Valley Solutions

Diestel rescues turkey plant

Modesto Focus. Local company brings turkey processing back to Turlock Foster Farms plant.
Synopsis: There’s a sign on the front door of the recently shuttered turkey-processing plant that reads: “Now Hiring.” Marijke Rowland reports that Diestel Family Ranch is taking over the old Foster Farms turkey processing plant in downtown Turlock. The No. 1 grower of high-end, “thoughtfully raised” turkeys will reopen the facility by early next year to increase their production capacity, said Heidi Diestel. The facility at 500 F Street is next to a Foster Farms ground-turkey facility. Foster Farms was started by the Modesto Bee’s former city editor, Max Foster, and remained a family operation for more than 80 years until it was sold to a hedge fund in 2022. The Diestel family has been growing turkeys outside Sonora since 1949, taking pride in sustainable farming practices and no-chemical processing. Mayor Amy Bublak called it “an important facility” that will bring stability and continued economic strength to the community.

Speaking of turkeys …

Turlock Journal. Turlockers help Salvation Army ring in the seasons.
Synopsis: Turlock’s Red Kettle Kickoff celebration drew some 500 people to the Grand Oak Event Center on Tuesday to help raise $68,004. Fundraising is done by teams, and the Just Plain Nuts team of Don Wilkey, John Arellano and Nick Hackler raised $24,761 followed by We Can Build It (Jerry Powell and Clark Hulbert) and the Santa Law Squad, which included Sheriff Jeff Dirkse and Chief Jason Hedden.

Westside Express. Annual Hostetler turkey giveaway set for Nov. 25 at LB Fairgrounds. 
Synopsis: Housing developer and farmer Greg Hostetler will continue his tradition of giving away turkeys and almonds two days before Thanksgiving. He has 500 turkeys and “even more almonds” ready to be distributed at the downtown fairgrounds. Hostetler began giving away food in the 1990s. Each year, his event attracts a lot of volunteers, including Los Banos police officers who are in charge of making sure each family gets only one bird.

KCRA. Modesto Gospel Mission seeks help amid turkey shortage for Thanksgiving.
Synopsis: Preparing for a record number of Thanksgiving diners, the Modesto Gospel Mission says it’s still trying to catch up from SNAP missed payments earlier this month. There is a worry the Mission won’t have enough turkey. “We imagine we’re going to have a big crowd this year,” said CEO Jason Conway. The meal is accompanied by an annual coat give-away for kids.

Gray wants action on water

Rep Adam Gray. Rep. Gray urges quick reviews for CA water projects in Committee meeting.
Synopsis: Rep. Adam Gray spoke forcefully in the House Natural Resources Committee on Wednesday about the need for reliable water supply in California. Without reliable and sufficient stored water, Californians will be locked in a perpetual struggle over water. It is essential for farming that we have enough water to grow food. It is essential for natural resources that we have enough water to help species thrive in and around our rivers. Gray noted that construction of California’s aqueducts and canals was one of the greatest engineering achievements of the last 100 years, but it’s time we renew those investments and strengthen that system.

Flag flap carries on in Merced

Merced Focus. Merced discusses code of conduct amid councilman’s controversial KKK meme.
Synopsis: Councilmember Fue Xiong has accused other Merced city councilmembers of being racist because of their position on allowing (or not) commemorative flags to fly over Bob Hart Square. Xiong posted a social media meme on the subject comparing the city’s decision to the KKK – a reference other councilmembers found both objectionable and ludicrous. They responded by discussing a code of conduct for councilmembers. The discussion lasted an hour, but the proposal was eventually sent back to committee to hash out free-speech concerns. Xiong remains unapologetic.

Californians glum on economy

PPIC. Survey: Californians and their economic well-being. 
Synopsis: The Public Policy Institute of CA, the state’s top polling organization found that 30% of households cut back on food purchases last year to save money. They learned that 70% of families expect the state’s economy to get worse before it gets better. Though pessimistic about the state’s prospects, most feel they will be OK. Nearly 40% of residents said they are economically “comfortable,” while 43% say their family’s finances are “adequate.” Nearly half of all respondents think AI will be a job killer in their industry. Nearly a quarter say they have considered leaving the state for a better-paying job elsewhere. Those living in the Bay Area are the least likely to want to move.

Half of farms won’t be profitable

Successful Farming. Only half of US farmers will be profitable in 2025, ag lenders say. 
Synopsis: The Farmer Mac Agricultural Lender Survey found that bankers believe only 52% of farmers will show a profit this year. Farm debt will increase, according to 93% of bankers, likely resulting higher demand for loans. Especially hard hit are producers of major commodities -- corn, soybeans and cotton. Livestock producers are doing well as feed prices fall and meat demand remains steady. “This is the tightest farm-income environment we’ve seen since before the pandemic,” said one lender in Iowa. The last time conditions were this bad was in 2020, said another.
MAD Take: The worst year for farmers since 2020? Is there some sort of common denominator tying the two years together? Something that was true in 2025 and in 2020? 

Kids are picking CA’s crops

LA Times. CA’s child farmworkers: Exhausted, underpaid and toiling in toxic fields. 
Synopsis: Reporter Robert Lopez focuses on Monterey County, where workers as young as 12 are allowed to work in the fields. He notes that only 27 companies have been cited for rules violations, and only 8% of those resulted in actual fines over the past 3 years. Most of those working under-age are the children of immigrants. He spoke to young workers in strawberry fields where children are prized for their small fingers. Some are immigrants, but most were born in the US. Some of those profiled work in the San Joaquin Valley. They all described significant violations of workplace rules.

Pesticides used near schools

Modesto Bee. Pesticides waft near Stanislaus County schools. 
Synopsis: Reporter Julietta Bisharyan attended the Valley Improvement Project press event to call attention to pesticide use in Stanislaus County. Similar actions took place in four other communities. Californians for Pesticide Reform is concerned over new state regs on the use of 1,3-dichloropropene. The state allows significantly higher exposures than the federal cancer-risk threshold. It is used before planting sweet potatoes, almonds and cherries. The state is working to further limit use of the chemical by Jan. 1. Story provides a chart – compiled by VIP -- of Stanislaus County schools within a quarter mile of pesticide applications and the amount applied over several years. It noted only two reported incidents of drift in the past 3 years – one near Modesto Christian and the at Great Valley Academy. Three schools had significant pesticide application nearby -- Hart-Ransom with 6,778 pounds of applied pesticides;  Chatom 5,669; Beaver Elementary 2,547. After that, Gregori High had only 218 pounds with all other schools less than that. Among those protesting was longtime activist John Mataka of Grayson. No one from the pesticide-application community was quoted or referenced nor were rules governing spraying.

New way to end a car chase

Stocktonia. San Joaquin Sheriff’s deputies using net device to corral cars in pursuits. 
Synopsis: Sheriff Pat Withrow says his department has been using the Grappler Police Bumper that fires a mesh net at the rear tires of cars being pursued. The mesh quickly wraps around the tire and axel, bringing the vehicle to a halt within seconds. It has been used 9 times in the past six months, he said. It won’t work in every case and has to be deployed at very close range. Because cars come to a stop quickly, it has resulted in police cars rear-ending the pursued vehicle.

Dam removal praise, critiques

ABC10 (Sacramento). Year after Klamath removals, salmon return, but sediment fears divide locals.
Synopsis: A year after four dams were removed from the Klamath River, salmon are showing up in unexpected numbers and unexpected places some 350 miles from the Pacific. This is mostly a feel-good piece about a river restored. But the reporter speaks to some locals who are upset that sediment continues to cover roughly 2,200 acres of former lakebed. Many who once lived in lakeside homes now are hundreds of yards from the river and their homes are worth dramatically less. Some of the tributaries are also having difficulty as the sediment leaches pollution into the streams and groundwater. Some people believe the salmon spotted – and photographed -- upstream were trucked in for photo ops. Officials emphatically deny that.

KDRV (Redding). CDFW invests $30 million for salmon habitat revival after dam removal.
Synopsis: The state is devoting $30 million to developing nesting sites for salmon to lay their eggs in 13 projects.

Hilmar girls make it to State

Turlock Journal. Lady Jackets defend the throne: Hilmar defeats Colusa to win second NorCal title. 
Synopsis: The second-ranked Hilmar Yellowjackets defended their CIF NorCal Division V title on Tuesday, beating Colusa in four games. Among the standouts were 6-foot-3 blocker Emily Barroso, outside hitter Reese Ahlem and setter Stella Pires. The team advances to the CIF State volleyball championship in Orange County on Friday. The team will return 9 players next year, so this might not be their last hurrah.