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Agriculture
Labor Department settles complaint over its enforcement tactics
Remember that case the federal Department of Labor pursued against a couple of Oregon blueberry growers, accusing them of underpaying their pickers? And the growers pushed back? Well, the feds settled with the growers earlier this week, finally copping to what was a clear bit of overreach. I wrote about the case back in October. It was rooted in the Fair Labor Standards Act’s “hot goods” provision, which gives the feds the authority to stop shipment across state lines of “any goods produced in violation of the minimum wage, overtime pay, child labor or special minimum wage provisions. In the absence of an employer voluntarily correcting the violations, the Wage...
Related "Agriculture" Articles
Labor Department settles complaint over its enforcement tactics
Remember that case the federal Department of Labor pursued against a couple of Oregon blueberry growers, accusing them of underpaying their pickers? And the growers pushed back? Well, the feds settled with the growers earlier this week, finally copping to...
Milestones in Antonio Villaraigosa's tenure as L.A. mayor
2005: Antonio Villaraigosa romps past incumbent James K. Hahn to make history, winning election as the first Latino mayor of Los Angeles since the city's pioneer days.
2006: Uses his first State of the City address to announce that he will ask the...
Ad hoc farming guild plants seeds for locally sourced grains in L.A.
Most of us realize the value of cooking and eating using local produce — who'd rather eat a salad with ingredients imported from another state or country when we can eat a bowl of greens, vegetables and citrus grown nearby or even in our backyard? But...
Harvesting solutions: How to address the plight of farmworkers in Mexico
Last month, the Los Angeles Times published "Product of Mexico," a four-part series on the abuse of workers on Mexican megafarms that export fruits and vegetables to the United States. The articles and photographs documented dangerous and...
CES 2015: Could music-streaming subscribers face ads?
Legally listening to music through the Internet, but not paying to do so, typically requires enduring the occasional advertisement between songs.But pay up for a YouTube Music Key, Amazon Prime or Spotify Premium subscription and the ads go away. Much...
California adds 90,100 jobs; unemployment rate drops to 7.2%
California employers added more than 90,000 jobs in November, one of state's largest monthly employment gains in more than a decade, according to federal data.
The state unemployment rate dropped to 7.2%, down from 7.3% last month. That's still...
New Mexico dairy shuts down after undercover activist videotape
Strapped with a surveillance camera, the animal rights activist went undercover this fall to document activities at a New Mexico dairy that supplied cheese products to several major U.S. pizza chains.
He says he was sickened by what he saw — and...
Happier hens, more expensive eggs
To the editor: Thank you for the article on California's legally required transition to treating egg-producing hens humanely. ("Egg prices likely to rise amid laws mandating cage-free henhouses," Dec. 28)
My only quibble is that the article...
Transcript: Gov. Jerry Brown's inaugural address
As prepared for delivery:
Members of the Legislature, the Judiciary, Constitutional Officers, the extended family of my pioneering ancestors and fellow Californians:
An inauguration is always a special occasion but today it is particularly special as...
White House threatens to put brakes on alternative fuels
As biotech masterminds and venture capitalists scramble to hatch a new generation of environmentally friendly fuels that can help power the average gasoline-burning car, they are confronting an unexpected obstacle: the White House.
Yielding to pressure...
Tricolored blackbird gains endangered species protection in California
The California Fish and Game Commission on Wednesday granted endangered species protections to the tricolored blackbird, approving the designation on a temporary, emergency basis.
The reason: Statewide surveys show the tricolored blackbird population has...
L.A. backpedals on proposal to ban growing genetically modified crops
Los Angeles lawmakers reversed course late Monday on a proposed ban on the growth of genetically modified crops that had previously faced nearly zero resistance within City Hall.
The proposal would ban selling and planting genetically modified crop...
Why on earth is the City Council trying to ban GMO crops in L.A.?
Even if you hate the idea of genetically modified food, you would gain nothing from a Los Angeles City Council proposal to ban the growing of such crops here. That's because no one grows them in L.A. and as near as anyone knows, no one has any plan to...
Fiji has tropical charms for nearly any traveler's budget
When people picture crystal-blue waters, talcum-like beaches, over-the-water huts, bluebird-colored skies and days spent in lounging in hammocks or snorkeling, they typically think of Bora Bora in French Polynesia. What many don't know is that Fiji is...
Asian citrus psyllid proposal worries organic farmers
To combat pests like the Asian citrus psyllid, exotic fruit fly and glassy-winged sharpshooter that threaten the state's food supply, the California Department of Food and Agriculture is weighing a new plan that some organic farmers say doesn't do...
GMO food measure fails in Colorado; Oregon initiative uncertain
Voters in Colorado on Tuesday were rejecting a grass-roots measure that called for new labeling laws for genetically modified organisms, while a similar initiative in Oregon was too close to call.
With 84% of the vote in, Colorado’s Proposition 105 was...
Thanksgiving is coming. Do you know where your turkey is?
Thanksgiving is still three weeks away, but guess what: If you want your first choice of a great specialty turkey, you'd better get your order in soon. The best birds fly off the shelves, particularly at the smaller butcher shops and markets. A couple...
In urban farming, a different taste of L.A.
At the Jonathan Club downtown, not everyone took it well when an infrequently used paddle tennis court on a fifth-floor roof was sacrificed to gem lettuce, swiss chard and microgreens.
Executive chef Jason McClain, of course, was thrilled. His father,...
YouTube brings its huge fan base to music streaming
The music industry's move toward paid subscription services, and away from discs and downloads, has been underway for several years.
On Wednesday, YouTube joined the party — bringing with it the world's largest audience for popular music and the...
Lundberg Family Farms recalls flour products tainted by salmonella
Lundberg Family Farms, a company based in Northern California, is voluntarily recalling two brown rice flour products that may be contaminated with salmonella.
The family-owned company said on its website that it is recalling Eco-Farmed Brown Rice...
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