Study Says Expo Impact is $1.2 Bil
Tulare - What started in 1968 as a small field crop equipment farm show in Tulare has turned into a really big deal - an international expo that generates as much as $1.2 billion for the local economy every year. That’s the findings of a recent study just completed.
Although the event is only three days - (February 10-12) now in its 37th year - preparation before and sales activity after help boost total local spending. And monies generated from the show increase the projected direct and indirect spending to this high number ($1.2 billion) figuring a standard 3x multiplier - money that gets recirculated in the local economy.
The growth of the show held each February just in the past 14 years has been impressive based on visitation, the number of exhibitors and income it generates or the number of enthusiastic volunteers that help make the show such a success.
Since 1990 the square footage of the expo itself has doubled to 2.5 million sq. ft., the number of exhibitors is nearly double - 1600 this year - and the crew of volunteers quadrupled from 1990 from 250 to some 1000 this year (see chart).
Just this week a consultant report for World Ag Expo prepared by Marketech and Lorimer Consulting Group reported that the 2003 event was attended by 78,915 people and the number of exhibitors last year was 1463 companies.
The 2003 show generated an estimated $129.4 million in new spending for Tulare and local area companies. The largest portion of that being exhibitor revenue of $99.5 million in total sales before, during and after the show.
The study assumes that indirect impact from the show include the gross sales from the exhibitors companies estimated to be $263,156 per exhibitor or $384.9 million. The figure was gleaned from a survey of exhibitors who attended the 2003 show. The total gross spending as a result of the show is estimated to be $414.8 million and figuring the multiplier at 3 the total impact comes to $1.24 billion.
“We always knew that this show had a dramatic impact on the local economy, but now we can formally and statistically back that up,” noted Gary Schulz, general manager of the International Agri-Center. “We are also very pleased to see the high rate of satisfaction among the attendees and the exhibitors. Our volunteers are doing things right!”
The consultant survey of exhibitors showed attendees generally like this show, said to be one of the biggest in the world. The survey found:
• 100% of those who have attended 11-15 years intend to return;
• The lowest number was first-time attendees, but still a strong 74%;
• 66% of attendees surveyed do not attend another show;
• 22% reported staying at a motel;
• 57% of those who have attended the show 16 to 20 years attend for new technology;
• First-time attendees come for information first, followed by new technology;
• The overwhelming majority of attendees rate the show as good or excellent;
• Respondents became aware of World Ag Expo by newspapers (38%) and radio (33%).
The 2004 show is expected to be larger than 2003 with a 12% increase in exhibitor numbers and an additional 400,000 sq. ft. taking it to 2.5 million sq. ft.
This year Pavilion D has about 60 more spaces and about 23,000 sq. ft. has been added to the dairy center. “We think we might reach that 100,000 visitation marker this year,” says Schulz.
Expect more international visitors this year, remarks Schulz because visa approval by attendees have been taken care of. Foreigners know it will take 6 months to get a visa and they have planned ahead, says Schulz.
Schulz reminds local visitors coming to the big show from the east side of the county and Visalia enter the area from Turner Dr. off Mooney on the north end of the expo. The road leads into the parking area - they’ve added about 16 acres of new eastside parking - is now paved with DG to make passage cleaner.
In the works at the Agri-Center grounds - a new office complex is part of the highly successful Heritage Complex next to the expo grounds. Schultz says funding from the federal government through Devin Nunes’ effort should add enough money to design a new two story, 40,000 sq. ft. office complex where rentable office space and even classroom space likely on the second floor for Cal Poly or other college classes that may be offered here.
One figure from the survey of the show was the fact that local non-profits gained $367,000 mostly in food sales at the show in 2003.
Porterville - Success Dam’s spillway raising project is on hold this month after a panel of experts recently determined a major seismic upgrade of the 43 year old dam is needed. The dam, 5 miles to the east of Porterville, had been identified by the US Corps of Engineers as requiring seismic improvements for years complete with an approved funding at $30 million to do the job.
Project manager Norbert Suter of the US Corps of Engineers says what’s new is that a panel of experts using computer modeling have now determined that the problem may be more serious than they thought before and that the expense to fix the dam “could be significantly higher than $30 million.”
The modeling exercise is based on what would happen to the earthen dam in the event of a significant earthquake. Suter says the problem is the loose material left under the earthen dam when it was built.
“In 40 years it never posed a problem,” says Suter, but the model showed that if the earthquake was large enough “the dam could slump” posing a danger to the people and property downstream.
In the event of a dam failure, much of the downstream land west of Porterville and Porterville itself would be inundated, according to a Tulare County emergency plan map.
Suter says with the latest computer modeling “we have a better idea of what would happen in an earthquake of a certain intensity.” Experts are concerned about “liquefaction” of the earth that makes up the dam and just what the corps needs to do to stabilize the dam, he says.
“We’re putting off plans to build the spillway for 2 or 3 months while we do some value engineering on the project,” says Suter.
Theoretically fillng the lake by adding 10 ft. to the spillway could put more pressure on the dam and experts want to be sure they can do the seismic work at the same time they raise the spillway, he says.
US Corps of Engineers’ researcher D.E. Yule said in a recent report that the corp has some 200 dams with significant seismic hazards. Most dams were constructed when earthquake engineering was in its infancy. Using current technology most of the dams “would be judged inadequate.”
Civil engineer Dick Schafer who is also watermaster on the Tule River, says the corps had been “studying this issue for over 20 years” and that the new concern is based on what would happen here in the event of an 8.3 earthquake on the San Andreas fault - some 53 miles away.
Report By June
“What they are concerned about is the unconsolidated material at the base of the dam,” he says. There was just a 6.5 earthquake on the fault in January and there was no horizontal movement at the dam then, he notes.
Schafer says still it’s good to be cautious and is glad the corps has promised to deliver a report on the Success safety issue by June of this year. That study should lay out a couple of alternatives to fix the dam, says Schafer, including the possible replacement of the dam.
Schafer says the dam originally built in 1961 cost $14.6 million to build. The spillway project alone is $25 million, and cost to fix the seismic problem range as high as $50 million, says Schafer.
The corps’ dam safety assurance program offers the following facts:
The performance of earthen dams during earthquakes came to the attention of the international engineering community in 1971 with the near failure of the Lower San Fernando Dam in California during a major earthquake. Before then, it was believed that well built earthen dams would survive all but the most massive earthquakes. The lessons learned after the Lower San Fernando Dam near failure resulted in the creation of earthquake dam safety programs in several Federal agencies.
The Corps of Engineers’ regulations state that all dams “are required to survive and remain safe during and following the maximum credible earthquake (MCE) event” and “must also be capable of remaining operational with only minor repair during and after an operating basis earthquake.” This regulation also states “It is US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) policy that seismic safety of USACE embankment dams, where failure would result in loss of life, must be assured.” The Dam Safety Assurance Program also requires that a wide range of alternatives be considered when addressing dam safety concerns. These alternatives include doing nothing, partial correction of the condition, complete correction of the condition, removing the dam, and replacing the dam with a new dam.
Suter says that the seismic upgrade is funded separately from the spillway raising project.
$3.5 Million for Spillway
The spillway project itself is facing a shortfall given President Bush’s 2005 budget.
So far only some preliminary work on the spillway project had been paid for including relocating the boat docks. The spillway project is funded on a multi year basis through a combination of federal, state and local monies - a $25 million project.
At issue on this project is also 2005 funding that will be short suggests Congressman Devin Nunes considering tight the budget in Washington and ballooning deficit. The corps was seeking about $6.5 million this coming budget year for the spillway raising.
The latest federal budget amount announced this week is just $3.5 million to carry on the spillway expansion project at Success. The bigger problem, says Dick Schafer, is that the state budget has no money for Success earmarked in 2005. State monies are supposed to match federal funds to move forward. “This project is going to be spread out over the years,” suggests Schafer.
In the meantime, the seismic upgrade will be funded by a different program.
Not that Porterville is near a major fault. But it is close enough to both the San Andreas fault on the west and the Mammoth fault to the east to shake now and then.
Tulare Close To Deal For Big Truck Depot
Tulare - The City of Tulare is close to a deal to land a major trucking company who is seeking a west coast hub. “Discussions are continuing, it’s looking very positive,” says city manager Kevin Northcraft.
Sources say the company will submit plans shortly for a major depot and maintenance facility that could start out employing 100 and expand to 500 in the future.
Sources say the company is fast growing Knight Transportation based in Phoenix.
The company is in escrow on a large parcel across Highway 99 from the AgTac complex.
Chamber economic development manager Bob Reynolds told the Voice the company is coming with their architectural drawings to meet later this month with the city using the Design Review Process. Then the plans would go directly to the city planning commission, he says.
Knight is publically traded on the NASDAQ. The company has 11 retail centers in the Midwest, southwest and west and just built a new hub in Las Vegas. This would be the major maintenance and base for California. The company had 2002 sales of $285 million, has 2700 employees, 2100 tractors and 5100 trailers. The company’s revenue grew 14% last year.
The carrier transports consumer goods, packaged food and beverages and other commodities.
The company is clearly in an expansion mode reported in a January 21 earning release to open 2 more operations centers in 2004.
Talking about the immediate business climate, CEO of the company Kevin Knight said “Looking ahead to 2004, we believe Knight Transportation is well positioned for further profitable growth. Freight demand has been seasonally stronger in January than in several years, and many economists are predicting robust economic growth for the year. We believe that the freight environment will afford additional opportunities to improve our revenue per mile. In addition, our concentrated recruiting and retention efforts, combined with driver pay increases in September and January, have contributed to our tractors being fully seated with drivers at this time.”
Sequoia Center
COS/FSU May Launch More 4 Year Classes
Visalia - The COS bond issue coming March 2 includes $7.5 million to be used to establish a school of higher education here. This week COS, city, VUSD and county officials met with Dr. John Welty of Fresno State to ask the college if they want to partner with COS in the effort here to add more 4 year class offerings - the first step in getting a 4 year campus in Tulare and Kings counties.
COS trustee Bob Line says we need to get the number of students attending the COS/FSU center already on the COS campus up to the equivalent of 500 full time students from where it is today - about 200. “You have to be at the 500 level before you can approach the state college chancellor to establish a new 4 year campus,” says Line.
With the assumption the March bond will pass (it needs a 55% favorable vote) the plan is to establish a larger more identifiable center to offer classes and speed the effort to add more students in upper division classes. “Fresno State is the logical partner for this,” says Line although officials don’t rule out partnering with other colleges, public and private to offer classes.
Line says Fresno State is ready to offer more classes in business, education, criminology and other majors in the near future making it possible for local students to get a bachelor’s degree in Visalia.
Dr. Welty said they would get back with us in about 30 to 60 days on what curriculum and space needs they may need if a new facility would be available.
“We’re calling it Sequoia Center,” says Line - a collaborated effort to offer more 4 year classes at a location in or near COS that will offer ease of parking, separate classrooms and facilities but near COS. Today the small center is clustered in the middle of the COS campus that many Visalian’s don’t know it is even there.
COS VP Don Goodyear says the new center “will be pretty high tech” since FSU wants to carry out more distance learning classes at the new center. The center would also likely be the location for Visalia Cal Poly classes.
Possible Locations
As to the location for the new Sequoia Center, COS president Kim Badrkhan says they are studying a possible location on Noble at Woodland that the COS Foundation recently acquired from CalTrans - the old Oak Tree Motel site on 3.5 acres. The other possibility is along Tulare Ave. where the college expects to purchase the remaining homes if the bond passes as well to lay out 1200 new parking places. Parking for both institutions could be accommodated here since most of the FSU classes are PM or night classes - the opposite of many COS scheduled classes.
Goodyear says the idea in siting the new center will be allow room for it to grow while providing a separate identity.
“We need to some marketing when we get this center set up,” says Line.
Other schools are coming in the area including private schools like Fresno Pacific who will set up a new facility at Akers and 198 late this year. Cal Poly continues its classroom program in Tulare as well and could use the Sequoia Center, sources say.
FSU, city and COS officials have been meeting for a couple of years discussing expansion here. But the opportunity to establish a new separate facility has appeared to give this initiative - considered crucial to this area’s quality of life and economic development - new life.
Tulare and Kings counties remain the largest region in the state without a 4 year college. These two counties have one of the lowest number of 4 year grads in the state as well.
Maze’s Effort
Assemblyman Bill Maze has introduced a bill this year to allow community colleges to offer 4 year classes in nursing, business and technology to do a pilot program that would be here at COS. Maze says the CSU system that includes Fresno State - is against the legislation.
Why is it important to have four year classes in Visalia? Don Goodyear lists a couple of reasons.
“That’s the first thing a company wants to know when they are considering a location in your community - is there a 4 year college.”
Secondly, it provides cost effective alternative both for students who want 4 year degrees and the parents that have to pay for it. Another aspect - “when a kid goes away to college, he often never returns,” notes Goodyear. “It’s kind of a brain drain.”
While the planning goes on for the Sequoia Center, officials are wary of moving too fast since “it’s all up to the tax payers” if this idea is still going to happen.
Ruiz Foods In Expansion Mode
Dinuba - Privately held Ruiz Foods will expand their Dinuba food processing plant over the next year and according to city officials add 300 to 500 new jobs. The company already employs 1700 workers.
“The consumer demand for Mexican food - its unique flavor profiles and textures - continues to gain popularity throughout the United States.” “As a result, we continue to experience solid double-digit growth,” says Ruiz Foods board chair, Fred Ruiz.
In addition the company announced it would lease a building in Tulare to immediately expand two lines there employing over 100 people.
Ruiz has taken a 2 year lease on the 16,000 sq. ft. facility off So. K St. The company retains an option to buy the facility owned by the Tulare Industrial Site Foundation. Ruiz plans to be in production in Tulare next month.
Ruiz, said the Dinuba expansion comes as the company has purchased more land from the city of Dinuba next to its plant - now it has 44 acres with their 300,000 sq. ft plant on 25 acres of it. Ruiz says the new plant will “be at least 100,000 sq. ft.”
The company needed to move forward on expansion now because they will be a full capacity within a year or even sooner, says Ruiz.
Once the expansion is in place it’s likely the Tulare facility will not be needed. “I don’t want to mislead Tulare people to think this will be permanent.” Ruiz Foods started in Tulare and one quarter of the employees still live there. Many will now be able to work in the same town where they live, at least for awhile.
Ruiz says the goal is to increase production at their plant by another 50% with the expansion taking it up to 60,000 lbs. of food per hour, to 140,000 lbs. per hour.
Ruiz says the plant will be highly automated and allow room in the older plant to expand product lines there.
Most recently the company expanded its cold storage capacity by 65,000 sq. ft. and just this month turned on their new cogeneration power plant that may save the company big time on their power bills.
The company is in its 40 year of operation and its 11 year in Dinuba.
In the past year Ruiz made it known he was considering expanding their production in another state largely due to the poor business climate and high cost of dong business in California. “We weighed the decision to build a second facility outside of California,” said Ruiz, “but are cautiously optimistic about the state’s commitment to make California more business-friendly. We, therefore, decided to move forward with our expansion right here in Dinuba.”
Ruiz says some changes he is seeing in California is the reduction in power costs (PG&E has filed for a rate decrease), lower workman’s comp costs and “some optimism that the legislature has gotten the message that the state’s business climate must encourage companies to be successful in order to help create jobs.”
Rumor had it that the company was considering Arizona or building a production facility back east to complement a plan to build a distribution warehouse for the eastern market.
Established in 1964 by Fred and his father, Louis, Ruiz Foods is a privately held corporation with over 1700 employees. Ruiz Foods is dedicated to building its signature El Monterey brand and is the national market leader within the frozen Mexican food category.
14 Older Employees Want Their Job Back At The Visalia Vons
Visalia - Even as the southern California grocery strike drags on - a Visalia labor dispute at the local Vons store is pitting 14 long time employees against the grocer. The forum of the dispute is not the picket line here, but the Tulare County Superior Court.
The charge by the group is that Vons practiced age discrimination against them either terminating them or reducing their hours to part time despite their long time service to the company.
Vons employee Marilyn Dianne Honomichl for example is 49 years old and had been employed by the company for 31 years. Plaintiff Michaele Harris is 56 and had been employed by Vons for 20 years. Plaintiff Salome Hernandez is 46 and had been employed by the company for 15 years. Plaintiff Reynaldo Say is 44 and had 17 years with the grocer. All 14 - 13 of them over 40 - say they were terminated or demoted to part time in late March of 2003.
In a lawsuit filed in late April in Superior Court the former employees charge that the same time they were demoted or fired a significant number of younger employees who had worked for Vons for a shorter period of time did not receive reduced scheduled hours or were otherwise treated more fairly, says the suit.
The former employees filed a grievance with the Department of Fair Employment charging they had been retaliated against by the company and manager Randy Van Nort. They said after the demotions to part time they were also assigned to unfavorable work schedules or job assignments.
Attorney for the plaintiffs, Charles Taylor of Fresno would not comment on the case nor would attorney for Vons, Shelline Bennett of Fresno. Nor would any of the former employees talk to the Voice on advice from their attorney.
Now the case is set for an April 19 trial hearing in Tulare County Superior Court.
Sources say the loss of full time status limits some benefits that only a full time employee can receive. A second suit filed in October added the charge of retaliation.
It has been a long time charge by employee advocates that companies seek to lower their labor costs by replacing older workers with younger employees who will work for less.
In the court findings Vons denied that they did anything wrong.
The Federal Age Discrimination and Employment Act provides that workers over the age of 40 cannot be arbitrarily discriminated against because of age in any employment decision. The employer can lay off a person for valid reasons including poor job performance and the company’s own economic problems. But if there is a pattern that includes lay off or demotion of mostly older workers, sources say a ADEA lawsuit may be successful.
The former employees are also filing for punitive damages based on their emotional suffering.
If the employee wins in court the typical remedy is for them to be returned to their jobs.
The issue of benefits is a big one for union grocery workers that include three Vons employees in Visalia the strike in southern California is over a plan by grocery chains with union contracts to reduce health benefits. The grocery chains want to cut and cap benefits for new hires. Grocery stores say they are asking employees pay a co pay on their health plan, something most Americans do.
San Joaquin River
The Valley's east vs west water war is over - at least the latest round as Westlands Water District and Friant Water Users Authority signed a pact to end the dispute over the San Joaquin River. "We signed the deal last Thursday," says FWUA board president Kole Upton. "This makes Westlands application to appropriate water from the San Joaquin River moot," says Upton.
The San Joaquin River is the source for water for 1 million acres on the valley's eastside served by Friant including many districts in Tulare County.
The dispute has hung over all water discussions in the state since 2001 when Westlands filed the claim with a state oversite agency. Now the application will not be withdrawn, says Upton, but both Friant and Westlands will experience control over it. Leaving the application pending ensures no other entity can get first in line, says Upton.
The news makes it easier to get funding from Cal Fed legislation this year as the issue had clouded the atmosphere back in Washington on a number of occasions as legislators tried to work out compromise legislation that includes both big federal contractors.
The breakthrough came in the fall of 2002 when a new board was elected at Westlands and Upton and new board chair Dan Errotaberre held peace talks that are bearing fruit today.
Key Provisions of the Settlement Agreement
The agreement states that "It is the intent of the parties that this agreement is to form the framework within which Westlands and Friant will jointly pursue programs, projects and other activities of mutual benefit that may be identified from time to time in the future." Included as potential projects, programs and activities are efforts to restore long-term water supply reliability to CVP water service contractors while providing appropriate levels of environmental projection, efforts to supplement existing water supplies, and efforts to address drainage needs within Westlands.
The agreement calls for the creation of a Coordination Committee comprised of five representatives from Friant and Westlands respectively. The Committee is charged with the "orderly and efficient implementation" of projects, programs and activities.
Other Key Provisions
• Westlands will permanently abandon efforts to secure water from the San Joaquin River.
• Friant will adopt a resolution urging its member districts to rescind resolutions or policies limiting or restricting water transfers or cooperation with Westlands.
• Friant and Westlands will work cooperatively to support the so-called "Project Integration Proposal" designed to better manage and share assets between the Central Valley Project and the State Water Project.
• Westlands and Friant will collaborate on proposed legislation to reauthorize the CalFed-Delta Program.
• Westlands and Friant will support efforts to increase water storage, whether in Northern California or the San Joaquin Valley.
• Friant will support Westlands' land retirement program.
• Westlands will support consensus based efforts to restore the San Joaquin River in ways that do not adversely impact water users.
An 18 year veteran of the water wars - Gary Sawyers - legal counsels for the Friant Water Users Authority has resigned his position after harsh criticism from one member district. That district - Madera Irrigation District - has been critical of Sawyers suggesting the private attorney had a "conflict of interest" overseeing the works of FWUA to bring water to the one million acre district. "The charges are clearly unfounded," says FWUA board chair Kole Upton of Chowchilla. "This is the worst thing that has come out of this squabble within the negotiations right now."
There are 22 member districts up and down the east side of the valley that make up the organization with Madera the only district that appear to be marching to a different drummer. Madera refuses to go along with changes proposed to the board this past year that won't require unanimity on some votes as it does now with a number of 21 to 1 votes recorded. Because of the dispute - a new organization made up of many of the member districts has just been formed - Friant Water Authority - hoping to carry on the work of the federal contractor with the Madera district.
Upton had high praise for Mr. Sawyers who he said "could put people together and works out problems."
After he had been attacked too many times "he decided to say to hell with it," says Upton.
Sawyers sent in a letter or resignation in mid December to the board of Friant Water Users. Upton presented a motion to ask him to come back. But Madera ID voted against the motion in a 21 to 1 vote again. Sawyers said he would not run to either the original FWUA or the new organization being formed, Friant Water Authority. Attorney for the group is Visalia's Zack Smith.
Sawyers said he got repeated letters from Madera ID asking him to disclose clients he may have had in his water law practice for the past 6 years that had any dealing with Delta water or other water that could be delivered to the Friant unit. Sawyers says he can't divulge attorney client information but assures everyone he has no conflict.
Upton who chairs FWUA says we're in "some kind of purgatory right now" but isn't ready to join the new group yet not sure of all the implications.
Downtown Visalia outlets discover the Fresno market. No less than four Downtown Visalia outlets within a block of each other have recently opened or plan to open Fresno area stores. Visalia based Fuggazi's, Cruise Experts, Henry Salazar's and Raphael's Jewelry all are expanding to Fresno or Clovis. This is the reverse of the conventional expansion from larger metro area to a smaller outlying market.
Customers of PG and E are happy the utility has applied for a rate decrease starting in March that includes a 15% break for businesses. SCE on the other hand who dropped rates last year want to raise them 3%.
The first major power plant to be approved in some time in the central valley was given the OK by the California Energy Commission last month. Calpine has not indicated if they will move forward on the $500 million natural gas fired power plant near San Joaquin west of Fresno. The city will generate more than 100 mw of power. Calpine has had a tough time economically along with other power producers these past few years because of over supply. But the valley is in need of local generation, says officials. An issue yet to be sorted out - how will offsets of other plant emissions affect its feasibility.
A new Wendy's restaurant is being proposed to the city at the southeast corner of Caldwell and Demaree in Visalia.
The City of Visalia recorded 93 new single family home permits in January and one four plex putting on a pace seen all of last year. The figure is higher than January of 2003.
The Visalia City Council approved the contract to construct Ferguson from Conyer to Dinuba Blvd. this week - a street that will be a major intersection with a stop light for the northside. That should help developer Joe Gong who is looking to attract retail and grocery stores to a shopping center at the corner. Ferguson will be a big street in the future, connecting al the way west to Plaza Dr.
To add more parking in the Santa Fe/Oak area in Visalia - the city approved a new parking lot east of Santa Fe that will be a future roadway but serve as parking for the time being. The parking lot will extend someways east of Tipton as well. The area is a bee hive of new office construction recently.
Not good news for the good people of Stratford in Kings County where they have been advised not to drink their water due to fecal bacteria in their water supply. A sample was taken January 20. The contamination is both human and animal waste. There is an investigation to find out what is causing the problem. In the meantime kids are drinking bottled water at the local school.
Walmart has made it official in Lemoore filing plans for a 150,000 sq. ft. store just west of Highway 41 across from the college. The company also applied for a liquor license. The 24 acre development is also likely to include the town's first Starbucks also with other restaurants. Walmart also has plans to sell groceries eventually in a second phase of the project. Grumbling in town has begun and as is likely the big discounter will probably have a fight on their hands.
The Sierra Club and Bakersfield housing developers have agreed on an air impact fee of $1200 per home for planned housing tracts. the Kaweah Chapter of the Sierra Club says the money will help clean up Bakersfield's air. The deal will generate $1.7 million for Sierra Club projects that they say will help offset emissions generated as a result of the new homes.
Two familiar figures for Valley Voice readers will be honored at this month's World Ag Expo February 10-12. World Wide Sires owner William Clark will get the award for International Genetics Marketing and California Dairies Inc. CEO Gary Korsmeier will receive a dairy industry leadership award. Both awards come from Western Dairy Business magazine.
The Westlake Farms' big composting project went to the Kings County Planning Commission and got approval this week. The big project that will convert L.A. sewer sludge to the equivalent of store bought compost has mostly kudos with 117 letters of support and none against, says the county's chief planner Bill Zumwalt.
Cleaner fuel? In Maine they've banned the sale of new diesel cars and VW says they won't upgrade their cars but wait for cleaner diesel expected in 2007. The issue is the same in California where Dean Florez wants to get farmers to convert to electric pumps - at great expense from diesel. But cleaner burning diesel may solve the problem here. In Bakersfield there are plans for more biodiesel production that supplies an immediate - renewable source - supply of fuel to make the tractors and pumps run cleaner.
Speaking of air, the EPA is expected to approve a new valley particulate matter plan but the Sierra Club and others say the plan has no teeth in it and doesn't go far enough to clean up emissions like ammonia from cows. The plan calls for a 5% reduction in pm annually. But the critics say the plan won't meet federal standards until 2010. Ag gets off easy, they argue.
The above stories are the property of The Valley Voice Newspaper and may not be reprinted without explicit permission in writing from the publisher.
February 4, 2004
