July 2017, Volume 23, Number 3

California: Water, Sanctuary
The California Department of Water Resources reported in April 2017 that 90 inches of precipitation fell in the northern Sierra mountains, breaking

Rural: Meat and Migrants
A Spring 2017 Washington Post survey found that rural Americans are uneasy about the changing demographics of the US and believe their Christianity

Labor, H-1B, DOL
The US unemployment rate was 4.4 percent in June 2017, near the lowest rate since 2001; employers added an average 180,000 jobs a month in the first

California: Robots, Cannabis
A combination of a $15-state-minimum wage by 2022 and fewer unauthorized newcomers is prompting more interest in labor-saving mechanization. Venture

Florida, Southeast
Florida. The Coalition of Immokalee Workers takes credit for detecting and helping to prosecute eight cases of slavery on Florida farms. After

Midwest, Northeast, Northwest
Colorado. Over the past decade, Weld county farmers have complained of labor shortages. Crop farmers with seasonal jobs turned to the H-2A program,

UFW, ALRB, Chavez
The UFW won the right to bargain for employees of Foster Farms in Livingston, California when it ousted the International Association of Machinists

NAWS California
The National Agricultural Workers Survey found that California has the highest share of foreign-born crop workers: 90 percent. Since most

Trump: Immigration
President Trump reached the 100-day mark in his presidency April 29, 2017 with some of the lowest approval rates in modern-day polling, 42 percent,

DHS: Removals, Exit-Entry
Apprehensions of unauthorized foreigners just inside the Mexico-US border dropped to 12,200 in March 2017; 11,100 in April 2017; and 20,000 in May

H-2A; H-2B
The Promoting Agricultural and Rural Prosperity in America executive order of April 25, 2017 instructed agencies to study several issues, including

NAFTA, Mexico, Canada
President Trump on May 18, 2017 informed Congress that he plans to re-negotiate rather than withdraw from NAFTA, the 1994 agreement that lowered

Europe, Asia
Over 10,000 migrants a month left Libya for Italy during the first six months of 2017, over 83,000 by the end of June. The major countries of origin

Compacts, Post-Truth
The world's population of 7.6 billion in mid-2017 is growing by 1.1 percent or 84 million a year, and will reach almost 10 billion in 2050. The

California: Cannabis, Dole
Cannabis production is rising in the Salinas Valley, as growers take over vacant greenhouses that were built for cut flower and berry production.

US Ag Trade, CAP
The value of US agricultural exports averaged $140 billion a year in recent years, while imports averaged $100 billion. US agricultural exports are

Wine, Food
The US had over 9,000 wineries in mid-2017, including at least two in each state. Most are small, and many are success-driven, that is, they are

Climate Change
President Trump on June 1, 2017 announced that the US would withdraw from the 2015 Paris climate agreement and negotiate a better deal to prevent the