Got any fruit?

[mefailenglish]

Just curious about California's Agricultural Inspection stations.  I understand why they're there; we have them in Florida as well, but FL exempts private passenger cars from inspection.

I only have three data points, with three different outcomes:

2011 - I-40/Needles - my car w/ FL tag - "Got any fruit?", a glance in the cabin, and a wave-through.
2014 - CA 139/Tulelake - rental car w/ CA tag - the station was closed, so I just drove by
2014 - I-80/Truckee - my car w/ FL tag - "Got any fruit?", a more thorough glance in the cabin, then I was asked to open my trunk.  I was then presented with this souvenir:



Did something change in 3 years?  Was I just randomly singled out for a trunk search?  Or do they do this with any out-of-state tags?  Maybe I just ran into a guy having a bad day?

[formulanone]

Having driven a 26' Penske trick out of Florida, I can say their Aqua-Horti-Agriculture Inspections took about 15 seconds. It took longer to unlock and open the roll-up door. I guess all the irregularly-shaped boxes and haphazardly-placed items made them look elsewhere, not to mention October isn't much of a harvest season in Florida.

[roadfro]

I've never had a search. In all the years I've gone through California Ag Inspection stations, the most I've been asked was if I was carrying any fruit or where I was coming from. In the last several years, this has been through either the I-80 Truckee station or the one on US 395 north of Reno.

[corco]

I've always been waved through with nothing more than a "have any fruit?" and maybe a "where are you coming from?"

One time, though- as I was leaving Arizona to move to Montana I decided to go up through California to finish my clinch of US 95 in the state the next morning. There was a major snowstorm going on from Nevada up to Montana, so I put my studs on in Tucson before I left. Got to the border at SR-62 at about 10:00 PM, was going to spend the night in Needles.

Lady was really, really curious about why I had studded snow tires on. She was asking in a polite way,but she was definitely probing a lot- it wasn't unlike crossing an international boundary with a friendly, easy to work with guard.  "Oh, you're moving to Montana? What kind of job do you have up there? I used to live in Montana"

It was polite and friendly enough, and she let me buy after a couple minutes of questioning- and I do believe she was just bored and trying to make casual conversation, but it still left a bad taste in my mouth.

[The High Plains Traveler]

I've gone through twice in the past four years pulling a travel trailer. First time as on I-8, and I had brought our vegetables up front in a plastic bag. Kind of took the agent by surprise, he glanced at our red pepper and lettuce (probably not high on the concern list) and waved us through. I was relieved since we were following a truck with a roll-up door and they gave it a once-over. Second time near Reno on NB 395, agent was on the phone and waved us through. Tourists must not be high on their list.

[admtrap]

I've crossed the station at Yermo many times, and only been stopped once - the one time I had a U-haul when I was moving.  Incidently, they're building the replacement for the Yermo station near Primm finally.  Hopefully they'll three-lane at least that stretch of highway all the way back to the state line (probably about 10 miles, roughly), since cars leaving it will be going uphill towards Baker - not a huge deal for autos, but problematic for trucks. 

[J N Winkler]

The one time I got a trunk search was when I came through the Truckee station after doing a Feather River Highway loop.  "Where are you coming from?"  "Sacramento."  (Disbelieving tone) "Sorry, where are you coming from again?"  "SACRAMENTO."  Then he decided he needed to see my trunk, and saw nothing.

The first time I went through agricultural inspection was on I-10 in late 1998.  "Do you have any fruit or vegetables?"  "No" (said around a mouthful of carrot, with the rest of the carrot in my fingers).

[myosh_tino]

2.  From I-15 enter California from Nevada.  Get off at exit 206 at Yermo road to cruise nice and easy past all the schmucks in line for the agriculture station.  Personally I got back on at exit 191 after I went to Calico....take advantage while you can before Caltrans seals off the leak with the new Primm Station.

Actually, once the new inspection station opens, avoiding it becomes real simple.  From US 95, take NV-164 west to I-15.

-  US 199 from Grants Pass....ummmmm...Maybe.  I don't recall seeing an agriculture station here at the Oregon State line.  This would obviously take you to US 101.

There is an agricultural inspection located less than a mile south of the state line... http://goo.gl/maps/RycCy

[AndyMax25]

Typical CA government. When you cross the border into Mexico they ask you if you have any guns. When you cross back into California they ask if you have any fruit.  Ha ha. 

I know we have a HUGE agriculture economy in California, I would just think the State would invest more tax money into protecting people.


iPhone

[J N Winkler]

A lot of times the smaller stations just aren't staffed--I have driven past the Dorris station (US 97) when it was closed.

Personally, I just wish California would abolish agricultural inspections except for commercial vehicles, as Florida (which also has an enormous fruit-growing sector) has done.  I know of no other states that have agricultural inspections, though there are several with large fruit farms, such as Washington state.  I cannot believe that the California inspectors head off enough economic harm from agricultural pests to justify the massive inconvenience they create by stopping every single vehicle.

[Occidental Tourist]

The Yermo station was semi-closed when I went through last month coming back from Vegas on a weekday.

Since the fruit fly days of the 80s, they haven't been near as diligent in making stops.  I remember always getting stopped in Yermo or in Blythe.  It's rare to even see someone waving cars through these days.

I've read grumblings that the federal CBP likes to use the Needles, Blythe and Winterhaven ag stations as de facto border inspection points.  Can anyone confirm?

[roadfro]

Personally, I just wish California would abolish agricultural inspections except for commercial vehicles, as Florida (which also has an enormous fruit-growing sector) has done.  I know of no other states that have agricultural inspections, though there are several with large fruit farms, such as Washington state.  I cannot believe that the California inspectors head off enough economic harm from agricultural pests to justify the massive inconvenience they create by stopping every single vehicle.

It's not just agriculture products that they're looking for. For a while, the I-80 and US 395 NB stations heading away from Reno were looking at any watercraft coming in. There had been an uptick in some kind of invasive aquatic life (some kind of mollusk?) that was harming clarity in the Lake Tahoe region, and they were examining incoming watercraft to make sure there were none of the creatures sticking to the hulls.

That said, they could potentially still do away with passenger vehicle inspection unless towing a watercraft or U-Haul...

[pctech]

If you answer yes what do they do? Ask to see all your produce?  Lots of people on a long trip might have some bananas, oranges or similar for snacks.

[J N Winkler]

It's not just agriculture products that they're looking for. For a while, the I-80 and US 395 NB stations heading away from Reno were looking at any watercraft coming in. There had been an uptick in some kind of invasive aquatic life (some kind of mollusk?) that was harming clarity in the Lake Tahoe region, and they were examining incoming watercraft to make sure there were none of the creatures sticking to the hulls.

They have looked for ferrets in the past too.  The first detour routes I saw posted on the Web to allow visitors to evade California inspections were for the benefit of ferret owners.  I dimly remember that there was a proposition to make ferrets legal in California, but I don't know what became of it.

If you answer yes what do they do? Ask to see all your produce?  Lots of people on a long trip might have some bananas, oranges or similar for snacks.

I am pretty sure they are looking just for wholesale fruit and vegetables, not produce that has been through a supermarket distribution channel.  This is why I felt comfortable saying "No" to the fruit-and-vegetables question while chewing a carrot, holding the rest of the carrot in my hand, etc.

If you say Yes, they probably ask where you bought the fruit and where you are coming from (to establish whether the point of sale was wholesale or retail and whether the point of origin has a known pest problem), and depending on how you reply, they ask to see it.

[sdmichael]

Typical CA government. When you cross the border into Mexico they ask you if you have any guns. When you cross back into California they ask if you have any fruit.  Ha ha. 
I know we have a HUGE agriculture economy in California, I would just think the State would invest more tax money into protecting people.
iPhone

State Government doesn't deal with the US / Mexico Border, sorry. That is the Federal Government. We have a multi-billion dollar agricultural industry that is separated from the rest of the country by mountains and deserts. That insulation prevents the spread of most pests. Driving them across said barriers could devastate the economy, let alone how much food we produce here. I don't mind the inspection stations. Those stations have been in place now for nearly 100 years and are at least up front about what they are looking for. The ones run by the US Border Patrol, however, should be removed immediately.

[J N Winkler]

We have a multi-billion dollar agricultural industry that is separated from the rest of the country by mountains and deserts. That insulation prevents the spread of most pests. Driving them across said barriers could devastate the economy, let alone how much food we produce here. I don't mind the inspection stations. Those stations have been in place now for nearly 100 years and are at least up front about what they are looking for.

Sorry, I'm not convinced.  California is not the only US state with a multibillion-dollar agricultural sector; 37 other states have agricultural production figures north of $1 billion.  If you define multibillion strictly as meaning $2 billion or more, 33 states other than California also cross this threshold.  Agricultural production in California is valued at $31 billion annually, which is a lot (and indeed number one in the US), but still barely equal to the value of production in the next top two, Texas and Iowa.  Meanwhile, California has the most restrictive inspection regime by a wide margin.

The fact that agricultural inspectors have been stopping vehicles for almost a century could just as easily mean that they have an entrenched lobby working for them.  It does not mean that they are being deployed in the most efficient or effective way possible, even for defense of native species, which is not an agricultural-protection function per se but which they seem to have picked up through mission creep.

Has phaseout of every-vehicle inspection been proposed or studied?  Or is it just one of those ideas that is drowned in the bathtub before it can be reported on, like building a freeway through Breezewood?

[sdmichael]

We have a multi-billion dollar agricultural industry that is separated from the rest of the country by mountains and deserts. That insulation prevents the spread of most pests. Driving them across said barriers could devastate the economy, let alone how much food we produce here. I don't mind the inspection stations. Those stations have been in place now for nearly 100 years and are at least up front about what they are looking for.

Sorry, I'm not convinced.  California is not the only US state with a multibillion-dollar agricultural sector; 37 other states have agricultural production figures north of $1 billion.  If you define multibillion strictly as meaning $2 billion or more, 33 states other than California also cross this threshold.  Agricultural production in California is valued at $31 billion annually, which is a lot (and indeed number one in the US), but still barely equal to the value of production in the next top two, Texas and Iowa.  Meanwhile, California has the most restrictive inspection regime by a wide margin.

The fact that agricultural inspectors have been stopping vehicles for almost a century could just as easily mean that they have an entrenched lobby working for them.  It does not mean that they are being deployed in the most efficient or effective way possible, even for defense of native species, which is not an agricultural-protection function per se but which they seem to have picked up through mission creep.

Has phaseout of every-vehicle inspection been proposed or studied?  Or is it just one of those ideas that is drowned in the bathtub before it can be reported on, like building a freeway through Breezewood?

Perhaps you missed the fact that California agriculture is insulated from the rest of the country by barriers that most pests cannot cross. That is the largest reason for the system that is in place today. Fruit flies can't cross the Mojave or the Sierra Nevada without the help of vehicles taking them across. Most every other state has little to no natural barrier to its agriculture from other states.

[ZLoth]

FWIW:

In 2012, California's 80,500 farms and ranches received $42.6 billion for their output. California remained the number one state in cash farm receipts with 11.3 percent of the US total. The state accounted for 15 percent of national receipts for crops and 7.1 percent of the US revenue for livestock and livestock products. Exports totaled $18.18 billion in value which represents an eight percent increase over the previous year.

FULL ARTICLE HERE

What I find amusing is going on YouTube and seeing the jerks who make the inspectors lives miserable by quoting the fourth amendment when asked "Do you have any fruits or vegetables?", thus turning a less than 30 second stop into a several minute ordeal.

Doing a quick Google Search found this from Lawlink:

The California Department of Agriculture maintains a list of quarantined pests harmful to the agriculture of this state. These pests may be either animal or vegetable. Agricultural Code section 5341 provides: "To prevnt the introduction into, or the spread within this state, of pests, the director shall maintain at such places within this state as he deems necessary plant quarantine inspection stations for the purpose of inspecting all conveyances which might carry plants or other things which are, or are liable to be, infested or infected with any pest." Agricultural Code sections 5344 and 5345 make it unlawful to fail to stop at an inspection station. Agricultural Code section 5346 makes it "unlawful for any person to conceal any plant from any plant quarantine officer or to fail to present it or any quarantined article for inspection at the request of such officer."

What about constitutionality?

The first question is whether motorists can be stopped at the inspection stations. To that extent the situation is comparable to fixed border patrol checkpoints designed to intercept illegal aliens.United States v. Martinez-Fuerte (1976) 428 U.S. 543, [49 L.Ed.2d 1116, 96 S.Ct. 3074], determined that checkpoints do not constitute a Fourth Amendment violation of the rights of motorists and their passengers. The court found that neither warrant nor probable cause was required to briefly stop motorists at the checkpoint to ask a few questions. The same held true of singling out some of the motorists and their passengers for further inquiry which caused an additional three- to five-minute delay in most cases.

FULL ARTICLE HERE

And, here is something from the Las Vegas Review Journal:
California inspection station protects agriculture, angers drivers

When a truck with a boat pulled into the right lane of this high desert outpost's border inspection station, it was literally hands on deck for Greg Du Bose.

And on the sides of the hull, the stern, the intake and exhaust pipes, the outboard motor's propeller and the short ladder next to it.

Du Bose, the station manager, and another inspector had to rub their hands over the boat in their search for tiny, fast-breeding and resilient baby quagga mussels - high on the California Department of Food and Agriculture's most dreaded pest list.

FULL ARTICLE HERE

[J N Winkler]

Perhaps you missed the fact that California agriculture is insulated from the rest of the country by barriers that most pests cannot cross. That is the largest reason for the system that is in place today. Fruit flies can't cross the Mojave or the Sierra Nevada without the help of vehicles taking them across. Most every other state has little to no natural barrier to its agriculture from other states.

I didn't miss that part of your post at all.  I simply passed over it because, in the absence of additional facts, it seems to work best as an argument for a situation precisely contrary to that which exists:  inspections for all vehicles at all states that don't have natural barriers to pests, no inspections in California.  But California is the only state that stops all vehicles.  Florida, which also has a huge fruit-growing sector, just stops commercial vehicles.

California is also far from alone in having natural barriers to pests--much the same is true of the Willamette Valley in Oregon, for example.  Yet Oregon doesn't have anything like the inspection regime California does.

[vdeane]

I'm not convinced that California's agricultural sector will even survive the next 50 years.  California's natural climate is a desert - the oasis is man-made, and the droughts are just getting worse every year.  As a resident of upstate NY, I do NOT want to see water from our (already shrinking) Great Lakes diverted to the west to support farming/cities in the desert that will always be incapable of getting enough water for themselves due to climate.

[roadfro]

Has phaseout of every-vehicle inspection been proposed or studied?  Or is it just one of those ideas that is drowned in the bathtub before it can be reported on, like building a freeway through Breezewood?

Given the fact that California has been rebuilding some stations (including additional lanes and combining the sites with CHP truck inspection stations), I'd say phaseout hasn't really been considered. I-80 @ Truckee was reconstructed in this manner in the mid 2000s, while I-15 @ Yermo is undergoing relocation (closer to NV state line near Primm) and reconstruction now.

As a resident of upstate NY, I do NOT want to see water from our (already shrinking) Great Lakes diverted to the west to support farming/cities in the desert that will always be incapable of getting enough water for themselves due to climate.

I don't think anybody is seriously considering pumping water from the Great Lakes across the Great Plains and into the desert southwest. That would be an extraordinary proposition with an astronomical price tag. (Just the concept of pumping groundwater from the Great Basin in eastern Nevada/southwest Utah down to Las Vegas, in planning stages, is already expected to cost well north of $1 billion.)

[pctech]

Why don't they add Welcome Centers if they are renovating? It always struck me as strange that CA which has a very big tourism economy doesn't have them at Interstate crossings.

[J N Winkler]

Given the fact that California has been rebuilding some stations (including additional lanes and combining the sites with CHP truck inspection stations), I'd say phaseout hasn't really been considered. I-80 @ Truckee was reconstructed in this manner in the mid 2000s, while I-15 @ Yermo is undergoing relocation (closer to NV state line near Primm) and reconstruction now.

One of the articles Zloth linked to cites a study done by the California agriculture department that concluded each dollar spent on inspections saves about $14 in crop losses and eradication expenses.  This comes closer to an airtight justification for every-vehicle inspection than the natural-barrier argument.  However, it overlooks the delay cost of carrying out inspections on heavily traveled corridors such as I-15.  It also doesn't directly address any options that may exist for obtaining the same loss avoidance benefits through different approaches to deployment of resources, possibly at less cost to the budget and less economic cost overall.

[mtantillo]

I'm not convinced that California's agricultural sector will even survive the next 50 years.  California's natural climate is a desert - the oasis is man-made, and the droughts are just getting worse every year.  As a resident of upstate NY, I do NOT want to see water from our (already shrinking) Great Lakes diverted to the west to support farming/cities in the desert that will always be incapable of getting enough water for themselves due to climate.

I don't think this could legally happen. There are international treaties that prevent Great Lakes water from being diverted outside of the Great Lakes watershed. Any changes would require approval from the governors of the Great Lakes states, the Premiers of Ontario and Quebec, and go through the international treaty ratification process. The only party that would be remotely interested is the US Federal Government. I'm sure all of the governors, premiers, and Canada would be strongly against it. 

Heck, there are treaties in place that limit the amount of diversion from Niagara Falls to the adjacent power stations for the sole purpose of preserving the view of the falls for tourists! Like heck Niagara Falls is going to give water to California!

That said, I've only been stopped once at a checkpoint (out of 3 times driving into California). They asked if I had any fresh fruits, where I was headed, and handed me a book of coupons for tourist attractions. This was on a Sunday afternoon, and there was lots of Vegas traffic. A whole bunch of cars ahead of me were waved through, but when the inspector spotted a New York State license plate on my car, he stopped me.

I didn't stop at the one on I-80 (I was heading east), but I did notice that they segregated traffic by license plate....California to one side, Out of State to the other.

Entering at I-8 and I-40, the stations were closed and you just drove through.

One of the few exceptions to the watershed rule is for the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, which causes some Great Lakes water to drain into the Mississippi River.

[vdeane]

but when the inspector spotted a New York State license plate on my car, he stopped me.

Isn't that "discrimination against people who are from out of state"?

I didn't stop at the one on I-80 (I was heading east), but I did notice that they segregated traffic by license plate....California to one side, Out of State to the other.

Odd... maybe it's so that an inspector who's having a bad day only has to deal with people who know what's going on?

One of the few exceptions to the watershed rule is for the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, which causes some Great Lakes water to drain into the Mississippi River.

I believe that's the canal that is under watch for the potential of Asian Carp to migrate to the Great Lakes.