World disaster watch

I was taking a look at Seattle lawyer Bill Marler's blog and saw a link there to a fascinating Web site. If you ever think that the world is rocking along steadily with no apparent problems, you need to look at this site. In fact, I think I will add a link to this site on my blog.

Storms, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, biological hazards, food borne illness outbreaks (no reports of any today) and epidemics are given their due.

Superman needs a link to this site. The world needs some help.


Speaking of people who do good, I received an e-mail from Rick Bella, director of purchasing for America's Second Harvest. He asked if a link to their site could be added to the blog, and I gladly added it under industry links.

Bella was right to remind me that America's Second Harvest provides services to the produce industry when there are gluts, surplus, damaged produce due to accidents, train derailments, and other occasions. Food, financial and in-kind donations enable the group and its network to distribute more than 2-billion pounds of food and grocery products to more than 25 million Americans each year. See this link for information.

Slicing the pie

We've already the heard the illustration of more people around the table, impatiently waiting with forks ready for a disturbingly smaller pie.

This, one of the first projections of what dollars will be available for the next farm bill, certainly confirms that mental image. Dollars devoted to the next farm bill are projected at $74 billion over 10 years, off $30 billion from an earlier 2006 projection by the Congressional Budget Office. Higher grain prices over the next ten years will reduce farm subsidies, Texas A & M economists say.

James Richardson, co-director, Texas A&M Agriculture and Food Policy Center is quoted saying that greater emphasis on conservation, renewable energy and fruits and vegetables in the 2007 farm bill will diminish funds devoted to the commodity title.

Not without a fight, I'm sure.

Signing on

The California Department of Food and Agriculture explains in this release how the leafy greens marketing agreement will proceed. The next step in the process is the sign up period for leafy green handlers. If the sign up period shows sufficient participation - Feb. 5 is the apparent soft deadline - then the CDFA would certify the agreement. The marketing agreement would be the first step in the overall plan toward a marketing order, which would apply to all leafy greens growers.

I would hope that the leafy green marketing agreement would find overwhelming participation. If sign ups capture only 40% to 70% of total handlers, I would think that would be a serious setback to the process. My impression, though as a distant observer, is that it will be higher than that.

I can say that I was much impressed with California Agriculture Secretary A. G. Kawamura. He was a key contributor to the fruit and vegetable industry advisory committee Tuesday and Wednesday, offering comments and questions early and often.