Agriculture briefs
Published: Sunday, January 13, 2013 at 4:00 a.m.
Last Modified: Friday, January 11, 2013 at 5:27 p.m.
Crab & Wine Fest coming Feb. 2
The 24th annual Great Sonoma Crab & Wine Fest, a benefit for agriculture education programs, will take place Feb. 2 at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds.
The festival, a winter social for more than 1,500 county farmers and their supporters, is produced by the Sonoma County Farm Bureau.
Proceeds help finance scholarships and the annual Ag Days, which bring 5,000 school children to the fairgrounds for a hands-on introduction to agriculture.
The crab fest brings in volunteers from local FFA chapters and 4-H clubs, the Santa Rosa Junior College Ag Ambassadors and the Santa Rosa High School Ag Boosters.
The event begins at 5 p.m. at the fairground’s Grace Pavilion. Tickets are $75 each. For reservations, call the farm bureau, 544-5575.
Farm, business groups seek changes to immigration policies
Both farm and business groups are renewing the push for Congress to take up immigration reform this year.
The Agriculture Workforce Coalition, which includes the American Farm Bureau and other farm groups, called the current rules “unworkable” to legally provide the 1.5 million hired workers that the nation’s agriculture sector needs each year.
“It’s time to move the discussion forward and find a solution,” farm bureau President Bob Stallman said. “It’s time to meet agriculture’s labor crisis head on.”
The comments came as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce announced a coalition of business, labor, faith organizations, law enforcement and ethnic groups who also are seeking reforms.
“We need to provide a path out of the shadows for the 11 million undocumented immigrants who live in the United States today — provided that they meet strict conditions,” said chamber President Tom Donohue.
Sonoma County Fair honored by Western Fairs Association
The Sonoma County Fair took first place in eight categories in the Western Fairs Association’s annual Achievement Awards Program.
The awards include first place for the fair’s Harvest Fair website, its 32-page fair magazine and its hosting in September of the National Heirloom Exposition.
In all, the fair won various awards for 27 of the 32 entries submitted.
Fair staff will accept the awards at the association’s annual convention this month in Reno. The convention will display 331 award-winning entries from 35 fairs.
The 2013 Sonoma County Fair will be held July 25 through Aug. 11 at the fairgrounds in Santa Rosa.
— Staff and wire reports. Submit items to robert.digitale@pressdemocrat.com
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