Food & Farm News

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Endorsement of Governor Schwarzenegger for re-election

Governor wins farm groups' endorsement

Praising Governor Schwarzenegger for understanding how farms and ranches contribute to the California economy and environment, farm groups endorsed the governor for re-election at events in Bakersfield and Fresno yesterday (Tuesday). California Farm Bureau President Doug Mosebar said farmers appreciate Schwarzenegger's pledge not to raise taxes. Farm groups criticized Democratic candidate Phil Angelides for threatening to raise taxes on farm equipment and diesel fuel.

Tomato fields see results of July heat

Delayed impact of California's July heat wave now shows itself in tomato fields. Farmers who grow the processing tomatoes used for ketchup, salsa and other products say tomato skins cracked from the heat, which also worsened mold problems. Plants that were blossoming during the heat wave have fruit that hasn't grown well. Those tomatoes will be ready for harvest in the autumn, and farmers hope for dry weather between now and then.

Smaller harvests reduce produce donations

The wet spring and July hot spell have affected produce donations to the Ag Against Hunger program in Salinas. The project collects surplus fruits and vegetables, which it distributes to food banks throughout the West. But donations are lower than average this month. As a result, Ag Against Hunger says it has not been able to send produce to out-of-state food banks as it usually does. A spokeswoman says the organization hopes to resume service to those facilities next month.

Study analyzes mushrooms' nutrition value

If you're looking to add copper, potassium, folate and niacin to your diet, you can find them all in mushrooms. Under a project partially paid for by the California-based Mushroom Council, researchers analyzed the nutrient content of seven mushroom varieties. Each variety was analyzed raw, and several were analyzed after cooking. The mushrooms retained nearly all their nutritional value after being cooked.

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