Around California Sept 28

Mike Stephens

News Reporter

A Bill to allow farm employees to access respirators awaits signature,

A bill awaiting Gov. Gavin Newsom’s signature would provide essential workers, including farm employees, access to the state’s stockpile of N95 respirators to protect themselves from smoke. Assembly Bill 73, by Hollister Democrat Robert Rivas, was passed in the Legislature after suppliers struggled to keep up with demand for respirators during California’s record-setting fire season.

Also, The Apple Hill area looks to bounce back after devastating wildfires,

A Northern California agritourism hot spot is bouncing back after the devastating Caldor Fire narrowly missed the Apple Hill region of El Dorado County. The fire, which burned all the way to the Tahoe Basin, closed U.S. Highway 50 and scared off many of the thousands of tourists who pack Apple Hill starting each September. But local farms and attractions are banking on an October rebound, with the smoke cleared and roads open.

And in the Klamath Basin researchers are studying fall barley plantings for beer.

Researchers in the Klamath Basin are studying new barley varieties that can adapt and potentially benefit breweries, craft beer producers and malting companies. The basin has historically been California’s largest production area for malting barley because of its warm, dry conditions. But due to the drought, researchers are working with barleys that can be planted in cooler fall months and need less irrigation.