Current Events
The View through the Windshield and the Rear View Mirror
Summer and a Granger’s fancy turns toward October and our State Convention. I have been to and reported on all State Conventions since 1977. Each convention has distinctive features, and each convention has constants that never seem to change. Our members begin to focus on two questions: the direction of our governance, and the direction of our Grange. Resolutions are presented in the hopes of directing both, and that is healthy and good. The resolution process gives us the chance to establish facts and debate issues openly.
Additionally, the resolution process also chronicles the history of our Grange. Study the resolutions, and you profile the Grange, you discover our anthropology, it’s the rear-view mirror that tells us where we have been. It was George Dupray who commented that the resolutions that failed were nearly as important as the resolutions that passed, as they also spoke to the will of the Grange.
Farmers Bill of Rights Kicks Off in Paso Robles
Our first Farmers Bill of Rights round-table meeting launched like a Roman Candle at the El Paso de Robles Grange on April 26.
About twenty-five people attended, including farmers, ranchers, consumers, educators, farmers market managers and more. My great appreciation goes to our friends Rohana Mayer and Master Lester Rougeot for making this happen.
New Member Benefit Offers Discounts On Propane
A new benefit program will provide discount rates and premium service for Grange members and halls that use propane gas. Master Bob McFarland negotiated the state-wide program with AmeriGas, a national provider of propane.
“Grange members will be able to purchase propane for much less than competitors’ rates,” commented McFarland.
WHO WILL GROW YOUR FOOD IN 2020?
The average age of the American farmer is 55, and rising. It is obvious that unless we want to be as dependent on other countries for our food as we are for our oil, we must replace these aging farmers. The California State Grange, seeking to preserve American agriculture and protect California farmers, is asking our Legislature to review current labor law and preserve the practice of agricultural internships and volunteers.
In the past, families trained family members to take over the family farm, providing them with the practical knowledge to make the book-learned skills work. Today, our culture is changing. Fewer young people are remaining on the farm, be it economics or simply social preference. On-the-job training (OJT) gained from a childhood on the farm is being lost. As the old song asks, “How you gonna keep ‘em down on the farm after they’ve seen Paris?”
Grange-Sponsored “Frankenfish” Bill Introduced In Assembly
Sacramento, CA - California Assembly member Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) introduced Assembly Bill 88 today, which aims to protect California consumers' right-to-know by requiring all genetically engineered (GE) salmon sold in California to be clearly labeled.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is currently considering approval of a type of Genetically Engineered (GE) farmed Atlantic salmon which would be the first ever GE animal approved for human consumption. The FDA is also considering whether or not to require labeling should it be approved for sale domestically. The California State Grange believes that not enough is currently known about the potential impacts of GE salmon to conclude that it is safe for the environment in general or wild fish populations specifically.