California

America's Farm Labor Crisis: Can Immigration Reform Save Agriculture?

Tue, 02 Sep 2025 19:24:02 GMT

Walking orchards in the Central Valley, is something Scott Peters’ family has done for four generations. With his great grandfather settling in the fertile valley in 1933, the family has been immersed with changes. From regulations and battles over water, to the fight for labor and immigration, Peters Fruit Farms is not only working to preserve the past, but also fighting for their future.

“Today, we primarily grow stone fruit. We’ve gone a little bit into the citrus just to diversify. We have the packing house, so we want to keep it running year round. Citrus is the winter commodity, and stone fruit is the summer commodity,” Peters says.

The Peters are unique. They don’t just grow and pick the fruit. They’re also packers and shippers — an operation that relies on hundreds of employees throughout the year.

“Labor prices are really difficult for us,” says the California peach grower. “As an example, our minimum wage is $16.50. When we compete against Georgia (known as the ‘Peach State’), their minimum wage $7.25. It’s just under half of what we have to pay people, which means we just don’t have a margin of error. If there’s something wrong with the crop — if we have a weather event — it stings us a lot harder.”

California’s Farm Labor is Skilled and Difficult to Replace

That’s the reality for farmers across California. Not only are regulations and water becoming expensive for growers across the state, but labor costs are also on the rise. And considering labor is the highest cost for fruit growers, it’s putting a severe strain on producers.

And while it’s expensive, labor is one of Peters’ most critical resources.

“They’re a very talented labor force. We can’t just go and get somebody off the street,” he says. “We can’t get an H-2A worker from another country who doesn’t know the industry. They can’t do the same job.”

From Arizona to California, to meat processing plants that span across the U.S. Peters says that’s one of the biggest misconceptions about migrant labor. People may think they aren’t talented or skilled, but Peters argues they’re both.

“The supervisors have these rings, and we’ll open them up to the size of fruit we want picked. They will pick a few samples off the tree, show them what sits on the ring and what goes through the ring. And the labor we have picking in the orchard, they will know — just by looking at the rings — which fruit to pick,” Peters explains. “They’ll just go from limb to limb, tree to tree, and they’ll pick the size that we’re requesting by the rings.”

Scott Peters shows U.S. Farm Report host Tyne Morgan rings they use to show individuals who are picking the fruit just what size of fruit they need to pick that day. With barely any difference in the size, it shows just how skilled the labor that works in Peters’ orchards are today.

(Matt Mormann, Farm Journal )

Peters says, to the untrained eye, the difference in the size of the rings is unnoticeable — making the labor this orchard employs irreplaceable.

“That’s how skilled they are,” he says. “So when people say they’re replaceable and you can get H-2A people or other people off the street, no, it doesn’t work that way. Those people will have no idea that small of a difference when we’re asking them to pick a certain size.”

The Broken U.S. Immigration System

The individuals Peters employs aren’t part of the H-2A system. Instead, his workers have been in California for generations, doing manual labor many Americans either don’t want to do, or physically can’t do, at a speed that’s needed today.

“The immigration system in the U.S. is absolutely broken today,” Peters tells U.S. Farm Report. “Why? Because they don’t have a simple, easy way to make immigrants legal. It’s complicated. It’s not very easily accessible for the people. If they find a way to do it, it takes them a long time. We have employees that have gone through the process and are legal. At the time, we did not know they were not. We had no idea. When they come to us, they show us a valid ID, and they show a valid social security card. As far as we’re concerned, we are hiring legal people. And then they come back to us down the road and they show other cards and say, ‘Well, now i need to change.’ Then we have to abide by the new name because of the standards.”

Results from Farm Journal’s Ag Economists’ Monthly Monitor

(Lindsey Pound )

Agricultural economists from across the U.S. agree. In the latest Farm Journal Ag Economists’ Monthly Monitor , 87% of economists said the U.S. immigration system is broken for agriculture. But on the flip side, 87% of economists also said there will be no movement on immigration reform in 2025.

Manuel Cunha, president of the Nisei Farmers Leagu e, has been fighting for a fix to the current immigration system for decades. He says the current 40-year-old immigration system doesn’t work for agriculture. He argues it’s dramatically impacting California’s agricultural landscape.

“It’s horribly broken, and you can’t band-aid it together anymore,” Cunha tells U.S. Farm Report.

H-2A Program Doesn’t Work for California Agriculture

The H-2A guest worker program may work for some sectors of agriculture, but it’s not a comprehensive “fix” for agriculture — especially industries that rely on a large number of seasonal labor.

While the program is vital for addressing domestic labor shortages, for labor-intensive specialty crops like fruits and vegetables, the H-2A program is designed to provide a cortical legal source of labor where domestic workers are often unwilling or unavailable.

However, Cunha says what the H-2A guest worker program is designed to do, and how it actually works, are two different things.

“The cost is prohibitive. It’s a broken program. A guest worker program should be what it is. You go to the border, get a card and come into California or Arizona or wherever, work for 10 months and then leave,” Cunha says. “The system today requires people to through a process in the countries where you have recruiters that control the workers. They, in turn, kind of manipulate those workers where to go and how much you’re going to pay me, then the person comes here. On top of that, to provide required housing, transportation and meals is very costly. In this state, at $23 an hour, no farmer can afford that.”

Cunha says these are all reasons why the H-2A program must be reformed.

“We also must have a guest worker program for hotels, restaurants and construction to where those workers can come in here, they work for 10 months in a rotation, they go back and then they come back again,” Cunha says. “But it’s a guest worker program and not allowing the country to select and choose who you want. There has to be a great working relationship on a guest worker program that works for my industry and agriculture and the other industries as well.”

40-Year-Old Program

The last major immigration reform in the United States was the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 (IRCA), which granted legal status to millions of undocumented immigrants and increased penalties for employers hiring them.

The legislation, now 40 years old, is something Cunha argues is out of date.

Efforts to pass new immigration legislation have frequently failed due to partisan disagreements and an inability to find common ground between parties and administrations.

“They use it so they can get re-elected every time. And it’s so sad that our legislators have that type of mentality. Let’s not fix it, because if we say we’re going fix it, that’s how we’ll get elected. That’s how we’ll get re-elected,” Cunha says. “It’s been broken, and it’s been a facade.”

Dignity Act of 2025

Cunha says the only solution on the table that would work today is the Dignity Act of 2025. The bill was introduced on July 15 by Representatives Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL) and Veronica Escobar (D-TX).

The bill not only focuses on securing the border, but it provides legal status to qualifying undocumented immigrants. It also imposes higher penalties for illegal border crossings and human and child sex trafficking. Not only would it address America’s farm labor crisis, but Cunha says it could help save agricultural industries that rely heavily on migrant labor across the U.S.

“This is the first real immigration bill that has addressed industries. The Farm Worker Modernization Act was just ag, and it really didn’t do all of ag. It only did the field and not the packing houses or the processing,” Cunha explains. “But being that we’re in the year 2025, many industries like agriculture have the same problem. Those workers have been there for years. And so somehow, we need to give them that opportunity to have a legal means to work here and to travel home.

Cunha says the U.S. has to do something new when it comes to immigration reform, and the Dignity Act of 2025 gives that life.

“The president continually gives off positive vibes: ‘I want the workers to stay here. They are important for the industries, agriculture, the restaurants, the hotels, the construction.’ So, those people need to be here. The bill absolutely deals with that. It makes them have dignity, respect and the fear of not being apprehended any part of the day, going to church or going to the hospital or whatever. They would have a legal card, and the bill’s doing that,” Cunha says.

For now, there’s a nervousness among workers in California — essential labor that supports California’s multi-billion-dollar farming community.

“The workers that are here are more than any H-2A worker that could ever come into the unit. We have 1.6 million. The Department of Labor couldn’t even handle that number if they wanted to bring in H-2A people. The system would blow up,” Cunha says.

California Farmers Are Hopeful

In June, President Donald Trump said he would issue an order soon to address the effects of his immigration crackdown on the country’s farm and hotel industries, which rely heavily on migrant labor.

Trump continues to send mixed signals on immigration policies — even with his hints of a fix for agriculture. According to preliminary Census Bureau data, analyzed by the Pew Research Center , the number of immigrant workers in the U.S. has declined by 1.2 million from January through the end of July. That figure includes people who are in the country illegally, as well as legal residents.

Peters says, considering the Trump administration continues to focus on agriculture, he is hanging onto hope. The hope is that Washington will finally find a long-term fix that helps farmers and protects the precious labor they can’t do without.

“They’re very talented workers,” Peters says. “They have skills, and they’re very hard to replace. You have to train the new person, and it’s how fast they pick up on the training. We’ve looked at robots that do pick fruit. The technology is coming, but it’s not there yet. It’s got a ways to go.”

Americans’ View on Immigration

Americans seem to be growing more positive toward immigration over the past year. According to a Gallup poll released in June, a record-high 79% of U.S. adults say immigration is a good thing for the country.

According to Gallup, these shifts reverse a four-year trend of rising concern about immigration that began in 2021. And with illegal border crossings down sharply this year, the Gallup poll found fewer Americans back hard-line border enforcement measures, while more favor offering pathways to citizenship for undocumented immigrants already in the U.S.

Agriculture in the Bull's-Eye: Raids Reportedly Resume on Farms, Meatpacking Plants

Fri, 20 Jun 2025 20:50:51 GMT

After President Donald Trump reportedly ordered Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE ) to pause raids on farms and meatpacking plants last week, new reports say the administration is reversing course again. The on-again, off-again reports regarding ICE raids is sowing confusion for those who rely on immigrant labor and already causing labor shortages due to employees not showing up for work.

There was an update again late Friday, with President Trump saying he’s looking at new immigration policy steps that would allow farms to take responsibility for people they hire.

The Washington Post first reported Monday that ICE officials told leaders representing field offices across the country they must continue to conduct raids at worksite locations, which is a reversal from guidance issued just days earlier.

Officials with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) wouldn’t confirm the Washington Post’s report, but an agricultural association told Farm Journal the article is accurate based on their discussions with the administration.

Instead, DHS told us this:

“The president has been incredibly clear. There will be no safe spaces for industries who harbor violent criminals or purposely try to undermine ICE’s efforts,” says DHS assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin. “Worksite enforcement remains a cornerstone of our efforts to safe guard public safety, national security and economic stability. These operations target illegal employment networks that undermine American workers, destabilize labor markets and expose critical infrastructure to exploitation.”

By Friday, there was another update. Reuters reported President Trump said he was looking at immigration policy steps that would allow farms to take responsibility for people they hire.

“We’re looking at doing something where, in the case of good, reputable farmers, they can take responsibility for the people that they hire and let them have responsibility, because we can’t put the farms out of business,” Trump told reporters. “And at the same time we don’t want to hurt people that aren’t criminals.”

According to Farm Journal’s Michelle Rook, the recent ICE raids are already creating absenteeism and labor shortages that could severally disrupt the U.S. food supply. Ag groups are again calling for immigration reform with hopes the issue will finally come to a head.

Ripple Effect of Immigration Crackdown

Joe Del Bosque, owner of Del Bosque Farms in Firebaugh, Calif., is experiencing the rollercoaster with labor, saying the shifting policy strikes fear in farmers and workers.

“There’s so much uncertainty as to what the administration’s going to do,” Del Bosque told Rook on AgriTalk this week.

Del Bosque says the raids on California produce farms are disrupting the harvest of perishable produce.

“They haven’t been really huge sweeps. They’re usually picking up a few people. But it creates a lot of fear, and people don’t show up to work. That’s just as bad as if they were taken away,” he says.

According to an exclusive report by Farm Journal’s The Packer , the ripple effect of Trump’s immigration crackdown on agriculture could be far-reaching — if the administration revives its focus on ag.

Kevin Kelly is the CEO of Emerald Packaging — the largest flexible packaging supplier to the leafy greens industry. Based in Union City, Calif., the company has been in the packaging business for 62 years. Kelly says the immigrant workforce in California is feeling uncertain and afraid.

“We’ve certainly heard folks aren’t turning up to work in the fields, and we’ve seen it in our facility. We verify everybody, so we know everybody in our facility is documented and can legally work in the United States,” Kelly tells Jennifer Strailey, editor of The Packer. “In our case, it’s brothers and sisters being deported, and other family members being afraid. Our employees are staying home to help their family members move, to take care of them or to take them to see an attorney — that kind of thing.”

Dairy operations in several states have also been raided recently. Dairy producers say they rely on immigrant labor to provide a stable year-round work force and to keep the U.S. food supply stable.

“We need these people to take care of our animals so we can produce food. Without animal care, we won’t have milk, cheese, butter — nothing,” Greg Moes, MoDak Dairy in Goodwin, S.D., told Rook.

The recent ICE arrests at Glenn Valley Foods of Omaha, Neb. have also led to absenteeism at meat processing plants.

“At the beginning of the Trump administration, we had this same worry with the crackdown — whether this was going to impact absenteeism and things like that,” says Brad Kooima, Kooima Kooima Varilek in Sioux Center, Iowa. “So, hopefully we can put that in our rearview mirror.”

By the Numbers: A Heavy Reliance on Immigrant Labor
The news this week of the Trump administration putting a pause on raids of farms and meat processors is welcome news for those in agriculture. From dairies and produce farms, to meatpacking plants across the U.S., these sectors rely heavily on immigrant labor.

Immigrant labor makes up a substantial portion of the meat processing workforce, with estimates ranging from 37% to over 50%. However, states like South Dakota and Nebraska have even higher concentrations of immigrant workers in meat processing — reaching 58% and 66%, according to the nonprofit Migration Policy Institute.

And a large portion of U.S. dairy farms rely on immigrant labor, with estimates indicating that over half of all dairy workers are immigrants. Specifically, these workers account for 51% of the total dairy workforce and are responsible for producing 79% of the U.S. milk supply.

Farmworker Justice estimates 70% of the produce industry’s farmworkers are immigrants. USDA’s estimates are lower — closer to 60%.

California Pork Producers Association Names New Executive Director

Fri, 07 Feb 2025 18:37:31 GMT

Mackenzie Bressler is taking over leadership of the California Pork Producers Association (CPPA). She was appointed the association’s new executive director effective Feb. 3. Bressler will lead CPPA’s efforts to support California’s pork producers and strengthen the state’s pork industry.

Her wealth of experience in communications, association management and outreach in California agriculture will be an asset to the organization, CPPA shared in a release. She most recently served as external relations director at Chico State’s College of Agriculture and previously served as a digital marketing manager at Farmers Communications Exchange.

“Mackenzie brings the perfect combination of passion for California agriculture, experience with agricultural associations and communicating with diverse audiences to her role at California Pork Producers Association,” Shelby Sopocy, swine facility manager at University of California, Davis, and CPPA president, said in a release.

A native of Colusa, Calif., her interest in agriculture was sparked through her early involvement in 4-H and FFA. She earned a bachelor’s degree in agricultural communications at California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo.

“I’m excited for the opportunity to work with the entire California pork industry, representing and serving pork producers, collaborating with industry stakeholders and making connections with youth members and others about the important role pork plays in nutrition and the economy of our state,” Bressler said.

CPPA was incorporated in the 1950s. In 2021, the executive director role was added to provide state-level leadership within California. Although the state is home to less than 1% of pork production, its residents comprise about 13% of total U.S. pork consumption.

Your Next Read: 4 Things We Learned In 2024 to Be Better Pig Farmers in 2025

Activist Sentenced to Jail for Conspiracy and Trespassing

Wed, 06 Dec 2023 20:13:11 GMT

A California judge has sentenced a high-profile animal rights activist to 90 days in jail followed by two years of probation for his conspiracy and trespassing convictions, which stemmed from two poultry farm protests near Petaluma more than five years ago.

Wayne Hsiung, 42, co-founder of Direct Action Everywhere (DxE), will serve his time in the Sonoma County jail and upon release was ordered to stay at least 50 yards away from poultry farms, is barred from interacting with co-conspirators and forbidden from entering commercial feeding operations without permission.

Hsiung, a lawyer and Berkeley resident, was convicted by a jury of eight women and four men of one felony count of conspiracy and two misdemeanor counts of trespassing. The jury deliberated for six days and deadlocked on a second felony conspiracy charge.

The charges against Hsiung stemmed from protests at Sunrise Farms in May, 2018, and Reichardt Duck Farm in June, 2019. The jury deadlocked on the charge related to the 2019 gathering, which Hsiung denied organizing.

At sentencing, Sonoma County Deputy District Attorney Robert Waner said the case was never about limiting free speech or activism. Rather, he said, it focused on Hsiung’s unlawful, reckless and potentially dangerous behavior.

“That behavior will not be tolerated in this county,” Waner told Sonoma County Superior Court Judge Laura Passaglia.

In his defense, Hsiung said during the 15-day trial that he and DXE were allowed on the farms’ properties under a California law that stated people may enter private property to assist animals that aren’t receiving proper food and water. Later, in his probation report, Hsiung conceded that the law applies strictly to animal shelters. He also admitted that members of his animal rights group gathered at Sunrise Farms without consent.

At the protests, hundreds of animal welfare activists invaded the properties and “rescued” chickens and ducks the alleged were mistreated. Their stated goal was to raise awareness about the birds’ mistreatment and encourage improved conditions at poultry farms. At the Reichardt facility, participants stormed the property, shut off machines and used bicycle locks to secure themselves to equipment.

Hsiung represented himself at trail and argued his intentions were not criminal. Judge Passaglia, however, disagreed, telling Hsiung there is a difference between activism and criminality, and “in this case, you chose to break the law.”

Hsiung could have been sentenced to up to three years in jail for the convictions.

How is the U.S. Supreme Court Impacting the Way You Farm?

Tue, 08 Aug 2023 21:49:05 GMT

New data on the total number of farms in the U.S. is out, and the overall numbers continue to dwindle. According to USDA, there were 2 million farms in the U.S. in 2022.

These 2 million farms are required to abide by numerous laws enacted on state and federal levels each year. More recently, those laws, including the Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) and Proposition 12, have been challenged in the U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS).

Ray Starling, general counsel at the North Carolina Chamber of Commerce, details what the recent rulings mean for growers and the ag industry as a whole.

WOTUS

EPA published its final definition of WOTUS on Dec. 30, 2022, which gave federal protection to large waterways, such as interstate rivers and streams, and adjacent wetlands starting in March 2023.

The definition was challenged by numerous organizations at the state level, with U.S. District Court Judge Daniel Hovland effectively blocking the rule in April, until SCOTUS officially ruled against the EPA’s definition in May.

How does the ruling impact growers?

SCOTUS’s ruling quickly caused confusion in various states, as many properties are in low-lying areas by rivers, streams and other waters that the federal government could deem a wetland. While the ruling might have disrupted operations, the EPA’s “jurisdictional arm” on-farm is much shorter now, than it was a few weeks ago, according to Starling.

“Growers in the past would say, ‘I have this piece of land that may be wet several weeks of the year. Is that subject to being deemed a wetland by the federal government?’ The new ruling says growers should only have that concern if the water, or very wet spot, has a surface water connection, or is clearly connected to navigable water. Only then can EPA interfere,” he says.

SCOTUS says the EPA’s definition of WOTUS is too broad and needs tweaked. EPA announced it plans to rectify the definition—a move Starling anticipates will come this fall.

“Once EPA shares what their new rule is, there will then be another round of litigation. Time will tell, but for the big picture, it will give ag more certainty,” says Starling.

Proposition 12

California enacted prop 12 in 2018, effectively banning the sale of pork within the state unless pregnant pigs are allowed at least 24 square feet of space and the ability to stand up and turn around in their pens.

Ag organizations quickly pushed a lawsuit to California’s side of the table, which then moved over to SCOTUS. In May, SCOTUS ruled prop 12 is constitutional , detonating a major blow to pork and the ag sector, according to Jim Wiesemeyer, policy analyst for Pro Farmer/Farm Journal.

Starling fears interstate commerce could take a foothold in the ag industry as a result of prop 12, and he’s not alone.

“There’s nothing stopping California from saying, for example, you can only sell corn in California if it’s harvested with an electric combine,” says John Dillard, principal at OFW law.

Those fears have only amplified and revealed themselves at the state level, according to Starling.

“I’ve been asked, ‘What can we ban from California,’ and that’s not exactly what we want to hear at the Chamber of Commerce in North Carolina. But it does create that race to the bottom instinct,” says Starling.

What can growers do to create change in the cases of WOTUS and prop 12?

These legislative measures didn’t develop overnight; they were crafted over many years, according to Starling. In order for these laws to be undone, or future laws to be blocked, he says it will take equally as many years of advocacy.

Here are Starling’s suggestions for growers:

1. Educate yourself

“The gateway of media is very fluid now compared to 20 or 30 years ago. Using blog posts and clearly unvetted information to defend ag is not the way to win,” says Starling. “We have to do better on the academic front. Find reputable sources and learn how to properly cite them.”

2. Band together

“In many cases, like in prop 12, it’s a threat to all sectors of ag. We have to figure out how to horizontally work together instead of in verticals. Crop farmers need to learn to work alongside livestock growers to create change. Ask questions and fight for each other.”

Supreme Court May Soon Announce Prop 12 Decision; Here's Why All Producers Should Care

Fri, 12 May 2023 15:20:52 GMT

Supreme Court may announce a decision relatively soon on the controversial Proposition 12 case that deals with California trying to dictate how hogs are raised.

The California law being challenged bans the sale of pork within the state unless pregnant pigs are allowed at least 24 square feet of space and the ability to stand up and turn around in their pens. The measure was approved with more 68% of the vote as part of a 2018 ballot initiative known as Proposition 12.

Related article: Proposition 12 Will Push Pig Farmers Out of Business, NPPC and Farmers Say

The National Pork Producers Council and the American Farm Bureau Federation , which sued in 2019, say the measure violates the so-called dormant commerce clause, a doctrine that says the U.S. Constitution limits the power of states to regulate commerce outside their borders without congressional authorization.

Why Should Crop Producers Care?

If the Court rules in favor of California, the legislation will open a door to a much larger arena of regulatory authority. This case should have all other ag producers on alert, according to John Dillard of OFW Law .

Related article: How Prop 12 Could Impact Crop and Livestock Producers

“If California were to win this case in the Supreme Court, there’s nothing stopping the state from saying, for example, you can only sell corn in California if it’s harvested with an electric combine,” he says.

Dillard says the Supreme Court’s ruling could give the green or red light for each state to set its own standards on any and all products that come across state lines.

Interstate commerce has been brought into question many times in the past. The Supreme Court will either set new parameters or reinforce old ones when they address Prop 12 this year.

A Girl, a Goat and the Law: The Shasta County, CA, Boondoggle

Mon, 17 Apr 2023 19:08:15 GMT

It is entirely possible the Shasta County, Calif., sheriff’s office and the Shasta District Fair have tarnished your image as a food producer more than any radical animal rights group. Both are guilty of actions that are at least ignorant and grossly at odds with the values the fair claims to promote.

This is a story about a 9-year-old girl and her pet goat, Cedar, and the fact grown-ups couldn’t figure out how to bend the rules enough so it didn’t end up written as a tragedy in the New York Times. That’s how it was framed by Nicholas Kristof in his column: “ What a Girl’s Goat Teaches Us About Our Food .”

The story, of course, reveals little about “our food,” but offers a smorgasbord of opportunity for the anti-meat community to criticize meat production, as Kristof does so eloquently. Indeed, the only winner in this public relations debacle is Advancing Laws for Animals , a nonprofit law firm specializing in complex, novel issues of animal law.

In fact, the tale of the little girl and her goat received nationwide press coverage on CNN , USA Today, The Daily Mail, The Los Angeles Times, the New York Times, The Washington Post , Inside Edition, CBS News and many others.

First, Cedar’s story. Or more accurate, how Cedar became such a notorious outlaw the Shasta County sheriff dispatched two deputies – with a search warrant! – on a day-long trip to Sonoma County to retrieve him.

(Farm Journal)

A year ago Jessica Long purchased a goat for her daughter’s 4H project. The girl began preparing to show Cedar at the county fair in June. As Kristof notes, “the girl and goat bonded. Soon Cedar was running to the gate to greet (the girl), and Long says that her daughter walked around with Cedar as if he were a pet dog.”

Cedar was shown and then sold in the 4H auction where state Sen. Brian Dahl (R) paid $902 for the $200 goat, a typical premium for bidders seeking to reward young 4H members. The girl was heartbroken, and a video taken that evening shows her embracing Cedar and sobbing. Unable to bear her daughter’s heartbreak, Long gathered up both the girl and the goat and removed them. As a fugitive from justice, Cedar was taken to a hideout in far-off Sonoma County. Before doing so, she told fair representatives she would reimburse Dahl and pay for any financial hit caused by the decision to keep him.

This would be the point where reasoned adults might bend the rules for a little girl and her pet goat. That didn’t happen. Fair executives were adamant that Cedar must be slaughtered. Long says she received a call from the fair’s livestock manager who allegedly demanded she return Cedar and threatened to have her charged with grand theft, a felony, if she didn’t.

“The fair industry is set up to teach our youth responsibility and for the future generations of ranchers and farmers to learn the process and effort it takes to raise quality meat,” Melanie Silva, the CEO of the fair, emailed Long.

The fair contacted the Shasta County sheriff, who promptly dispatched deputies to apprehend the fugitive goat. This whole hot mess is headed to court.

Long has sued the Shasta County sheriff claiming deputies wrongly seized the family’s goat and then apparently handed it over to the fair authorities. In their response, the county and the sheriff’s office acknowledge that the deputies “drove to Sonoma County to retrieve a goat” and claim that “no warrant was necessary to retrieve Cedar at the Sonoma Farm as they had consent from the property owner.”

Think about this for a moment. Shasta County sent two deputies on a 500-mile, 10-hour round trip to retrieve a $200 goat! Try explaining that to taxpayers come next election.

More important for livestock producers is how the Shasta County Fair and the Shasta County sheriff – both unencumbered by intelligence – created a bonanza for animal rights zealots. Pluck any of the stories about Cedar and visit the comments section. There you’ll find responses across the country nearly unanimous in their defense of the little girl, with many using the opportunity to attack livestock production as “cruel,” “inhumane,” “abhorrent,” etc.

Here are two examples from the NY Times that accurately capture the sentiment:

Craig writes: “There’s a gigantic & worrisome unanswered question here. What kind of officials would agree to trigger such an absolutely cruel & ghoulish act against a child? Who are these people?”

R writes: “I can safely say I am completely against 4-H as an organization having learned what their values are. Insisting on slaughter and death when someone doesn’t want to participate is completely abhorrent.”

Seizing on this opportunity, Advancing Laws for Animals is representing the mother and daughter in the pending lawsuits. Whether they prevail in court is likely secondary for the legal team who will relish the chance to argue for animal rights in open court – and the press coverage the case is sure to attract.

California’s Plant-Based Push Grows More Legs with LA Support

Wed, 19 Oct 2022 19:48:42 GMT

The Los Angeles, Calif., City Council voted unanimously on Tuesday to adopt its resolution in support of the global Plant Based Treaty initiative. Pending concurrence of the mayor, it will become the world’s largest city to endorse the treaty.

According to the Plant Based Treaty website, the initiative rests on three core principles:

• Relinquish— No land use change, ecosystem degradation or deforestation for animal agriculture

• Redirect—An active transition away from animal-based food systems to plant-based systems

• Restore—Actively restoring key ecosystems, particularly restoring forests and rewilding landscapes.

As C40 cities—with a mission to halve the emissions of the cities within a decade—Los Angeles joins Buenos Aires in endorsement of this treaty.

Specifically, regarding animal agriculture, the treaty intends on halting expansion of animal agriculture and promoting a shift towards plant-based diets.

The California Department of Food and Agriculture reports , in 2021, dairy products and milk contributed $7.57 billion to the state—the highest total of over 400 commodities. California claims the country’s largest dairy industry, with 1,400 dairies totaling approximately 1.7 million cows. Meanwhile, cattle and calves contributed $3.11 billion to the state with nearly 5.2 million head.

Multiple animal rights groups, including the PawPAC and the Animal Alliance Network, praised the decision of the city council, proclaiming the importance of “reversing the crisis” and preventing further climate change as a need for their constituents and beyond.

According to a press release, the Plant Based Treaty’s global movement is to help pressure national governments to negotiate a global treaty that will focus on the following:

• Halt the global expansion of deforestation attributed to animal agriculture

• Incentivize a plant-based food system

• Encourage public information campaigns about the benefits of plant-based foods

• Free up land and waters to rewild, reforest and restore the Earth’s oceans

• Allow a just transition to more sustainable jobs, healthier people and a thriving planet

Also worth noting, this California initiative follows within months of President Biden’s “Executive Order on Advancing Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing Innovation for a Sustainable, Safe and Secure American Bioeconomy,” which explains that, “assessing how to use biotechnology and biomanufacturing for food and agriculture innovation, including by improving sustainability and land conservation; increasing food quality and nutrition; increasing and protecting agricultural yields; protecting against plant and animal pests and diseases; and cultivating alternative food sources,” is part the action plan focus.

Additionally, California’s Proposition 12 case—a California law banning the sale of pork within the state unless pregnant pigs are allowed at least 24 square feet of space and the ability to stand up and turn around in their pens—was recently heard in the U.S. Supreme Court .

Whether cultivating alternative meat in a lab or encouraging an all plant-based diet, the push against livestock production and animal-based food products continues to grow.

California Approves Plan to 'Move State Away From Oil' by 2035

Wed, 05 Oct 2022 18:44:12 GMT

Noting an urgent need to address climate change while cutting back on air pollution, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) voted Thursday to require all new cars and light trucks sold by 2035 to be zero-emission vehicles.

Lauren Sanchez, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s climate advisor, called it “a huge day not only for California but the entire world.” The mission, she said: “Move the state away from oil.”

Liane Randolph, chairwoman of the CARB, said the rule is one of the state’s most important efforts yet to clean the air and will lead to a 50% reduction in pollution from cars and light trucks by 2040.

The EV Scoop

Congress gave California permission to set its own rules under the Federal Air Quality Act of 1966 when the state was combatting the toxic yellow-brown smog that hung over Los Angeles.

The Trump administration in 2019 revoked California’s authority to regulate its own air quality, but the Biden administration restored that authority earlier this year.

Already, 15 states , including Colorado and Minnesota, as well as states on the Northeast and West Coast, followed California’s previous zero-emission vehicle regulations.

New York, Oregon, Washington state and Rhode Island officials they plan to adopt California’s rule through their own rule-making process, while New Jersey and Maryland officials said they were reviewing California’s decision. Public comment in Washington state on a similar plan will start Sept. 7.

More than 16% of new cars sold in California in 2022 were zero-emissions vehicles, the state said , up from 12.41% in 2021 and 7.78% in 2020.

What’s Next for America and Electric Vehicles

The rules won’t be immediate and will go into effect in 2026. The mandate forces automakers to phase out gasoline and diesel cars, sport utility vehicles, minivans and pickup trucks in favor of cleaner versions powered by batteries or fuel cells. If automakers do not comply, they could be charged $20,000 per noncomplying car, CARB said.

What if consumers don’t go along? One option: People could still buy internal combustion cars from another state without the mandate. And it will still be legal to buy and sell used fossil-fuel cars and light trucks.

Under the new rules, 35% of new cars must be zero emission by 2026, 51% by 2028, 68% by 2030, and 100% by 2035. The quotas also would allow 20% of zero-emission cars sold to be plug-in hybrids.

The mandate doesn’t cover all of highway transportation: Heavy trucks that burn diesel fuel will have 10 extra years before they are banned. A proposed zero-emission mandate for heavy trucks wouldn’t hit 100% until 2045.

Also, up to 20% of a carmaker’s sales can be plug-in hybrids, which have both electric motors and gas engines, and still count as zero-emission, as long as the minimum battery range is 50 miles or more.

As part of the California mandate, the state will require specific levels of warranty protection for EV batteries and related components.

Notable Hurdles for EV’s

One of them is that an electric car still costs far more than an equivalent gasoline car. According to Kelley Blue Book, the average EV sold for $66,000 in July, compared with $48,000 for the average international-combustion vehicle.

CARB officials pointed to studies that show savings in fuel and maintenance can make an EV a better financial deal over time, and that prices would continue to drop.

Charging is another hurdle. While homeowners can install their own EV charger in a garage, most people who live in apartment buildings and condos don’t have that option. California plans to require multifamily housing landlords to provide some way to charge electric cars.

John Bozzella, president and CEO of the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, which represents major automakers, said California’s mandate would be “extremely challenging” for automakers to meet.

“Whether or not these requirements are realistic or achievable is directly linked to external factors like inflation, charging and fuel infrastructure, supply chains, labor, critical mineral availability and pricing, and the ongoing semiconductor shortage,” Bozzella said in a statement. “These are complex, intertwined and global issues.”

State officials said the rule is critical to meeting to state’s goal to transition to 100% renewable energy by 2045, and that resulting emissions reductions would lead to fewer cardiopulmonary deaths and emergency visits for asthma and other illnesses.

Ag Industry Responds

While environmental groups were largely very complimentary, some said the CARB rule didn’t go far enough. The National Corn Growers Assn. (NCGA) released the following statement:

“As NCGA told regulators during the rulemaking process, constraining the vision of a zero-emission future prevents the state from tapping into the immediate and affordable environmental solutions that come from replacing more gasoline with low-carbon and low-cost ethanol, in both current and new vehicles, including new plug-in hybrids,” NCGA wrote. “Ethanol is on a path to net zero emissions, and NCGA will continue to work with and urge California to use all the tools in its toolbox as it addresses climate change and cuts harmful tailpipe emissions. As recent University of California, Riverside, vehicle testing for CARB found, higher ethanol blends, like E15, significantly reduced most criteria air pollutants compared to standard 10% ethanol blends.”

Does California Have Enough Energy to Ban Gas Cars?

Wed, 05 Oct 2022 18:44:12 GMT

California announced last week that it will ban the sale of internal combustion engine passenger cars by 2035.

The 31st state leads the country’s vehicle market, and more than a dozen states copy its emissions standards.

Theoretically, the grid should be able to handle EV’s, according to a Quartz article .

Electricity supply and demand work in a reinforcing feedback loop: As demand grows, it creates an incentive for utilities and power companies to invest in new generation and transmission infrastructure. And EVs may be easier to accommodate since they don’t need to be charged at times of peak demand.

The bigger bottleneck could be the rollout of charging stations and the development of new bureaucratic systems to manage the flow of electrons between so many new distributed sources of supply (solar) and demand (EVs).

Charging Concerns With Heightened Demand

However, a method under research to charge electric cars in 10 minutes could be available in five years.

In a report released this week, government researchers said they have found a way to charge electric car batteries up to 90% in just 10 minutes. The method is likely five years away from making its way into the market, scientists said, but would mark a fundamental shift.

Big Push For EV’s, Diesel and Gas Coming Up Short

California’s decision comes on the heels of diesel shortages on the East Coast.

U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm in a letter called on major U.S. oil refiners to build up capacity and reduce exports of refined products ahead of the winter. Granholm noted the reduced availability of diesel inventories along the East Coast, which are nearly 50% below the five-year average. Refined product exports are at a record high.

“Given the historic level of U.S. refined product exports, I again urge you to focus in the near term on building inventories in the United States, rather than selling down current stocks and further increasing exports,” Granholm wrote, saying that such a buildup would be an alternative to emergency measures such as releases from the Northeast Gasoline Supply Reserve.

The letter was reported first by the Wall Street Journal, which accused Granholm in an editorial of attempting to strong-arm the energy industry and abandoning European nations weaning themselves off Russian imports.

More on EV’s:
California Approves Plan to ‘Move State Away From Oil’ by 2035
Is the U.S. Prepared to Support Electric Vehicles?

California Loosens Feral Hog Hunting Rules

Wed, 28 Sep 2022 17:56:14 GMT

California governor Gavin Newsom has signed a new law designed to help reduce the state’s estimated 400,000 feral hogs.

Senate Bill 856 passed with unanimous support in both the state Senate and Assembly and will allow licensed hunters to kill an unlimited number of the wild pigs. The new law also lowers the tag prices for hog hunting and seeks to legalize the hunting of wild pigs at night. The law also prohibits the intentional release of a pig to live in the wild.

“I commend the governor for bringing us a step closer to controlling our destructive wild pig population, which is exploding across California,” said State Senator Bill Dodd of Napa in a press release. “These non-native, feral animals are endangering sensitive habitats, farms, and wildlife. By increasing opportunities to hunt them, we can reduce the threat to our state.” According to Dodd, invasive wild pig populations have taken root in 56 of California’s 58 counties. He says that the removal of all remaining pig hunting restrictions will allow for better population control and habitat management.

While the bill gained unanimous support from state legislators, significant opposition came from the hunting community. Rick Travis, legislative director for the California Rifle and Pistol Association (CRPA), said the new law would reduce money for conservation since it reduces pig hunting license feeds. He also worries about a rise in poaching that may come with unregulated night hunting.

Nationwide, states are aggressively seeking ways to control the rapidly expanding feral pig population. The pigs were found in 544 counties 40 years ago but were present in 1,915 counties in 2020.

Smithfield Foods to Close Vernon, CA Facility and Reduce Hog Production in Western Region

Thu, 22 Sep 2022 00:53:58 GMT

Smithfield Foods, Inc. announced that it will cease all harvest and processing operations in Vernon, California in early 2023 and, at the same time, align its hog production system by reducing its sow herd in its Western region. The company will decrease its sow herd in Utah and is exploring strategic options to exit its farms in Arizona and California. Smithfield harvests only company-owned hogs in Vernon. Smithfield will service customers in California with its Farmer John brand and other brands and products from existing facilities in the Midwest.

Smithfield is taking these steps due to the escalating cost of doing business in California.

Smithfield is providing transition assistance to all impacted employees, including relocation options to other company facilities and farms as well as retention incentives to ensure business continuity until early next year. The company reached an agreement this week with the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and the International Union of Operating Engineers as part of its plan to close the Vernon facility.

“We are grateful to our team members in the Western region for their dedication and invaluable contributions to our mission. We are committed to providing financial and other transition assistance to employees impacted by this difficult decision,” said Smithfield Chief Operating Officer Brady Stewart.

Smithfield provides more than 40,000 American jobs at 46 facilities and nearly 500 company-owned farms.

Port of Oakland Operation Resumes: Will Exports Make It Out on Time?

Tue, 26 Jul 2022 18:45:11 GMT

Protesters and picketing lines halted operation at the third-busiest port on the U.S. west coast , the Port of Oakland, for nearly a week. Work has resumed, but some in the meat industry fear port congestion and backlogs will continue to cause problems with exports.

As previous congestion at ports has seen progress, this event “is going to make the issue much, much worse,” Halstrom adds.

Japan, Korea, China and Taiwan are large markets for red meat exports shipping out of the Port of Oakland. Specifically for Japan, nearly 66% of beef exports and 70% of pork exports use this port.

These shipping delays might cause a shift from chilled product to frozen, out of necessity.

“Some of the highest margin business is the chilled product, never frozen, it’s chilled, so you’re very time sensitive on the shelf life. So what’s going to happen is if this cargo cannot ship on time, a lot of this cargo is going to have to be frozen down which means prices will plummet,” Halstrom says.

Again, considering the Japan market, with over $4 billion of exports sold in 2021, the country is the U.S.’s number one value destination, with high value, chilled product being a value-added opportunity to help reach these totals.

As of Monday, July 25, the Port of Oakland has fully resumed operations, and protests have been moved to “free speech zones” that will not interfere with port operations. However, backlogs of inventory will likely take several days to move.

Emmy Award-Winning TV Series Tells Ag’s Story in a Unique Way

Thu, 14 Jul 2022 20:42:00 GMT

Facebook has opened the door for businesses to scale their connections and pocketbooks far more than any time before.

One couple, Jeff and Jill Aiello, harnessed the platform’s capabilities when they stumbled upon the My Job Depends on Ag Facebook page on an afternoon at their home in California.

What started as social media table talk between Jeff and Jill quickly turned into an award-winning docuseries that now airs on Valley PBS.

Here’s how social media paved the way for the Aiello’s to win an Emmy Award.

How it Started

Jeff’s interest in agriculture manifested over his 15 years at the Walt Disney Company and ABC Television. Following his departure from the company, he channeled his true passion.

“When we came back to the Central Valley and settled down, I turned to agriculture,” he says. “I’ve always understood the basic idea that farmers are our heroes, and my time in various parts of California made me realize a lot of people in our urban settings seem to have forgotten that.”

Communicating ag to urban dwellers became the Aiello’s main focus. To get the ball rolling, Jeff produced and released a California water documentary, Tapped Out, for PBS in 2017.

The four-part mini-series eventually went on to gain praise from critics, politicians and educators. With a second season of production in full swing, Jeff says he now recognizes the dire need for translating every element of ag’s story, not just one topic or one region.

How it’s Going

Jeff’s production tides then began to morph into a new idea, brought to the table by Jill.

“It was around Christmas in 2018,” he said. “Jill and I were sitting in the hot tub when she looked up at me and said, ‘Jeff, we should do a docuseries based on the stories we’re seeing on the My Job Depends on Ag Facebook page.’”

As a television producer, Jeff says the page is “solid gold” when it comes to content. But while the ag content would be easy to access, Jeff wasn’t keen on the idea of “just another ag show.”

To attract all audiences, the Aiello’s opted:
1. Not to include a narrator
2. To allow people to talk as much or as little as they want

Filming styles like these offer viewers an opportunity to form their own opinions and feel like they have boots on the ground, according to Jeff.

After developing a game plan for how he wanted the show to be filmed, Jeff pitched the idea to the Facebook page founders, Erik Wilson and Steve Malanca.

Roadblocks from the Outsets

Once in agreeance, the three men took their American Grown: My Job Depends on Ag idea to PBS, where Jeff says they didn’t receive the warm welcome he had hoped for.

“PBS had just hired a new CEO. She didn’t know my production style, my documentaries and she was skeptical of my idea for the show,” he says.

According to Jeff, the CEO at the time gave him “it’s my way or the highway” treatment. It was only when he pitched the idea to ABC—where his roots were firmly planted 15 years prior—that PBS agreed to take on the show.

Emmy Award Secured

Fast forward to today, PBS is in its third season of airing American Grown: My Job Depends on Ag, which centers around California’s farm culture.

According to Jeff, the show has “blown up” due to the show’s production and communication styles.

“I try to write out and piece each episode together as if I’m trying to explain it to an eighth grader,” he says. “If you aim for eight-grade level of understanding, you’ll get 80% of America to figure out the message you’re sending.”

Production style is the second half of the content puzzle, according to Jeff. He says an episode his team aired last year, Cattlefornia, won an Emmy Award thanks to their commitment to production styles.

You can view the Emmy Award-winning episode here:

Recognized for outstanding achievement in a public affairs program – news or long form content, the Cattlefornia episode isn’t the only win for Jeff’s team. He says they’ve been nominated for other Emmy’s, and plan to continue the trend upward—in more ways than one.

Thoughts of the Future

Jeff had hoped to one day scale the show to encompass all U.S. states and all types of agriculture. According to the Aiello’s, the Emmy win is paving the way for the scaling the show outside of California’s borders.

“We’re chalk-full of sponsors. There are other companies that want to sponsor us, but we don’t have any more room,” Jeff says. “It’s a great problem to have and it is opening the door for new opportunities in other states.”

Season three of American Grown: My Job Depends on Ag aired two episodes filmed in Tennessee. Jeff says this is a segway into broadening the show’s horizons in season 4 and beyond.

“We’ve got several shows coming up that we’re going to be filming from New Hampshire to Iowa, and we’re making the rounds,” he says.

If you’re hoping your farm will get a chance on the show, the Aiello’s suggest you become a member of the My Job Depends on Ag Facebook group and share your story.

More on ag films:

In the ‘Silo': Hulu Film Sheds Light on the Dangers of Grain Bin Entrapment

One Year After Derecho Storm Struck Iowa, Short Film Documents Devastation First-Hand

Court Rejects Meat Institute’s Prop 12 Appeal

Mon, 28 Dec 2020 16:00:32 GMT

The North American Meat Institute’s challenge to California’s Proposition 12 has been rejected for a second time.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit rejected the Meat Institute’s challenge to California’s 2018 ballot initiative that imposes new standards for animal housing. The Court’s Dec. 23 decision confirms an initial decision in October. After the October decision, the Meat Institute appealed for the challenge to be heard by the full panel of judges, but the panel “unanimously voted to deny appellant’s petition for panel rehearing.”

California voters approved the Prevention of Cruelty to Farm Animals Act with 63% of the vote. The law creates minimum requirements to provide more space for veal calves, breeding pigs, and egg-laying hens. By 2020, the law requires farmers to give egg-laying hens at least one foot of floor space, and to completely eliminate cages by 2022. Farmers must now give veal calves 43 square feet and sows 24 feet of space.

Challenges by the Meat Institute and others, however, centered around the fact the law applies to out-of-state producers of meat and eggs who want to sell products in California. Both the federal Department of Justice and 20 states joined the Meat Institute’s challenge, arguing the law will contribute to higher food prices for consumers.

“Prop 12 is unconstitutional and not only hurts consumers with higher prices for pork, veal and eggs, it is costly for the federal government’s programs designed to help those facing hunger, including the Emergency Food Assistance Program and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program,” said the Meat Institute’s President/CEO Julie Anna Potts.

Related stories:

Court Upholds California’s Proposition 12

Cargill Donations Support Calif. Foodbank’s Hunger Relief Efforts

Thu, 19 Nov 2020 03:37:29 GMT

To help support California food bank’s efforts to meet demand for protein during a difficult fire season, Cargill donated nearly 50,000 pounds of beef to local families in California.

Cargill worked with its partner MEANS Database, a nonprofit that helps direct food in 49 states to local emergency feeding services, to connect with Redwood Empire Food Bank in Santa Rosa, Calif. and Feeding America Riverside | San Bernardino Food Bank in Riverside, Calif. to coordinate the donation.

The donated product was recently received by the foodbanks and was distributed throughout the communities served by the foodbanks and where Cargill is proud to have a local presence.

“Food security is a priority – and a challenge for many families across California, especially after a difficult fire season” said Lindsay Fred, Cargill’s protein sales director for the Western region. “We’re proud to be doing our part to make an impact in the communities where we work and live through donations of nutritious food.”

Sara Olsher, marketing communications manager at Redwood Empire Foodbank notes that many people affected by the fires lost the entire contents of their refrigerators and freezers.

“Over the course of eight days, we activated 25 emergency distributions in 19 locations, in 10 towns, feeding more than 25,000 people on top of our normal work load,” said Olsher “Protein is one of the most expensive items on a plate, and as a result many families who deal with food insecurity go without. This was a much-needed item for local families.”

According to Feeding America, more than 4 million Californians are struggling with hunger - and more than 1.5 million of them are children.

“To say the donated beef was a blessing, would be an understatement, said Stephanie Otero, president and CEO of Feeding America Riverside | San Bernardino. “This donation not only came at an opportune time but is very appreciated by our community as meat is often high in demand, but infrequent in donations.”

In addition, Cargill supports Feeding America’s Meal Connect platform that directs hundreds of in-kind protein donations to Feeding America food banks around the U.S.

Focused on adding value for customers and consumers in a safe, responsible and sustainable way, the Cargill Protein – North America business is among the top three producers of beef and poultry products in North America. The business maintains 60 facilities, distribution centers, feed mills and hatcheries in the U.S. and Canada, and employs more than 28,000 people. The business has production and distribution centers in Fresno and across California.

Related stories:

Rancher Caused California’s Largest Wildfire