Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry of Winters has introduced a number of bills related to agriculture for the new legislative session. The most frustrating thing, she says, is trying to ensure incentives dollars remain in the budget for farmers. The Northern California lawmaker was speaking in a panel discussion for the Community Alliance for Family Farmers last week.
 
“We have to keep on the governor with cap-and-trade,” she said. “We have to make sure the funding remains.”


The market revenues drive the fund that fuels incentives grants for water efficiency and healthy soils. Aguiar-Curry said CDFA Secretary Karen Ross has “gone to bat on this” as well. Frustration has also mounted with colleagues who are “hesitant to vote on anything agriculture,” she said.


“We've had to have numerous conversations, and the thing that has really been beneficial is actually taking them out to farms,” said Aguiar-Curry.