New technologies have transformed the world during the past half-century. Agriculture has been no exception, with the emergence of aerial drones, autonomous tractors and other equipment changing the way crops are planted, cared for and harvested. One thing that hasn’t changed since 1977, however, is a regulation from California’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health, […]
The Valley Air District’s Governing Board took action today to enhance the Low-Dust Nut Harvester Replacement Program. The program helps farmers upgrade to cleaner, more efficient equipment while improving air quality and public health across the San Joaquin Valley. Advancing low-emission technology in this sector is vital for continued air quality improvements in the Valley’s […]
While there have been news reports of unease among some farm employees, the California Farm Bureau has been in contact with numerous farmers across the state and has not heard of any widespread workforce disruption. Bryan Little, senior director of policy advocacy at the California Farm Bureau, which represents more than 26,000 farm and ranch […]
The California State Beekeepers Association is excited to announce a new effort aimed at preventing the rapidly expanding number of hive theft incidents that continue to jeopardize California’s agricultural production and increase food costs. “California has experienced an 87% increase in hive thefts since 2013 with loss to beekeepers estimated at over $3.5 million. Beekeepers […]
To reduce nitrates and ensure that people have access to safe drinking water, the state has proposed tighter water quality requirements for all California dairies that collect dairy waste and apply it to land. The dairy general waste discharge requirements regulate only existing milk-cow dairies in the Central Valley region. But the draft order, if […]
California has dropped its landmark rule that would have phased out nearly all diesel trucks in the coming years, the California Air Resources Board announced earlier this month. The “first-in-the-world” rule, called Advanced Clean Fleets, was adopted in 2023 and was set to ban the sale of new medium- and heavy-duty diesel trucks, including the […]
Blake Wilbur, whose family has farmed in Tulare County for four generations, grew up hearing stories of his grandfather’s artesian wells, the water bubbling to the surface without being pumped and irrigating the family’s cotton, wheat and barley. “It almost sounds mythical at this point,” said Wilbur, who runs a dairy and grows almonds, pistachios […]
Scores of farmworkers stayed home last week amid an immigration enforcement operation conducted in Kern County by U.S. Border Patrol. Immigration experts said it was the largest operation by an immigration enforcement agency in the Central Valley in years. The operation was carried out by Border Patrol’s El Centro sector, which is based in the […]
Despite economic challenges for those in the almond business, the Almond Board of California painted an optimistic outlook for the industry, emphasizing the organization’s ongoing efforts to build demand for the nut by easing trade barriers and making new strides in marketing, innovation and research. In a presentation about the state of the industry during […]
The results are in for World Ag Expo’s® 2025 Top-10 New Products Contest. The winners will be showcased February 11-13, 2025 during the World Ag Expo® in Tulare, California. The impressive field of new products was submitted by exhibitors, showcasing innovations ranging from simple solutions to advanced technologies. The competition was evaluated by a panel […]