Farmers, ranchers celebrate defeat of split-roll tax measure

Crediting a unified effort by California farmers, ranchers and their organizations, California Farm Bureau Federation President Jamie Johansson thanked voters for rejecting the split-roll tax measure on the Nov. 3 ballot. The initiative, Proposition 15, would have allowed reassessment and higher property taxes on a variety of business properties, including agricultural structures and improvements such […]

2021 World Ag Expo going online

For the first time in show history, the 2021 World Ag Expo® will be an online event February 9-11. Officials at the International Agri-Center® announced the cancellation of the live event on September 14, and spent the next month carefully weighing the implications of a digital show. “A digital show is not a replacement for […]

The View from Westlands: Voluntary Agreements

Voluntary Agreements (VAs) have been proposed as a collaborative, modern and holistic alternative to the State Water Resources Control Board’s (SWRCB) staff proposed update to the Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan (WQCP). From August 2018 until early 2020, state and federal agencies, public water agencies, and non-governmental organizations were engaged in robust discussions to identify the best path forward regarding the WQCP update. Westlands and […]

System reoperations during wet years helped Alta Irrigation District navigate recent dry year

Kings River runoff during the just-concluding water year may have been limited by deepening drought conditions to just over half of average but new operating procedures, implemented in 2017 allowed Alta Irrigation District to deliver more water when compared to operations during previous wet years, which helped lessen impacts during this dry year. Dinuba-based Alta, […]

Exeter FFA alumni to compete at the national level

Grace Jardon, a 2019 Exeter Union High School graduate, will once again represent the Exeter FFA Chapter at the 93rd National FFA Convention and Expo. Jardon is competing with her proficiency project in the Agriscience Research – Animal Systems category based on her research titled “Epidemiology and Treatment of Spinose Ear Ticks on a California […]

California Farm Bureau Federation disappointed in governor’s Prop 15 endorsement

Following Gov. Gavin Newsom’s announcement of support for Proposition 15, the split-roll property tax initiative, California Farm Bureau Federation President Jamie Johansson said the endorsement ignores the measure’s harmful impact on the state’s rural communities. Proposition 15 would establish a split-roll property tax that would reassess and raise taxes on commercial and industrial property, including […]

Schuil & Associates launches free agricultural real estate app

​Schuil & Associates​, the 36-year-old firm established by three brothers, Michael, Marc, and Rick Schuil in Visalia, California today announced the availability of Schuil Real Estate – a mobile app specializing in the sale of farmland, dairies, orchards, grazing sites and more. Traditional real estate apps often focus on single-family homes and commercial real estate […]

Tulare County Farm Bureau announces 2020 Scholarship Awards

Tulare County Farm Bureau’s Educational and Scholarship charitable trust released in July their 2020 student recipients, this year’s Selection Committee reviewed all applications online, and made their selections increasing the amount of funds awarded in many categories.  Photos of the students are available in the TCFB July 2020 Newspaper edition. The TCFB’s education and scholarship […]