Jennifer Maloney and Alejandro Lazo reported yesterday at The Wall Street Journal Online that, “Wildfires sweeping through some of California’s most prized wine regions have damaged at least 15 wineries in Napa and Sonoma counties, vintners and industry representatives said Tuesday.

“The damage isn’t expected to permanently cripple the industry, however. While some winery buildings burned to the ground, taking with them entire vintages of wine in tanks and barrels, the grape vines themselves are resistant to fire and are expected to survive. And this year’s harvest in Napa and Sonoma was nearly complete, according to vintner associations in both counties.

Gary Truitt reported today at Hoosier Ag Today Online that, “The Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law, in cooperation with Purdue University, is launching a program in agriculture law. Amy Cornell, a 2006 graduate of IU McKinney and a graduate of Purdue University, has been retained as a consultant and will assemble a steering committee to build the program.

“‘I am excited about the opportunity to build programming in the area of agriculture law,’ said IU McKinney Dean Andrew R. Klein. ‘We are well-positioned to do so, given our location in the heart of the Midwest and the strong support we have received from Indiana’s leaders in the legislature. I look forward to collaborating with our colleagues at the Purdue University College of Agriculture, and I am delighted that Amy Cornell will lead our efforts.'”

Today’s update indicated that, “Karen Plaut, interim dean of the Purdue University College of Agriculture, said that this collaboration will meet a critical need: ‘The area of agriculture law requires a distinctive set of skills as well as in-depth knowledge about what is occurring in industry, research and fields across our state, country and the world,’ she said. ‘We look forward to this collaboration to build a program that utilizes the impressive strengths of IU McKinney and Purdue Agriculture.'”

Josephine Marcotty reported on the front page of today’s Minneapolis Star Tribune that, “When Marla Waseka converted the gracious Franciscan nunnery northwest of St. Cloud to a boutique lakeside resort and retreat in 2008, the nitrate levels in her well were low. A few years later they were so high she had to warn her guests not to drink the water. And when authorities warned they’d shut her down if it weren’t fixed, she spent $12,000 to drill a deeper well for clean water.

“Now Minnesota is poised to roll out its first-ever strategy to protect drinking water from the farm fertilizers that carry nitrates — one of Minnesota’s worst pollution problems. What makes Waseka angry is that it won’t do nearly enough to clean up the water.

“‘This should be a much higher priority,’ said Waseka, who has followed the state’s proposed plan since her well problem. ‘Incurring a cost is one thing. Not being able to continue in business is another.'”

From the front page of today’s Minneapolis Star Tribune.

The article noted that, “And though they have expressed support for the strategy in carefully couched comment letters, Minnesota’s top environmental officials agree with her. They say the state’s long-awaited nitrogen fertilizer management rule will place farmers’ yields above groundwater protection — and continue to put drinking water at risk.

“‘The unfortunate part is that it’s impossible to raise crops without an impact on groundwater,’ said Randy Ellingboe, head of the Health Department’s drinking water section.

“The contradiction between supporting farmers and protecting water may be inevitable in a state where agriculture contributes $19 billion annually to the economy. Every year, farmers plant 16 million acres with corn and soybeans, using close to 800,000 tons of fertilizer.”

Today’s article added that, “Anchored in the state’s 1989 Groundwater Protection Act, the rule is Minnesota’s first effort to regulate farmers’ use of fertilizer. It’s expected to be complete in late 2018, after another public comment period.

“Even so, it has generated fierce debate across the state.

A news release yesterday from the House Agriculture Committee stated that, “Today, the House Agriculture Committee approved five bipartisan, commonsense measures designed to cut red tape and improve efficiency of forest and land management and diversify input on commodity standards. Following today’s markup, Chairman K. Michael Conaway made the below remarks:

“‘Maintaining our federal forests can be hard enough without the bureaucratic red tape of Washington getting in the way. Two of the measures approved by the committee today take important steps to expedite forest management activities and help tap the ingenuity of the private sector to reduce the risk of wildfire.

“‘Each of these measures, from land transfers to commodity standards boards to forest management, make commonsense improvements to our federal programs. Thanks to my colleagues for advancing these bipartisan bills.'”

The update noted that, “Click here for more information, including Chairman Conaway’s opening statement and the archived webcast.”

A news release yesterday from USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) indicated that, “Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue today announced that over $9.6 billion in payments will be made, beginning this week, to producers through the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC), Price Loss Coverage (PLC) and Conservation Reserve (CRP) programs.  The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is issuing approximately $8 billion in payments under the ARC and PLC programs for the 2016 crop year, and $1.6 billion under CRP for 2017.

“‘Many of these payments will be made to landowners and producers in rural communities that have recently been ravaged by drought, wildfires, and deadly hurricanes,’ Perdue said.  ‘I am hopeful this financial assistance will help those experiencing losses with immediate cash flow needs as we head toward the end of the year.’

“The ARC and PLC programs were authorized by the 2014 Farm Bill and offer a safety net to agricultural producers when there is a substantial drop in revenue or prices for covered commodities. Over half a million producers will receive ARC payments and over a quarter million producers will receive PLC payments for 2016 crops, starting this week and continuing over the next several months.”

The FSA update added that, “Also, as part of an ongoing effort to protect sensitive lands and improve water quality and wildlife habitat, USDA will begin issuing 2017 CRP payments this week to over 375,000 Americans.

“‘American farmers and ranchers are among our most committed conservationists,’ said Perdue. ‘We all share a responsibility to leave the land in better shape than we found it for the benefit of the next generation of farmers. This program helps landowners provide responsible stewardship on land that should be taken out of production.'”

A news release today from Purdue University indicated that, “Have you recently started your own direct-to-consumer farming operation? To learn invaluable information about legal issues related to farming, attend the Purdue Extension Beginning Farmer Workshop – Central Region scheduled Dec. 6 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Indiana State Fairgrounds’ Discovery Hall, Suite 201, 1202 E. 38^th St., Indianapolis.

“Presented by Farm Commons, a nonprofit organization providing legal education to sustainable farmers to build resilient and healthy food systems, the Sustainable Farm Law 101 workshop is a fun, 6-hour interactive workshop co-facilitated by an attorney and two farmers who say developing a strong, legally resilient farm business can be easier than you may think.”

The release added that, “‘This is a unique and valuable opportunity for beginning small-scale, diversified farm owners to learn about legal issues important for their business,’ said Emily Toner, urban agriculture educator, Purdue Extension-Marion County.

“Registration is required and available to the first 40 participants.

“Cost is $50 and lunch will be provided.

“To register or find more information about other regional workshops, go to www.conf.purdue.edu/BegFarmerTours. Look for the registration tabs located at the upper and lower right corners of the webpage.”

A news release yesterday from Purdue University stated that, “Laws that changed animal confinement standards in California raised the price of eggs dramatically upon adoption and have kept prices higher than had the laws not been enacted, according to a Purdue University study. An analysis of the laws’ effects on egg production and prices in California could inform other states considering similar legislation.

“The 2008 Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act, approved by 63 percent of California voters, requires animal producers to increase the amount of space available to animals in chicken battery cages, veal crates and sow gestation crates. Taking effect in January 2015, the law requires that confined spaces be large enough to allow animals to ‘turn around freely, lie down, stand up, and fully extend their limbs.’ The law banned production and sale of products that didn’t meet these requirements, and another law required products imported from other states follow the same rules.

“Jayson Lusk, a distinguished professor and head of Purdue’s Department of Agricultural Economics, and Conner Mullally, an assistant professor in the Food and Resource Economics Department at the University of Florida, analyzed 16 years’ worth of egg production and pricing data from California and surrounding states from before and after the law went into effect. Their findings were reported in the American Journal of Agricultural Economics.”

The news update added that, “Lusk and Mullally don’t take a stance on the animal welfare law but wanted to understand what it meant in terms of production and cost for producers and consumers. They believe the findings can inform residents and lawmakers from other states that are considering laws that require larger living spaces or free-range requirements for animals.”

The Des Moines Register editorial board recently stated that, “How much pork can Iowa reasonably produce?

“That debate can’t come soon enough.

“A record number of hogs and pigs were on Iowa farms as of Sept. 1: 22.9 million, up 3 percent from a year ago, according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture report released Thursday. That’s about 7.3 times more pigs than people in the state.”

The opinion item noted that, “More hogs and processing plants bring more jobs and income. But they also bring noxious odors that can make people sick. They threaten water bodies and groundwater — and more than half of the state’s lakes, rivers and streams are already considered polluted.

“All of this leaves Iowa totally unprepared for an influx of more hogs.”

The Register editorial added that, “Lawmakers, led by Gov. Kim Reynolds, can demand a full accounting of the costs of pork production. And they can find the courage to have a debate over how we divide up paying for those costs.

“If they can’t do these things, then perhaps lawmakers should do what county supervisor boards, rural residents, environmental groups and others have asked. If lawmakers can’t provide more local control, then they should pass a moratorium on new confinements.

“That may not be an ideal solution. But pressing pause may be the only way Iowa can catch up to this fast-growing industry.”