Agriculture is a major industry in the United States,which is a net exporter of food. As of the 2017 census of agriculture,there were 2.04 million farms,covering an area of 900 million acres (1,400,000 sq mi),an average of 441 acres per farm.
The United Farm Workers of America,or more commonly just United Farm Workers (UFW),is a labor union for farmworkers in the United States. It originated from the merger of two workers' rights organizations,the Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee (AWOC) led by organizer Larry Itliong,and the National Farm Workers Association (NFWA) led by César Chávez and Dolores Huerta. They became allied and transformed from workers' rights organizations into a union as a result of a series of strikes in 1965,when the mostly Filipino farmworkers of the AWOC in Delano,California,initiated a grape strike,and the NFWA went on strike in support. As a result of the commonality in goals and methods,the NFWA and the AWOC formed the United Farm Workers Organizing Committee on August 22,1966. This organization was accepted into the AFL–CIO in 1972 and changed its name to the United Farm Workers Union.
The California Air Resources Board is an agency of the government of California that aims to reduce air pollution. Established in 1967 when then-governor Ronald Reagan signed the Mulford-Carrell Act,combining the Bureau of Air Sanitation and the Motor Vehicle Pollution Control Board,CARB is a department within the cabinet-level California Environmental Protection Agency.
Nicole M. Parra is an American attorney and politician who served as a member of the California State Assembly from 2002 to 2008. A Democrat,she represented the 30th Assembly district,which includes a portion of California's Central Valley.
Pesticide drift refers to the unintentional diffusion of pesticides and the potential negative effects of pesticide application,including off-target contamination due to spray drift as well as runoff from plants or soil. This can lead to damage in human health,environmental contamination,and property damage. Some pesticides are more likely to drift than others which can mean it is more harmful in some cases. For example,fumigants which are gaseous pesticides move easily through air and will drift if not contained. Some pesticides look like a cloud when they drift while others can be invisible and odorless.
Michael J. Rubio is a former California State Senator representing the 16th Senate District before resigning on February 22,2013. He previously served as Fifth District Kern County Supervisor representing the communities of Arvin,Lamont,and East Bakersfield.
Proposition 2 was a California ballot proposition in that state's general election on November 4,2008. It passed with 63% of the votes in favor and 37% against. Submitted to the Secretary of State as the Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act,the initiative's name was amended to officially be known as the Standards for Confining Farm Animals initiative. The official title of the statute enacted by the proposition is the Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act.
Frances Audrey Florez is an American politician from California and a member of the Democratic Party.
Danny Desmond Gilmore is an American politician and law enforcement officer who served as a member of the California State Assembly for the 30th district from 2008 to 2010. In the November 2008 election,Gilmore won an upset victory over Shafter Mayor Fran Florez.
William Wheeler Monning is an American politician who was elected to the California State Senate in 2012. A Democrat,he served in the 17th Senate District which encompasses the Central Coast. Monning was reelected to the Senate in 2016 for a second and final term ending in November,2020. Education,the environment and public health are areas of particular interest to Monning.
Paul H. Anderson is an American politician serving in the Minnesota House of Representatives since 2009. A member of the Republican Party of Minnesota,Anderson represents District 12A in central Minnesota,which includes the cities of Morris and Benson and portions of Big Stone,Pope,Stearns,Stevens and Swift Counties.
The Migrant Housing Act (MHA) of North Carolina (S.B. 631;North Carolina General Statutes 95-222:229) was made into law in the U.S. state of North Carolina in 1989. It governs migrant workers housing through regulations of housing inspections,standards to be met,and recognition of housing that meets all standards and requirements after the pre-occupancy inspection is done by the North Carolina Department of Labor (NCDOL) and the local county health department. Its goal is to ensure safe and healthy migrant housing conditions.
Bob Peterson is an American politician who served as a Republican member of the Ohio Senate from the 17th District,where served as President Pro Tempore. From 2011 to 2012,he served as a member of the Ohio House of Representatives,representing the 85th district. Before being elected to the Ohio House of Representatives,he was Fayette County Commissioner for 14 years. He was first elected as a state representative in November 2010.
Raymond A. (Ray) Watson is a former American television executive who was a member of the Board of Supervisors in Kern County,California,representing the western part of the county,between November 2002 and November 2012. He was chairman of the board in 2010. Watson was named Broadcaster of the Year by the California Broadcasters Association in 2002. He was on the advisory committee of the Carrizo Plain National Monument and was a director of the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District.
Shafter High School is a public high school in Shafter,California,United States,a city north of Bakersfield,California.
California Senate Bill 535 is a California bill that was introduced by Senator Kevin De Leon of Los Angeles and signed into law on September 30,2012 by Governor Jerry Brown. SB 535 is largely based on the actions introduced by Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006,commonly known as AB 32. AB 32 was passed in 2006 and its goal is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in California. The process outlined by AB 32 resulted in the creation of a cap-and-trade system in California. Companies must purchase extra credits when they exceed their allotted amount for the cap and trade. Each year,the money generated from companies purchasing extra credits is expected to generate about $1 billion of state revenue. SB 535 requires that 25% of the fund is spent on projects that benefit disadvantaged communities,while at least 10% of the 25% is spent on projects located in disadvantaged communities. Cal Enviroscreen is a screening methodology that identifies disadvantaged communities that the funds will be directed into. The money will be spent on projects that have been approved by the Legislature.
Agricultural safety and health is an aspect of occupational safety and health in the agricultural workplace. It specifically addresses the health and safety of farmers,farm workers,and their families.
Pesticide incidents in the San Joaquin Valley is a topic covering the justice and health issues of people living in the San Joaquin Valley resulting from the use of pesticides in the region. Pesticide use in the San Joaquin Valley began in the 1880s when certain insects were known to be causing harm in the region,much of whose economy is still based on the successful agriculture and farming of many different kinds of crops. Pesticides illnesses were reported sporadically during that time frame,but was not focused as a major issue until the post World War II agricultural boom in the late 1940s when pesticide poisonings became more widely publicized. Though Rachel Carson's Silent Spring and the use of chemicals in weapons during the Vietnam War led the federal government to pass restrictions on pesticide use,residents,primarily of low-income,have struggled with health impacts of pesticide use due to persistent over-spraying by agriculture companies working for profit.
The Pesticide Drift Exposure Response Act,or SB 391 (Florez-Escutia),is a California act that was passed in 2005. This act was put into place in order to help victims of California's pesticide drift problem.
The Earlimart pesticide poisoning refers to a November 13,1999 pesticide drift event which occurred in the vicinity of a community in the middle of the San Joaquin Valley. This event saw 24 victims sent to hospital after coming into contact with the pesticides directly,and a further 150 people were ordered to evacuate the township. Residents were exposed to the compound metham sodium,a highly toxic fumigant used in weed-targeting pesticides. The 24 poison victims suffered severe effects including vomiting,nausea,reoccurring headaches,and respiratory dysfunction. The incident is worthy of note due to its influence in contemporaneous public advocacy against pesticide use broadly,as well as a catalyst perceived to have increased awareness on pesticide drift in general. ==
