancy supports 2013 Farm Bill, posted to KBC 5/14/13: "Improve the conservation of wetlands, grasslands and private forests by maintaining funding for easements, with a special emphasis placed on permanent easements and the Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP), Grasslands Reserve Program (GRP) and Farm and Ranchland Protection Program (FRPP)..."

Feds finalize animal traceability regulations, Capital Press, posted to KBC 12/21/12. "The federal government announced that it has finalized an animal-traceability rule that will require livestock to be deemed disease-free before crossing state lines."

The Food Stamp Bill, Families Protecting the Valley Newsletter 12/10/12. "...we just wish they would change the name to something more in line with what the farm bill has become, namely, the food stamp bill. 80% of the farm bill is related to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly known as food stamps"

Commentary by Norman MacLeod, followed by USDA Chief: Rural America becoming less relevant, 12/9/12. "The Agriculture Department says about 50 percent of rural counties have lost population in the past four years and poverty rates are higher there than in metropolitan areas, despite the booming agricultural economy....rural voters accounted for just 14 percent of the turnout in last month's election, with 61 percent of them supporting Republican Mitt Romney and 37 percent backing President Barack Obama. Two-thirds of those rural voters said the government is doing too many things better left to businesses and individuals...'Why is it that we don't have a farm bill?' said Vilsack."
Check out KBC Ne
ws
Farm Bill Page.

Ranchers, farmers brace for 'death tax' impact, by , 11/16/12, Fox News

Agricultural contributions and water reallocation, Oregon Senator Doug Whitsett, Klamath Falls Dist 28, posted to KBC 10/11/12

Wage increase could cost jobs, Capital Press, posted to KBC 9/20/12.
Oregon net farm income, labor costs jumps in 2011, Capital Press, posted to KBC 9/20/12. "The cost to pay farm employees -- largely because we have so many specialty crops that require hand-harvesting -- is the single largest expense for Oregon farmers,...The average farmer in Oregon last year earned $27,000..."

Farm Bureau and state officials blast 'heavy handed' federal labor investigations, The Oregonian, posted to KBC 9/4/12. Followed by: "EXTORTION" Why did the labor department drop the hammer on Oregon farmers, The Blaze

A comprehensive valuation of agriculture; a perpetual investment in Oregon's economy and environment, Oregon Department of Agriculture, 2012, by Brent Searle, Policy Analyst/Economist. "The world population is projected to reach 9 billion in another 30-40 years, necessitating between 50-100% more food than is currently produced. Imagine – an entire additional world of food production needed from the same land (or less) than we have now! Food production capacity is a national security issue as much as anything else. The resources devoted to agriculture and food are national treasures that require preservation." (KBC NOTE: the KBRA downsizes Klamath Basin agriculture by 20-25% )

USDA announces $170M-program to "help" some livestock sellers The Westerner, posted to KBC 8/16/12. " * The government pays 417,000 farmers to not farm on 30 million acres, lessening the supply of all grains. * Government incentives result in 40% of the corn crop going into ethanol, further lessening the supply of feed grain. * These two government supply-restricting programs result in huge increases in the price of feed grains, putting livestock producers in a bind."

Agriculture touches all of our lives, Baxter Black, H&N, posted to KBC 11/26/11.

Oregon Agriculture Power Point Presentation  Thank you Brent Searle, Special Assistant to the Director, Oregon Dept. of Agriculture

2012 Farm Bill Page
Imported Food

Klamath Ethanol

Bills and laws,
go HERE

Klamath Basin crops and products, go HERE.
* Traceability for Livestock Moving Interstate, Federal Register Volume 76, Number 155, posted 8/12/11. "The proposed requirements would apply to cattle and bison, sheep and goats, swine, horses and other equines, captive cervids (e.g., deer and elk), and poultry...First, animals moved interstate would have to be officially identified...Second, animals moved interstate must be accompanied by an interstate certificate of veterinary inspection...We are also proposing some associated recordkeeping requirements. ..The estimated incremental costs of the proposed rule for cattle enterprises--between $14.5 million and $34.3 million, assuming official identification is a separately performed activity..." Comments due November 9, 2011
National Animal Identification System website,    http://libertyark.net
*** Call your senator regarding NAIS, 11/1/07
How to get information from the U.S. Department of Agriculture - website

   Latest edition of agriculture resource directory available, H&N 10/6/05
* Oregon pesticide use reporting system

The USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service estimates that in 2006, there were 2 million farms, a slight decline from 2005. Total land in farms was 932 million acres last year, declined by 780,000 acres, a drop of nearly 1 percent from 2005.

* Obama's Executive Order 13575 Rural Council - Agenda 21, YouTube, posted to KBC 1/31/12

* Establishment of the White House Rural Council, Executive Order 13575 of President Obama, posted to KBC 6/16/11.

Agriculture articles

Klamath Basin crops and products, go HERE.

2012 Farm Bill Page  

USDA Ordered to Justify Claim that it Satisfied the Injunction Awarded to R-CALF USA, Consumer Groups, Other Cattle Groups and Individual Ranchers, R-CALF 6/27/12. "It's a sad state of affairs when food producers and food consumers have to fight their own government to protect the safety of our nation's food supply, but that's exactly where we find ourselves with the Obama Administration today," concluded Bullard."

Farmers use thousands of gallons of fuel annually. What do representatives including Hillary Clinton and Nancy Pelosi, media, and our President say about the doubled cost of gas? 4:20..VIDEO

Obama seizes control over all food, farms, livestock, farm equipment, fertilizer and food production across America, Natural News 3/20/12.

California - 14 cattle trucks burned in arson at Harris Ranch, SFGate 1/11/12. (Comment sent to KBC News regarding this terrorist act: "My friend who works there) said that they are glad that no drivers were in the sleeper cabs waiting on a load. My feelings are the sheriff should hold everyone that donated to that group as accomplices and try them all together for conspiracy to arson and possible attempted murder." A comprehensive valuation of agriculture; a perpetual investment in Oregon's economy and environment, Oregon Department of Agriculture, 2012, by Brent Searle, Policy Analyst/Economist. "The world population is projected to reach 9 billion in another 30-40 years, necessitating between 50-100% more food than is currently produced. Imagine – an entire additional world of food production needed from the same land (or less) than we have now! Food production capacity is a national security issue as much as anything else. The resources devoted to agriculture and food are national treasures that require preservation." (KBC NOTE: the KBRA downsizes Klamath Basin agriculture by 20-25% )

Traceability for Livestock Moving Interstate comments due 11/9/11

Siskiyou County Ag Census Trends 1992-2007, USDA

Experts: nearly 1 billion hungry people in world, Capital Press, posted to KBC 5/7/09

Family Farm Alliance President Urges White House to Take Measures that Ensure U.S. Self-Sufficiency in Food Production, posted to KBC 5/13/10. "From 1992-1997, we converted to developed uses more than six million acres of agricultural land-an area the size of Maryland... global food production must be increased by 70% in the next four decades to meet escalating world hunger demands."

Farmer’s cut of food dollar: 11.6 cents, Delta Farm Press, posted to KBC 3/21/11

* Traceability for Livestock Moving Interstate, Federal Register Volume 76, Number 155, posted 8/12/11. "The proposed requirements would apply to cattle and bison, sheep and goats, swine, horses and other equines, captive cervids (e.g., deer and elk), and poultry...First, animals moved interstate would have to be officially identified...Second, animals moved interstate must be accompanied by an interstate certificate of veterinary inspection...We are also proposing some associated recordkeeping requirements. ..The estimated incremental costs of the proposed rule for cattle enterprises--between $14.5 million and $34.3 million, assuming official identification is a separately performed activity..." Comments due November 9, 2011

Distrust clouds EPA, Capital Press editorial, posted to KBC 3/28/11. "The EPA's Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee has recommended that the agency set tougher restrictions on airborne dust and dirt -- "coarse particulate matter" in government speak. An EPA draft memo suggested setting allowable coarse particulate matter levels as low as 65 to 85 micrograms per cubic meter -- about half the 150 micrograms per cubic meter currently allowed under the agency's air quality standards. Such a move could cause vast areas in the West -- including parts of Idaho and California -- to violate pollution standards."

Farmer’s cut of food dollar: 11.6 cents, Delta Farm Press, posted to KBC 3/21/11

Walden, Oregon farmers fight pesticide buffer by Peter Beland, Oregon Business, posted to KBC 3/10/11." 'This crop field, which now produces $21,000 in income — if the federal government’s rules as full described here — you’d be down to $1,500... buffer zones could take 40 percent to 67 percent of Oregon’s farmland out of production...' A number of conservation groups represented by Oakland-based environmental law firm EarthJustice filed a lawsuit against the Environmental Protection Agency last November...". (KBC NOTE: GEORGE SOROS helps finance Earth Justice, which provides free legal fees for "environmentalist" and ecoterrorist groups to destroy "American Capitalism." EarthJustice represents most of the environmental groups with voting power in the controversial Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement.)

(EPA) Dust talks exclude public, Capital Press 3/10/11

Fights unite ag groups, Capital Press 8/27/10

Wheat yields soar on eastside, Capital Press 8/19/10

S510: Illegal to Grow, Share, Trade, Sell Homegrown Food, posted by Toni Thayer on our discussion forum 8/12/10

Klamath County - USDA Livestock Forage Disaster Program, 6/30/10

Director Jennifer Simon: Farm Bill doesn’t fit Klamath Basin agriculture needs, H&N 5/23/10

Obama targets US public with call for climate action, Guardian News 6/16/09. "But the bill has run into strong opposition from some Democratic members of Congress, especially those from agricultural states who say that putting limits on greenhouse gas emissions will hurt farmers' economic interests. That could complicate Pelosi's plans of getting the bill passed through various committees by this Friday, 19 June, and put to a vote next week."

Biological opinion takes water from people, Capital Press editorial 6/11/09

Animal ID critics vent objections at ag meeting, Capital Press 6/9/09

Helping (Tulelake) Basin farmers try new practices, H&N 6/4/09

Bill requires all eggs sold in California to be from cage-free hens, Sac Bee 6/3/09

Back to the drawing board for NAIS, Capital Press 5/28/09. "...all but two of the 75 producers who testified opposed NAIS. These were not wild-eyed conspiracy theorists with tin foil on their heads. They included the state veterinarian, two statewide cattle organizations and other operators, large and small."

Farmers Losing Crops to Endangered Fish, FOX, posted to KBC 5/18/09

3/16: NAIS comments due on proposed amendments.

Hay growers consider water needs; Researcher discusses effects of irrigation cutoff on alfalfa, Capital Press, posted to KBC 3/13/09

EPA says farm dust requires regulation! Capital Press , posted to KBC 3/3/09.

Obama to focus on family farms, Capital Press 1/29/09

***Official Animal Identification Numbering Systems (proposed amendments), posted 1/20/09, Comments due by March 16, 2009

NAIS....The latest attempt to steal your land, posted 1/18/09

USDA issues final rule for country-of-origin label rule, Capital Press, posted 1/13/09

Amish farmer charged for not registering animals, Capital Press 12/30/08. (KBC NOTE: initially the National Animal Identification System promised to be voluntary. More articles on Agriculture Page.)

Calif.- 2008 was a wild ride for agriculture, Capital Press, posted 12/26/08

Obama selects Vilsack for ag post, Capital Press 12/16/08. "Salazar co-sponsored a bill in Congress for permanently protecting 26 million acres of national monuments, wilderness areas and wild and scenic rivers...The Colorado senator opposed drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and objected to the Bush administration's efforts to lease Western lands for oil shale development."

Bush administration makes last-minute changes in farmworker hiring, Sacramento Bee 12/11/08.

Farmers advised to buy fuel, fertilizer now, Capital Press, posted 12/10/08

Farmers target EPA report they say might tax cows, Capital Press, posted 12/10/08. "Belching and gaseous cows and hogs could start costing them money if the federal government decides to charge fees for air-polluting animals."

***Interim Rule and Request for Comments (on the NAIS), deadline November 17, 2008, Citizens for Constitutional Republic

California bans conventional egg production, Capital Press, posted to KBC 11/5/08. "Many producers have said they will consider moving their operations to other states, or even to Mexico."

Good returns for farmers, but profits have dropped, Herald and News October 6, 2008
Cutting costs comes in variety of changes,
Increasing organic production, cutting back on fuel a few ways farmers save, October 6, 2008, Herald and News
Economist: It’s a unique time in agriculture history, H&N 10/6/08
Farmers express uncertainty about the future, Most note that farmers are aging and young people seem uninterested, H&N 10/6/08

Interim Rule and Request for Comments (on the NAIS), deadline November 17, 2008, Citizens for Constitutional Republic 10/05/08

Fighting to Stop the National Animal Identification System (NAIS), Liberty Ark Coalition website., posted to KBC 10/5/08

American Farm Bureau Federation, Education efforts address misconceptions about agriculture, Capital Press, posted to KBC 9/26/08

Farm income, costs spiral across West, Capital Press, posted to KBC 9/12/08

Ranchers to be honored at Tulelake fair; Harold and Roger Porterfield focus of Appreciation Day dinner Friday night, H&N, posted 9/6/08

Local century farms or ranches, H&N 9/2/08

A farming legacy; Throughout the region, farming is a family affair, H&N 9/2/08

OSU Extension office working on succession planning, H&N 9/2/08

Trade Talks Crumble in Feud Over Farm Aid, Washington Post 7/30/08

ACTION ALERT: Mandatory Requirement for NAIS in School Lunch Program Put in House Agriculture Appropriations Bill.  CALL NOW! 6/23/08

Lawmakers from Western states protest proposed $70 million cut, H&N, 6/12/08.(Farm Bill $ for fishermen)

An Oregon staple explodes in value, Oregonian, posted 5/28/08

Rising costs lead farmers to go high tech, Capital Press 5/28/08

The New Economics of Hunger; A brutal convergence of events has hit an unprepared global market, and grain prices are sky high. The world's poor suffer most. Washington Post, posted to KBC 5/7/08. "For the 1 billion people living on less than a dollar a day, the world's worst food crisis in a generation is a matter of survival." (KBC NOTE: How will the Klamath Basin contribute to world hunger? After the World Wars, veterans came to the Klamath Basin to feed a hungry nation. The Klamath Basin Settlement Agreement demands downsizing off-Project irrigation by 30,000 acre feet of water, downsizing Project farming considerably, and taking out 4 Klamath River dams that provide power for 70,000 households annually. The Nature Conservancy and gov't agencies have taken 100,000 acres out of ag land and made swamps with most of it, decimating our cattle business and evaporating water that could water more farms or fish. States demand replacing oil with ethanol, already doubling and tripling the cost of corn and grains. The Humane Society forced the ban on killing sea lions which eat thousands of endangered salmon. Shortage of salmon has caused ban on Pacific Coast salmon fishing and cost billions of dollars in studies and restoration projects. People are starving to death. Enemies of the human race are among us.)

Commodity prices are rising, but so are costs, H&N 5/2/08

Local ag: A balancing Act, H&N 5/2/08

CEI Fights Sierra Club Demands for CO2, CEI posted to KBC 4/13/08. "If Sierra Club wins the litigation, potentially hundreds of thousands of previously unregulated small- to mid-sized farms, factories and buildings would have to go through the costly and time-consuming PSD permitting process, because the statutory threshold for regulation under PSD is 250 tons a year."

Paying Respect, Missouri Ruralist, posted 3/20/08

Farmers brace for costly season, Escalation in fuel, fertilizer and other input costs shows no signs of easing, Capital Press 3/14/08

NAIS, National Animal Identification System update 2/6/08

Klamath farmers face continuing water questions, AgAlert, CFBF posted 12/28/07

NAIS - National Animal Identification System, Farm Bill update - CALL YOUR SENATORS!! 11/1/07

Report: Wis. loses 30,000 acres of farmland per year, but diversity insulating fallout, Capital Press, posted to KBC 10/16/07. (KBC Note: will America wake up in time??)

Reality of farm subsidies: they're still needed, Carl Sampson, Capital Press, posted to KBC 10/8/07. "Blumenauer criticizes subsidies when it comes to farming, but encourages subsidies for enterprises like the Portland mass transit system, which has received more than $1.5 billion from the federal government."

National Animal ID System subject of legal action, Capital Press, posted to KBC 10/3/07

Farm group advocates for water protection; Family Farm Alliance says agriculture should not be 'shock absorber' for urban growth, posted 9/18/07. "California converted 1 million acres of farmland to urban use from 1988 to 1998"

Triple threat to ag, Development, restoration, climate issues mount, Capital Press, posted to KBC 9/17/07

Eat That! Mandatory NAIS forced on 12-yr-old children at county fair, Good Neighbor 8/29/07

How Much Water Do You Need to Grow a Hamburger? USGS August Science Picks posted 8/23/07

NAIS "Opt-out" now available, but no one knows about it, Eco-Logic Powerhouse, posted to KBC 8/23/07

CA Issue Capital Press 8/17/07, by freelance writer/photographer Jacqui Krizo:
"Claude Hagerty takes a break from swathing his second cutting of organic hay on his lease in the Tulelake U.S. Fish and Wildlife Refuge. With power rates increasing $30,000 in his district yearly, cropland being farmed for biofuel rather than food, and political pressures taking water away from farmland, Hagerty is concerned about farmers’ ability to feed a hungry world.

Hagerty recently toured Israel. He said if the people who built their aqueducts 2000 years ago could visit America today and see our technology, they would be flabbergasted that we can’t figure out a way to assure water for our crops."

 

Signatures roll in for eminent domain initiative, AgAlert, posted 8/16/07

EPA says no special review of 2,4-D needed after years of research data prove it's not a human carcenogen, posted 8/16/07 by  Industry Task Force II

Production costs soar across West; Statistics reveal how much more it costs to farm and ranch in Western U.S. 8/10/07 Capital Press

Farm economy strong in the West, Capital Press 8/10/07

COOL Victory: R-CALF members make it happen, AZ Range News, posted to KBC 8/9/07, "Only cattle born, raised and slaughtered in the United States will qualify to receive the 'Product of the U.S' label..."

Farm group advocates for water protection; Family Farm Alliance says agriculture should not be 'shock absorber' for urban growth, posted 9/18/07. "California converted 1 million acres of farmland to urban use from 1988 to 1998"

***COOL and NAIS explanation in Farm Bill: This was sent to KBC from Congressman Walden's office 7/27/07

Action Alert: Keep Telling the House Committee on Agriculture to Take Mandatory Animal ID Out of the Farm Bill, Weston Price Foundation 7/9/07

House Agriculture Committee Unanimously Passes Groundbreaking Farm Bill, Congressman Walden, posted to KBC 7/23/07

Healthy Pets Act won't be forgotten, Press Telegram, posted 7/16/07. "Sponsored by Levine, a Democrat from Van Nuys, and promoted by an acid-tongued activist named Judie Mancuso, AB1634 was a proposal, which, among other things, would have required every California dog and cat to be spayed or neutered by the age of four months." (KBC Note: yes, this would effect your pets, ranch dogs including cow dogs and sheepdogs, poodles... Levine plans to reintroduce the bill next year.)

Forget the illegals, track the cows! by Henry Lamb, World Net Daily Commentary, posted to KBC 7/16/07. "Despite this spectacular failure – the inability to find 20 million illegal aliens – this same government is preparing to locate, monitor and control the movement of hundreds of millions of livestock animals. Every cow – as many as 100 million – must have a unique numbered identification tag, most likely a Radio Frequency Identification Device. More than 500 million chickens must be identified with a similar tag. Every horse, every pig, every goat, every sheep..."  

Basin ag product prices looking good, posted to KBC 6/18/07

Testimony Before the Subcommittee on Water and Power Committee on Energy & Natural Resources United States Senate Oversight Hearing on Climate Change and Water Supply Impacts, posted to KBC 6/ 9/07, Family Farm Alliance.
* "...from 1987-2002, Colorado lost an average of 460 acres per day of ag land. The report predicts 3.1 million more acres will be lost to development by 2022."
* "The California Department of Conservation indicates that more than 1 million acres of farmland in the state was converted between 1988 and 1998."
* "Farmers, ranchers and rural communities cannot solve the water supply problem created by the Western population boom. Nor can they be expected to sacrifice their livelihoods for the “greater good” of golf courses, strip malls and housing developments. Farmland is disappearing at a time when the U.S. needs a stable domestic food supply (just as it needs a stable energy supply)."

Family farms at risk, Dan Keppen comes to Scott Valley to bring message about farms and ranch issues, Pioneer Press, posted 5/17/07

* SB20 Pesticide bill April 10, OREGON - "it would shut down most pesticide applications across the state (the activist’s intended goal)" Call your legislator! If you are going to Salem tomorrow April 10, read HERE. SB20 HERE.

* Send ag burning testimony until April 23.

Imported Food Rarely Inspected, Washington Post, posted to KBC 4/18/07. "Just 1.3 percent of imported ... foods are inspected...Last month alone, FDA detained nearly 850 shipments of grains, fish, vegetables, nuts, spice, oils and other imported foods for issues ranging from filth to unsafe food coloring to contamination with pesticides to salmonella."

China's Food Exports Spark Fears; Dog, Cat Deaths Show Safety Woes Are Global Issue, Hartford Courant posted 4/14/07. (KBC Note: more than 100,000 acres of ag land has been converted to wetlands in the Klamath Basin. This is 100,000 acres of production that we now must import from foreign countries.)

OREGON - Grass seed farmers defend field burning practice, H&N, posted 4/8/07. "The bill would end a practice used for generations of grass seed farmers in Oregon to clear out weeds, pests and prepare their fields for the next planting....Seed industry officials said that field burning only accounts for 2 percent of particulate emissions in the Willamette Valley during the summer field burning season."

Organic aid sought in farm bill, 3/7/07, Sac Bee.

NAIS Has Its First Official Resister--Michigan Responds with a Farm Quarantine and Threat of Jail, 3/1/07 The Complete Patient

Imported Food Rarely Inspected, Washington Post, posted to KBC 4/18/07. "Just 1.3 percent of imported ... foods are inspected...Last month alone, FDA detained nearly 850 shipments of grains, fish, vegetables, nuts, spice, oils and other imported foods for issues ranging from filth to unsafe food coloring to contamination with pesticides to salmonella."

Growth threatens water, H&N 3/1/07. "Addington said irrigators are frustrated that the matrix gives them less water in average-water years than in low-water years."

PRESS RELEASE: House Ag Committee Adopts Budget Letter, AgPress 3/1/07 "Today, the House Committee on Agriculture adopted the budget views and estimates letter which outlines the Committee's budget recommendations for the federal agencies and programs under its jurisdiction, outlining the funding issues at the forefront of the upcoming Farm Bill reauthorization"
Subcommittee Reviews USDA Farm Bill Proposals for Specialty Crops and Organic Agriculture, posted 3/1/07

Bureau of Reclamation Managing for Excellence, Albuquerque workshop notes by Dan Keppen, Family Farm Alliance Executive Director, posted 3/1/07

Shrinking Water Supplies Threaten National Security; Western Agriculture At Risk From Climate Change And Competing Water Demands, Family Farm Alliance 2/26/07

Judge rejects Roundup Ready alfalfa approval; Court says USDA should have done Environmental Impact Statement, Capital Press 2/23/07

Farmers flood Capitol to oppose water metering, Capital Press 2/22/07. " 'There is little need for House Bill 2564 and less benefit, but the cost will be enormous,' testified Sen. Doug Whitsett, R-Klamath Falls. '(Water for Life President Glen) Barrett said it would cost him $284,000 to install water metering devices and the supporting electrical requirements that would enable him to measure water use on the 500 acres he irrigates.' "  Senator Doug Whitsett asks for testimony on mandatory water meters, 2/19/07. "House Bill 2564

California's stake in farm bill debate, San Francisco Chronicle, posted 2/19/07 (NOTE from Reina W. Rogers, American Indian Liaison, NRCS - California: this article discusses the conservation provisions of the "Farm Bill" which is where NRCS conservation programs come from)

Under the radar and out of control, The Herald 2/18/07. "A particularly disturbing trend in our land use policy, however, is the seemingly unstoppable destruction of thousands of acres of valuable farmlands via 'wetland conversions.' " (KBC NOTE: In Klamath County as of 2001, more approximately 94,539 acres of farmland have been converted to wetlands, doubling water consumption compared to irrigated ag, worsening water quality, raising water temperature and actually harming fish habitat.  Thousands more acres have been acquired from 'willing sellers' since then, and more to come.)

Farm bill proposal caps subsidies, Capital Press 2/2/07

Spud growers asked to cut back, Capital Press 2/2/07

California visitors better bring lunch, Capital Press 2/2/07. "Nothing has stood in the way of new water development more than hard-core environmental groups...If we don't develop more water to meet our needs through the 21st century then we will have to meet new water supply needs by taking water away from an existing water user. That somebody is the California farmer."

Bush's 2007 Farm Bill, Cooperative Conservation News, 2/2/07. (KBC NOTE: This is 7.8 billion to conserve, easements, wetlands, .......................)

2007 Bush Administration Farm Bill proposal, memorandum to Family Farm Alliance by Dan Keppen, FFA Executive Director 1/31/07

Petition for review of an EPA decision regarding field burning, 1/31/07

Ridin' Point by Marcia Armstrong, Siskiyou County District 5,  UCE Farm & Ranch Advisor, 4-H,  posted to KBC 1/15/07: "According to the 2005 Siskiyou County Crop and Livestock Report, annual agricultural production values in the county top $147,638,371 ($195,205,386 with timber.) UCE provides scientific and technological support to this important local industry.

Environmentalists plan new push in Legislature, H&N, posted 1/15/07. "an extension of Oregon’s pesticide use reporting program; and maybe even a ban on field burning by grass seed farmers"

Two views of new farm bill: House ag chairman: Keep it the same. Ag secretary: Change subsidies, Capital Press, posted 1/13/07 FOLLOWED BY: Ag leaders differ on farm bill needs

House ag leader sees few changes in 2007 Farm Bill, Capital Press, posted 1/10/07
Sens. Feinstein and Craig re-introduce Ag Jobs, Capital Press 1/10/07

National Animal Identification System, Now let's try the back door, by Russell Wood, posted 12/28/06. "So while in one document  they stress voluntary participation on the federal level they are at the same time saying to the states "sickem" and dangling money out there for bait."

GAO Report on USDA Conservation Programs, Stakeholder Views on Participation and Coordination to Benefit Threatened and Endangered Species and Their Habitats By: Government Accountability Office  Dec 14, 2006

Oregon Farm Bureau election results posted, Capital Press 12/15/06. "Tracey Liskey was elected to a second term as first vice president of the Oregon Farm Bureau during elections at the House of Delegates annual meeting on Dec....'he's always pushed Oregon Farm Bureau ideas. I've actually seen him argue Oregon Farm Bureau policy when I know on his own farm if it went through and he would win that argument, it would cause him troubles on his own farm. That's how dedicated he is in that respect.'"

Farm Bureau supports FairTax, with provisions, Stipulations include income-tax reduction; exemptions for food, farm equipment, feed, Capital Press 12/15/06. "Bob Flowers, president of the Klamath-Lake County Farm Bureaus, said he saw holes in the proposed tax, and he wanted people to take more time to look at it."

Poll: Americans hold high regard for farmers, Capital Press 12/8/06

National Animal Identification Marches On, Liberty Arc 12/6/06 "...USDA's goal of "full participation by 2009" - in other words, the registration of every single person who owns even one head of livestock and the identification of hundreds of millions of animals."

Agricultural Trade Liberalization, economic and budget issue brief, Congressional Budget Office, posted 11/28/06. "Many of you have inquired about Ag trade and what options might be in the future.  On November 20th, the Congressional Budget Office prepared the attached issue brief on the subject.  I found it useful...I hope it helps answer some of your questions." Jason Larabee, Legislative Director to Congressman John T. Doolittle, Republican Conference Secretary

Knight vows NAIS will never become mandatory, Brownfield Ag News, posted 11/28/06

Agricultural Trade Liberalization, economic and budget issue brief, Congressional Budget Office, posted 11/28/06. "Many of you have inquired about Ag trade and what options might be in the future.  On November 20th, the Congressional Budget Office prepared the attached issue brief on the subject.  I found it useful...I hope it helps answer some of your questions." Jason Larabee, Legislative Director to Congressman John T. Doolittle, Republican Conference Secretary

Family Farm Alliance, A View from Ground Zero: Assessing the Real State of Western Irrigated Agriculture and Recommended Research Topics that Will Help Family Farmers and Ranchers; A White Paper Prepared by the Family Farm Alliance . Family Farm Alliance President Patrick O’Toole (WYOMING) on October 25th will speak to the National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education, and Economics Advisory Board (Board) in Washington, D.C. Attached is a white paper that we prepared for this meeting, and which will form the basis for Pat’s presentation, 10/17/06. HERE for summary by FFA Executive Director Dan Keppen.

Presidential Proclamation 8067 Modify Rules of Origin Under NAFTA, posted 11/3/2006

Voisin: Ag strains environment, H&N 10/17/06. (KBC Note: Now, isn't this a lovely candidate)

Candidate proposes farm buyout option

NAIS Prohibition Bill Analysis (S-3862) By Henry Lamb, Technical Review, posted 9/16/06

Opposition grows against NAIS, Capital Press posted 9/16/06

No escape from NAIS, EcoLogic Powerhouse 9/16/06

CA-Wage deal: $8 an hour; Governor, top Democrats agree to boost state's minimum pay rate in stages over two years, Sacramento Bee 8/22/06

NAIS Prohibition Bill Analysis (S-3862) By Henry Lamb September 14, 2006 Technical Review, posted 9/16/06

Opposition grows against NAIS, Capital Press posted 9/16/06

California alfalfa hay up, Aug 22, 2006: "Alfalfa hay production in California is forecast at 7.1 million tons, up 3 percent from last year’s crop. Other hay production is forecast at 1.78 million tons, 12 percent below the 2005 crop. The U.S. alfalfa hay production is forecast at 71.2 million tons, down 6 percent from last year. Yields are expected to average 3.18 tons per acre, a decrease of 0.20 tons from last year. Harvested area is 22.4 million acres, up fractionally from 2005." Western Farm Press.

NATIONAL: Farm groups on a roll…More to follow? Aug 14, 2006, Western Farm Press

The Technology Behind the National Animal Identification System, Eco-logic Powerhouse, posted to KBC  8/10/06 "...RFID tags are susceptible to computer viruses. This means that anyone wishing to cause problems (terrorist or not) could not only tamper with tags within their control, but could spread problems to all other tags scanned using the same equipment. Imagine a busy sale barn, with every animal's tag corrupted by the infected scanner....

Critics challenge nationwide animal ID program, 7/30/06

North American agreement of environmental cooperation between the government of the United States of America, the government of Canada and the government of the United Mexican States, posted to KBC 7/5/06.  This is a 'final draft' agreement.
Here is a website regarding
NAFTA and agriculture.

House passes $93.6 billion ag appropriations bill, posted to KBC 6/6/06

Oregon Counties Depend On Agriculture-29 Counties See Increase In Ag Sales, Oregon Dept of Ag, posted to KBC 6/2/06

Governor signs tough aquaculture bill, HMB Review, posted to KBC 5/29/06.

Big Brother Wants to Know if You Own Animals, According to Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance, posted to KBC 5/24/06 "The U.S. Department of Agriculture continues to press forward with a plan that will invade the privacy of every person who owns animals. Under its plan for the National Animal Identification System ("NAIS"), private citizens would have to register their homes with the government, provide detailed information on their animals, and report almost every move."

Delegation carries urgent (immigration) messages to D.C., Farm Bureau 5/17/06

PRESS RELEASE:  New EPA Collaborative Partnership with Farmers in Growing Economy, Cleaning Up the Environment, posted to KBC 5/08/2006.

Rich farmers? by Larry Gabriel, posted to KBC 4/24/06 "The small operations (85% of farms) get only about 20% of commodity payments."

U.S. Cattle Producers Debunk (EPA) Proposed Fugitive Dust Regulations NCBA submits extensive comments to EPA, 4/18/06 "Because cattle and other agriculture operations control coarse PM through a variety of technology and management requirements, and rural areas are dusty by nature, little more can be done to comply other than scale back or shut down operations all together."

" N A I S " The National Animal Identification System, A New Threat to Rural Freedom, The End of Small Local Farmers in America, eco.freedom.org 4/9/06

Klamath agriculture sales up and down in 2005, H&N 4/7/06

National potato stocks down 8 percent from last year, Capital Press 3/26/06.

PRESS RELEASE: Oregon Women for Agriculture learn about Coastal Agriculture, posted to KBC 3/26/06

Farm numbers down, sizes up, Capital Press, posted to KBC 2/24/06

***"National Animal Identification System", including home surveillance, every animal ID forms; collection of information. "Indeed, beyond the expense, the specter of these government agents entering onto citizens' property to find  possible unregistered homes and animals brings to mind the actions of a frightening police state, not the actions of a government agency whose mission should be to assist rural people, not to hunt them down." 2/15/06 

Beef industry backs ID system, 700 tons of beef goes to Japan, Pioneer Press, posted to KBC 2/12/06

Cow Chips: Controversial microchips will ID all livestock, Tracking livestock will be a national “mandatory” program, by Liz Bowen, Pioneer Press, posted to KBC 1/23/06

Tuber moth found in Klamath Basin, Capital Press 1/20/06

Canadian and U.S. growers OK deal, H&N 1/12/06

Service aims to help small farms, OSU Extension Service tries to keep pace with shrinking Oregon farms H&N 1/12/06

The mark of the beast, WorldNetDaily.com, posted to KBC 1/8/06. "The federal government is launching a National Animal Identification System that will, by 2009, require that every agricultural animal in the nation be equipped with an identification device through which its movement can be traced from birth to slaughter. At the moment, the program is voluntary; by 2009, non-compliance can result in fines of up to $1,000 per day. "The program is not limited to commercial producers; it includes the half-dozen chickens at grandma's house."

Retirements, tight budget make future organization cloudy, by Holly Owens,  H&N posted to KBC 1/7/06
H&N photo by Gary Thain: Klamath Experiment Station field station manager Ken Rykbost prepares to shoot a picture Wednesday of one of the potato varieties grown at the station. Rykbost will retire in February, one of three agents retiring this year in Klamath Falls.

PRESS RELEASE: Walden Cosponsors Bill Saying Japan Needs to Open Its Border to U.S. Beef or Face Economic Sanctions, 11/6/05

Senate sends $100 billion food and farm spending bill to Bush, Billings Gazette posted 11/7/05

Smith, Wyden Secure Funds for Oregon, OSU agriculture projects 11/03/05

Kulongoski breaks his promise to ag, Capital Press 11/02/05

GAO/Government Accountability Office: Information Quality Act: National Agricultural Statistics Service Implements First Steps, but Documentation of Census of Agriculture Could Be Improved. GAO-05-644, pdf file, posted to KBC 9/25/05

Oregon agriculture reaches $4 billion value for first time, H&N 8/25/05

Oregon's agriculture relies on 'illegal' workers, Statesman Journal posted to KBC 8/19/05

Senate Provides Relief to Oregon Farmers 7/13/05

Survey shows strong support for California family farms, Farm Bureau posted to KBC 6/9/05

California Farmers Say Relief is Needed to Save Family Farms, Environmental News Network 6/9/05  California is losing about 1,000 farms a year, according to a 2003 U.S. Department of Agriculture survey, the latest figures available.
     In 1950, the state had 144,000 farms. Two years ago, the number had dropped to about 78,000, with more than 95 percent operated by families, the agency said.
     Farmers say the decline has hurt national farm production. In June 2004, the United States imported more food than it exported, marking the first year since 1986 in which agricultural trade showed a monthly deficit, the USDA said.

Organic farmers cultivating a growing agricultural industry, registerguard.com posted to KBC 4/21/05

Ag has a big impact on nation, Capital Press, American Farm Bureau posted to KBC 3/21/05. "This great nation was founded by farmers 229 years ago. Since then, the United States and agriculture have remained inextricably linked. As goes agriculture, so goes the nation."

The shrinking salad bowl: Finding our balance on the edge of hunger, Houses and malls becoming the fastest-growing crop in California, SFGate posted to KBC 2/14/05.

Oregon Dept. of Agriculture "Story of the Week", Survey finds Oregon farmers depend on irrigation, 1/27/05 bend.com.

Agriculture does a lot for wildlife, environment, by Rick Woodley H&N 1/17/05. "It is interesting to note that while self-titled "environmental" groups complain and file lawsuits, it is the local farmers and ranchers who actually spend their own resources to enhance our Klamath Basin. Since reclamation started, agricultural water use is considerably less than the amount of water that evaporated in "historic times" and, in most cases, water quality has been significantly improved and wildlife habitat has been greatly increased."

Aerial photos chart vanishing farmland, SacBee 8/20/04.

Regulations hurt national security, economy, posted to KBC 5/9/04, CFBF

Protecting ag is critical to national security, posted to KBC 5/9/04, CaliforniaFarmBureau (cfbf)

 

Foreign Agriculture

Land for Pensions Offer---Budapest Sun, 8/20/04.

Hungarian invention offers water solution, Budapest Sun.posted to KBC 8/20/04

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