Strawberry Commission looks at positive impact of Santa Cruz County’s No. 1 crop.
Watsonville >> California strawberries employ 70,000 people and contribute $3.4 billion to the state’s economy each year.
That’s according to “Sustaining California Communities,” an economic report released Tuesday by the California Strawberry Commission.
The report comes as the harvest of Santa Cruz County’s premier crop begins. More than 240,000 pounds were picked in the Watsonville-Salinas region during the week that ended March 15.
“We want people to understand it’s not just the farmers and their crews out there,” said commission spokeswoman Carolyn O’Donnell. “The community is important to farmers, and farmers also realize it’s important how they integrate with the community.”
Nearly 90 percent of U.S.-grown strawberries come from California. Watsonville-Salinas is the top producer among the state’s four strawberry regions, accounting for 47 percent of the total harvest of nearly 1.8 billion pounds in 2013, according to commission statistics.
The industry spends about $2 billion on wages, equipment and supplies, land and taxes, the report says. It generates another $1.4 billion indirectly through, for example, the restaurants and grocery stores that cater to agricultural workers and the police and teachers funded by the estimated $108 million the industry pays in taxes.
And it’s not just the berry-producing counties on the Central Coast and Southern California. Nurseries in the northern part of the state produce 2 billion plants for transplant in the strawberry fields.
The industry is labor-intensive, requiring a large pool of workers to handpick berries. But mechanics, researchers, educators and forklift drivers are among the thousands who work in berry-related jobs.
The report doesn’t assess costs associated with the industry, such as subsidized housing for low-wage workers. O’Donnell said that would require a more comprehensive and expensive report. But she pointed to the industry’s charitable giving. The report notes as an example, the $2 million in scholarships awarded by the commission to the children of farmworkers since 1994.
Read the entire article here.
Content provided by http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/watsonville/ci_25370176/study-strawberries-boost-ca-economy-by-3-4
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U.S. farmers last week finalized their crop insurance plans for spring planting with critics of the government-subsidized program saying insurers are set up for a bonanza after passage of the new five-year farm bill last month.
Farmers who sign up for crop insurance by March 15 won’t, in fact, enjoy the enhanced subsidies of the new federal law, which go into effect with the 2015 crop year. But grain farmers in 2014 will still see up to two-thirds of their insurance premiums paid for by the government. Private insurance companies will also still benefit from the government as their “reinsurer,” an arrangement critics say limits their losses while boosting underwriting gains. With the new farm bill, the government’s largesse gets even bigger next year. “I think taxpayers lost on that farm bill for sure. There was lots of money that could have been saved to reduce the deficit, but they chose not to,” said Bruce Babcock, an agricultural economist at Iowa State University who has studied crop insurance for more than a decade. “The industry lobbies heavily,” Babcock told Reuters. “It’s just rub my back, I’ll rub yours.” A new farm bill was held up for more than a year by wrangling over cuts in food stamps and subsidized programs for the poor. Backers also touted cuts in direct payments to farmers estimated by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) at $40 billion over 10 years. But 80 percent of those savings—some $33 billion, according to CBO data—reappear in the new farm bill as “enhanced” crop insurance, reformers say. “The crop insurance program survived essentially unscathed in this farm bill,” said Craig Cox of the Environmental Working Group, which sees U.S. farm policies as wasteful to taxpayers. “This was the first farm bill where there was a lot of attention paid to trying to reform the crop insurance program. None of those reforms made it into the final bill.” Crop insurers, on the other hand, praised the new law. “For the taxpayer, it eliminated direct payments and reduced some of the price support policies of the past in favor of expanding crop insurance, which is purchased by farmers on an individual basis,” David Graves, president of the American Crop Insurance Association, said in a written response to questions. “For crop insurance companies, the farm bill underscored the fact that crop insurance is the top risk management tool for America’s farmers and ranchers.” Read the entire
article here.
Content provided by: http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2014/03/17/323445.htm
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You’ve spent hours, days or even weeks, making your jewelry choices — not to mention paying thousands of dollars on your final purchase — so why fall short when it comes to finding the right coverage for your jewels? Getting the appropriate protection is easy; you just need to understand what your Homeowners insurance will cover.
The standard HO-3 policy provides only $1,000 worth of coverage for jewelry for THEFT ONLY. For example, if your $6,500 engagement ring, a pair of $500 earrings ,and a $1,000 class ring WERE STOLEN, you would receive a reimbursement of only $1,000, not the actual value of $8,000. So be sure you’re protected by extra insurance. The cost is minimal compared to the risk of losing expensive jewelry and being unable to replace it.
You might consider a stand-alone policy that offers broader coverage than the typical Homeowners policy. For instance, an ALL PERILS policy and covers “mysterious disappearance” (when you lose jewelry and have no clue where it went); and “pairs and sets” (which buys you a new set of earrings even if you lost only one). You can also schedule your jewelry on any homeowner policy.
Keep in mind, your insurance company will require you to have a professional appraisal to set an objective value for your scheduled property, which might be significantly higher or lower than what you think it’s worth!
For more information on insuring your valued jewelry, please feel free to get in touch with Scurich Insurance Services.
Content provided by Transformer Marketing.
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WATSONVILLE — A 10-year-old Watsonville boy on a scooter was seriously injured Wednesday after he was struck by a driver of a Chrysler PT Cruiser in a crosswalk on Main Street.
About 3:25 p.m., a 19-year-old Prunedale woman was driving a purple PT Cruiser north on Riverside Drive toward Main Street when she accelerated to try to make a yellow light, said Watsonville police Sgt. Brian Ridgway.
A 10-year-old boy was riding a scooter behind his family in the crosswalk, and she struck him with the car, police said. The front bumper of the car hit the boy on his right side, and the boy was forced on to the hood and then the ground, Ridgway said.
Officers were near the crash and treated the boy. He was taken by helicopter to a San Francisco Bay Area hospital where he was in critical condition Wednesday night, authorities said.
The woman, whose name has not been released, has cooperated in the police investigation and has not been arrested. Alcohol use was not a factor in the crash, police said.
“This investigation in ongoing,” said Ridgway.
Watsonville police ask anyone with information to call investigations at 831-768-3350 or leave an anonymous tip on the tipline at 831-728-3544 or by texting WATSPD to 888777.
Content provided by http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/copsandcourts/ci_25337290/driver-collides-boy-scooter-watsonville
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Many companies use “lean manufacturing” procedures to streamline production by reducing wasted time and motion. Although these changes often show up in the bottom line as black, their long term repercussions on workplace safety – higher accident rates and workers comp premiums –could put a business back in the red.
“Approximately 65% of workers compensation claims are for musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs),” says Chris Shulenberger, Technical Director for Ergonomics with Bureau Veritas North America Shulenberger. However, many employers might not make the connection between their lean manufacturing procedures and high rates of sprains and strains, overexertion injuries, and cumulative trauma MSDs among their employees.
If you streamline your manufacturing, beware of these potential pitfalls that could turn “leaner” into just plain “meaner:”
- Excessive Overtime. Lean manufacturing depends on a smooth supply chain. When there are glitches, workers need to pick up the slack with increased production and longer hours, both of which contribute to MSDs.
- Hyper-efficiency. For some employers, the drive to improve employee productivity ignores human limitations. Removing the waste from jobs eliminates essential time for workers’ bodies to restore themselves, which can reduce disabling MSDs.
- Working through pain. Some supervisors in lean manufacturing facilities are slow to respond to worker reports of fatigue, discomfort, and/or pain: the earliest symptoms of an MSD. In other cases, there’s “working through pain” culture which encourages employees, like high-performing athletes, to ignore early symptoms – which can easily lead to a MSD. Make sure that your workers report any MSD symptoms and supervisors know how to respond to these complaints.
- Micromanagement. Increasing the intensity of work reduces employees’ control about how they do their job – a proven risk factor for MSDs.
Our risk management professionals would be happy to review the potential impact of your manufacturing procedures on workplace safety.
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Plumbers, electricians, carpenters, tree surgeons and roofers who perform skilled work on a customer’s premises are just a few examples of artisan contractors. These workers are also called casual contractors. Piano tuners, interior decorators, exterminators and other skilled service providers are also considered artisan contractors. These contractors require special insurance for their tools and equipment, which are commonly moved from one site to another until each job is finished. The most affordable and efficient way for an artisan contractor to get liability and property coverage is to obtain a Business Owners Policy that is tailored to fit individual needs. Although they might be marketed under varying names, such policies usually have similar terms.
Property owned by the business and real property are covered by the BOP. The property must be located at the address of the business described in the policy. Businesses that lease or rent their locations have coverage from the BOP for tenants’ betterments and improvements. These include any installations, additions or alterations that cannot legally be taken away from the premises. Equipment that moves from one site to another and valuable machinery are items that pose the greatest risk for a significant loss. Such items are not covered under a standard property insurance policy. These items are classified as movable property, which means special contracts are required to obtain insurance. These special contracts are called floaters.
Various types of equipment and machinery are covered during transit with an installer’s floater. They’re also covered during testing. In some cases, building materials might also be covered. Policies may be written to include coverage on a reporting form or for a single job. This means that the contractor provides information to the insurer regarding each new contract. Tools and equipment floaters provide coverage for the property that is insured. Coverage is extended to any location where the movable property is used.
Liability coverage is essential for all contractors. If a customer files a lawsuit, this type of coverage will certainly be required to protect the contractor. Subcontractors’ customers might require individuals who work for them to have Owners and Contractors Protective Liability insurance. This type of coverage provides protection for business owners from liabilities resulting from negligent acts committed by contractors or subcontractors. It’s best to speak with one of our agents to learn how this type of coverage works. There might also be coverage for certain vehicles. Speak with us to learn what types of coverage are available for vehicles that are used primarily for business.
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