Water conservation measures on target
Krishna Kumar, general manager of the Valley of the Moon Water District, reports water usage conservation this month surpassed the state-mandated target of fifteen percent, registering an 18.4 percent savings in the Valley overall. Issued July 1 and enforceable through Oct. 28, state conservation guidelines are in effect for every county in California. Though local residents failed to meet initial conservation expectations, “heightened awareness and (people) stepping up to the plate” has made a difference since, according to Kumar.
Vintners meet on Homeland Security legislation
Local vintners met in Santa Rosa, Wednesday, for a seminar designed to help parse new federal regulations from the office of Homeland Security scheduled to go into effect October 1. The tough new law requires all employers to verify workers’ right-to-work papers or face stiff penalties. Pundits predict the new legislation will have a significant impact on local growers and wine producers, whose use of undocumented migrant labor is widespread. Wednesday’s seminar for Sonoma Valley growers was well attended, despite its concurrence with crush. “We maxed out registration at sixty-two people for a (meeting) room that comfortably holds forty-five,” said Ginger Baker of the Sonoma County Winegrape Commission. A follow-up presentation at the close of harvest is tentatively scheduled for early November.
