As a major gateway for California agricultural trade, West Coast ports remain among the least efficient in the world, according to recent data. Now those clogged ports threaten farmers’ ability to get products to market—and could undermine their standing as reliable suppliers. In a study published last month, the University of California, Davis, estimated California […]
The road to higher food prices begins at the diesel pump and winds through the auto-parts store, the fertilizer-supply company and even the hangar at the local airfield. By the time that road reaches the farm, California farmers and ranchers may have paid double—and then some—to grow and transport their crop. “We’ve seen diesel prices […]
As California weathers another drought, tools that can help farmers and ranchers maximize the water they do get are being sharpened. The newest effort to measure such water use was launched last week by a public-private coalition featuring three federal agencies—the National Aeronautics and Space Administration; the U.S. Department of Agriculture; and the U.S. Geological […]
The Newsom administration has informed regional water districts that it will move forward with a plan to increase flows from San Joaquin River tributaries in an action that may create more water uncertainty for farmers. A notice from the California Natural Resources Agency and state Environmental Protection Agency represents a departure from the state’s earlier […]
After a 16-month wait, the 2022 World Ag Expo® season was kicked off by Show Chairman Steve Wilbur on Saturday, September 25. The “Kickoff Dinner” was attended by volunteers, staff, and invited guests at the Social Hall on the International Agri-Center® grounds. For many, it was the first time they had seen each other since […]
This afternoon, Exeter Union High School held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the expansion of their citrus farm from 16 acres to 21 acres, bringing the school farm’s total size to 25 acres. The farm has been a part of the school since the 1950s but these new acres will help students to keep up with […]
California’s water bucket is not even half full as the state enters the 2022 water year, which began Oct. 1. Two years of drought has depleted the state’s surface and groundwater supplies, and weather forecasters predict a La Niña climate pattern in the Pacific Ocean, which has brought drought conditions in the past. California State […]
California pistachio orchards are teeming with activity as growers harvest this year’s crop. It is expected to reach or exceed 1 billion pounds, just under last year’s record 1.05 billion pounds. Pistachios are alternate bearing, producing heavy crop yields one year and lighter yields the next. This year is technically an “off” year for the […]
The Tulare County Fair drew a record number of attendees and generated much-needed funding to support the 2022 fair, announced CEO Dena Rizzardo. “We are so grateful for the attendees, the entertainers and the exhibitors who participated and helped make the 2021 fair a huge success,” Rizzardo said. “And our youth benefitted from a very […]
California’s reservoirs are nearly empty due to historic drought conditions. Water supplies for many farmers are curtailed or cut off entirely, leaving them to hope that Mother Nature brings winter rain and snowpack to rescue them next year. But, until then, irrigation districts in several Central Valley farm communities are going to court, challenging the […]