The Farm Beat: Cantaloupe Cops Are on the Watch
Here's why it pays to read the agenda of the Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors carefully. That way, you will know that the county has contracted once again to watch for stolen cantaloupes being sold at flea markets and other locations.
It seems some people make off with sacks of melons from fields and try to sell them. Thus the "cantaloupe surveillance" contract, under which the California Cantaloupe Advisory Commission is paying the county agricultural commissioner $16,950 for up to 270 hours of staff time and other expenses. The inspectors can spot bootleg melons by markings that indicate the field and harvest date.
It all sounds kind of funny at first glance - I can envision an action flick, or maybe a TV cartoon - but the theft means real losses to the growers. This is not a big crop in the county, but the per-pound value is high.
So go get 'em, cantaloupe cops!
- johnholland's blog
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Money well spent...
Protecting the sanctity of our primary industry in this county is a great investment. Importing fruit/nuts/etc may seem harmless, but any bad publicity to our crops could devestate the local economy. It may seem silly until you remember that ag is the multibillion dollar industry that sustains this valley.
If we could only cater to ag like we do to the developers, we could get paid a handsome price for feeding the world!
Great work at getting this info out Holland.