Well, 2007 already, a new semester. I had a Mexico-induced hiatus from blogging, and now is the time to start up again.
I'm ready to start blogging on food politics and agricultural issues again plus some other topics. I do want to say it has been horrific to see the news coverage of the citrus crop freeze-out disaster in CA. To lose 75% of your crop is to lose your future livelihood and your ability to farm. Some farmers are already hanging on by a slim thread, and one crop freeze-out can mean no ability to pay back production loans, which will mean foreclosure. I wonder if this freeze-out will mean a significant end to the citrus industry in CA with orange imports from Mexico and Central America replacing those CA oranges? Or maybe Florida growers will pick up the slack. As bad as things are for the farmers, you can be sure they are even worse for the migrant workers who pick and pack the crops. I'm glad to hear the CA govt is planning unemployment benefits of some sort.
I have to say, too, that seeing all the media images of frozen fruit on the ground this week freaked me out. Growing up on an apple farm, I (and my family) lived in dread that a freeze, hailstorm or windstorm would ruin our crop. One year we had a significant blow-down or windstorm. Right before harvest, a good percentage of our apple crop actually was knocked off the trees by high winds. I remember crawling around on the ground picking up windfalls to be sent to the Tree Top Juice Plant. I remember my Dad saying that the apples were dollars hanging on the tree and pennies rotting on the ground.
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The images of all that ruined food just makes me sad. Fruit has such an aesthetic quality -- it's disturbing to see it ruined, stunted. It's moving in a way that I find, well, odd -- but there it is nonetheless (compassion for fruit -- or maybe just compassion for my palate -- I do, after all, wait for citrus season to begin every year!)
This is quite a blow to the US agriculture community. Stupid question: Can farmers insure themselves against this kind of loss?
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