California Ag Network

Category: Featured Post

  • UC Releases Costs of Growing Cilantro, Parsley

    For commercial growers considering planting cilantro or parsley, the costs and returns of producing in Ventura County are outlined in a new study by the University of California Cooperative Extension, University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Institute, and UC Davis Department of Agriculture and Resource Economics.

    “These studies provide growers with a baseline to estimate their own costs, which can help if they need to apply for production loans, project labor costs or market their crop” said Etaferahu Takele, UC Cooperative Extension farm management advisor and agricultural economist and study co-author.

    The UC Cooperative Extension cost and return estimates are based on cilantro and parsley grown in Ventura County. Each study describes the cultural practices used for establishing, producing and harvesting the herbs, including land preparation, soil fertility and pest management, irrigation and labor needs.   

    Ventura County produces a diverse mix of vegetables and herb crops. Lately, the acreage in cilantro production has been increasing. Between 2002 and 2022, the cilantro acreage almost quadrupled from 1,257 acres to 4,065 acres, reflecting increases in demand for the herb often used in Latin American and Asian recipes.

    The total cost to produce cilantro in 2025, using a yield of 1,200 cartons per acre, is approximately $7,316 per acre. Sold for $9 per carton, profit for cilantro before paying management is estimated at $3,480 per acre.

    The total cost to produce parsley in 2025, using a yield of 2,200 cartons per acre, is approximately $14,759 per acre. Using a price received of $8.60 per carton, profit for parsley before paying management, is estimated at $4,713 per acre.

    The researchers based their studies on an 800-acre farm, which was the average farm size of the growers they interviewed. Double cropping is common in Ventura County so the total land farmed for this sample is about 1,600 acres per year. Because growers produce multiple crops each year, planting and harvesting vegetable crops are year-round activities.

    “Cilantro Production Costs and Profitability Analysis” and “Parsley Production Costs and Profitability Analysis” can be downloaded for free from the UC Cooperative Extension Ventura County website: https://ucanr.edu/county/cooperative-extension-ventura-county/vegetable.

    Government agencies such as the California Department of Food and Agriculture and the United States Department of Agriculture can use the information when developing and implementing agricultural policies and programs.

    The cost estimate studies were coauthored by Oleg Daugovish, UC Cooperative Extension strawberry and vegetable crop advisor in Ventura County; and Karen Jetter, research economist and associate director; Donald Stewart, staff research associate; and Fiona Ogunkoya, survey researcher, all of the UC ANR Policy Institute.

    For more information about cost studies, contact Takele at ettakele@ucanr.edu.

    These studies were funded by the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources’ Thelma Hansen Trust. — By Pamela Kan-Rice, UCANR

  • South Africa Market Now Open for U.S. Fresh Blueberries

    South Africa has officially approved market access for fresh blueberries from all U.S. states.

    Market Access Letter
    Operational Work Plan – West Coast
    Operational Work Plan – East Coast

    All facilities intending to ship to South Africa must register. This market will be added to the comprehensive facility registration form that the USHBC publishes every September for the following season. Exporters should watch for an email next month with facility registration details.

    If you’re interested in shipping during the 2025 season, please contact North American Blueberry Council/US Highbush Blueberry Council (NABC/USHBC) Director of Government Affairs Alyssa Houtby as soon as possible.

    After years of stalled progress, we thank the Trump administration for prioritizing this request and opening the South Africa market for U.S. fresh blueberries. We’re grateful to the dedicated team at USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) for their collaboration and for securing a science-based and practical work plan for blueberry growers and packers.

    Although South Africa’s blueberry market has evolved significantly since the original access request, NABC and USHBC remain optimistic about the opportunities this market presents. We believe strongly in the importance of open, science-based trade, and will continue working to expand and strengthen global market access for U.S. blueberry growers.

    To learn more about NABC’s market access efforts, contact Director of Government Affairs Alyssa Houtby. For information on USHBC’s market development programs, contact Director of Global Business Development Haiying Zhang. 

    History of the Request for Access

    This milestone was made possible through nearly a decade of collaboration among NABC, USHBC, the California Blueberry Commission, Oregon Blueberry Commission and Washington Blueberry Commission. We also thank Rufus Isaacs, Ph.D., of Michigan State University for his technical guidance on the operational work plan, and our partners at Bryant Christie Inc., whose support was instrumental in advancing this request.

  • Questions about Growing Agave in California?

    Agave may be a slow-growing plant, but the rush to farm the drought-tolerant crop in California has been rapid. Since 2023, agave acreage has quadrupled in the state, from 50 acres to over 200.

    Photo Caption: Yessica Fernandez Galicia is a researcher who’s organizing a webinar series to meet the most pressing questions from California agave growers. Photo by Rob Padilla

    With all those new agave farms popping up, more farmers are seeking advice to best care for this hardy succulent. To meet that need, agricultural experts from UC Agriculture and Natural Resources and UC Davis surveyed English-speaking and Spanish-speaking agave growers on their top concerns. So far, they’re received over 50 responses and counting.

    “With this survey, we’ve identified 30 farmers that we didn’t have on our radar before,” said Yessica Fernandez Galicia, a UC ANR and UC Davis agave researcher.

    Growers’ responses focused on many of the same themes: How much should you water an agave plant? Which pests and diseases affect agave? Can you get certified for growing agave sustainably?

    Those survey results have been put to good use. Based on grower input, UC ANR has developed a series of free, virtual webinars about agave, offered every month from August to December. The sessions are open to all, but please register ahead of time:

    Regenerative Agave and Certification — Aug 28, noon-1 p.m.

    Rodrigo Mestas – Agave grower in Jalisco, Mexico. Mestas is the owner of the first Regenerative Tequila Certificate, which was awarded to his business, Tequila Torrente.

    Cooperatives and Collective Action — Sept. 25, 12:30-1:30 p.m.

    Deborah Yashar – Agriculture and food co-op specialist in the California Center for Cooperative Development.

    Agave and Dry Farming Practices — Oct. 16, noon-1 p.m.

    Steve Sanchez – California farmer and consultant who promotes agave and cactus cultivation through sustainable practices and dry farming. Sanchez hosts the podcast Agave & Cactus Talk.

    Cultural Appropriation: The Significance of Maguey and Mezcal to Zapotec People — Nov. 13, noon-1 p.m.

    Fabiola Santiago – Activist, researcher, and cultural entrepreneur, originally from Oaxaca, Mexico, and raised in California. Proudly Zapotec, she dedicates her work to defending and preserving Oaxacan culture.

    Photo Caption: Agricultural experts from UC ANR and UC Davis surveyed new and long-time agave growers as the drought-tolerant crop gains popularity in California. Photo by Rob Padilla

    The webinars cover multiple topics, including grower certification and irrigation practices. According to Fernandez Galicia, attendees will leave with economic and environmental takeaways.

    “We are trying to educate people that the agave doesn’t need a lot of water. If you give them a lot of water, they don’t generate the adequate quantities of sugar,” she said.

    That means overwatering could make the agave unusable for commercial products like alcohol or biofuel. Cutting water use also can be a cost-saver and environmentally responsible in this drought-prone state.

    “The principal goal is to encourage practices that care for the earth and make farming more sustainable,” said Fernandez Galicia. — By Caroline Champlin, UCANR

  • Registration Opens for 2026 Farm Robotics Challenge

    The Farm Robotics Challenge, the only collegiate agricultural robotics competition of its kind, is officially launching its 2026 season. Registration is now open for undergraduate and graduate student teams from two-year and four-year colleges and universities across the United States and worldwide.

    The competition tasks students with designing, prototyping and field-testing robotics and AI-driven solutions to tackle real challenges facing modern agriculture. The Challenge is organized by UC ANR Innovate, the innovation arm of University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources, in partnership with the AI Institute for Next Generation Food Systems (AIFS).

    “What makes the Farm Robotics Challenge unique is that students work directly with farmers to identify and solve real problems,” said Gabe Youtsey, chief innovation officer at UC ANR and founder of UC ANR Innovate. “Teams are developing practical solutions growers can put to work, and the hands-on experience prototyping and field-testing prepares students for careers in agricultural technology, while helping address some of the pressing challenges our growers face today.”

    Lead sponsor the Reservoir to award Grand Prize investment

    The Challenge is pleased to announce a partnership with the Reservoir, a leading early-stage venture capital investor and robotics incubator dedicated to accelerating real-world agricultural technology. The Reservoir joins this year as a lead sponsor, bringing with it a commitment to help student innovations leap from concept to commercialization.

    As part of this partnership, the Reservoir will award a $50,000 Grand Prize investment to the winning team. This seed funding goes beyond a traditional competition prize, as it provides a powerful springboard for turning student-built prototypes into market-ready solutions with real agricultural impact.

    “The future of agriculture will be shaped by deep tech innovators who can move quickly from lab to field,” said Danny Bernstein, CEO of the Reservoir. “The Farm Robotics Challenge brings together the kind of early-stage talent we’re eager to back – engineers, scientists and entrepreneurs with the vision to tackle real problems and the grit to commercialize their solutions. By pairing this year’s $50,000 Grand Prize investment with our on-farm incubation and venture support, we aim to help these prototypes evolve into scalable companies delivering breakthrough technologies for growers.”

    Central to the competition is the expectation that student teams work directly with growers to identify prominent issues in agriculture that could be addressed using advanced robotics, AI and automation.

    “With this challenge, teams can target a broad range of agricultural activities, such as planting, weeding, harvesting, pest management and crop monitoring, as well as focused projects in data collection, mapping and on-farm automation,” said Steve Brown, associate director of the AI Institute for Next Generation Food Systems.

    Teams are encouraged to design and prototype solutions, using robotic platforms equipped with autonomous navigation systems, intelligent algorithms and custom attachments to address real-world agricultural problems. These projects are field-tested, ensuring that they are not only theoretically sound but also practically viable in production agriculture environments.

    Supported by leading technology partners such as Bonsai Robotics, the competition places strong emphasis on innovation, hands-on learning and collaboration with growers.

    “For the past four years, we’ve partnered with UC ANR Innovate and AIFS on the Farm Robotics Challenge because we believe the future of farming depends on the next generation of innovators. There are big problems to solve in how we grow our food, and we want these inventive, engineering minds focused on them,” said Brendan Dowdle, chief business officer at Bonsai Robotics. “Our robotics platform makes it easier to design, test and deploy AI, computer vision and autonomous systems. Every year, we’re inspired by the creativity and technical skill these students bring to the field, and the ideas just keep getting bigger. We can’t wait to see what they build next.”

    Prizes offered as part of multi-phase competition cycle

    The competition unfolds across several stages, beginning with the registration period starting in August, followed by a team formation and proposal research phase through October. Project proposals must be submitted by October 30, 2025.

    Teams then embark on a six-month development and testing phase, culminating in final project submissions due on May 3, 2026.

    The competition concludes with an awards ceremony set for May 20, 2026.

    Participation in the Farm Robotics Challenge offers numerous benefits. The competition will award over $100,000 in prizes across multiple categories, and select teams will be offered travel stipends to showcase their projects at FIRA USA, North America’s leading ag tech conference. Beyond the prizes, all participants gain access to a network of academic and industry professionals dedicated to building the future of farming.

    Throughout the competition, educational webinars will be available to help students stay informed about industry trends, develop entrepreneurial skills and gain valuable insights on topics such as intellectual property, company formation and venture capital financing, presented by experts from Morrison Foerster.

    “We are excited to partner with UC ANR Innovate and AIFS on the Farm Robotics Challenge,” said Michael Ward, co-head of the Morrison Foerster Food and Ag Practice. “To ensure that teams get their industry-changing ideas off the ground, it is critical that they have a solid understanding of the legal issues that arise when launching and growing a startup company in this field.”

    The webinars will feature interactive sessions designed to introduce teams to the legal knowledge needed to start and grow a business, protect their innovations and navigate the challenging regulatory landscape.

    “We will offer free confidential office hours to all competition participants to answer legal questions and provide guidance on moving their ideas into a company and taking steps to commercialization,” said Mitchell Presser, co-head of the Morrison Foerster Food and Ag Practice.

    Throughout the competition, student teams develop practical skills at the intersection of technology and agriculture, expand their professional networks and engage with a distinguished panel of evaluators and innovators.

    Past competitions have featured over 40 teams from across the U.S. and abroad, with previous winners including UC Davis, University of Georgia, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and Olin College of Engineering (click to view past results).

    For those interested in participating, prospective teams are advised to assemble members with a range of technical expertise and secure a faculty or staff advisor. The next step is to partner with a grower to identify a meaningful agricultural problem and then design and rigorously test a solution using advanced robotics and AI.

    Comprehensive information, official rules and regular updates can be found on the Farm Robotics Challenge website. You can also register to participate in the Farm Robotics Challenge Info Session Webinar on September 10 at 4 p.m. (PDT).

    New for the 2025-26 academic year is the Farm Robotics Academy, intended for secondary school students. The Academy aims to equip both educators and students with knowledge and skills in leading-edge technologies that are reshaping the agricultural landscape. Learn more at https://www.farmroboticsacademy.ai/.

    Farm Robotics Challenge

    The Farm Robotics Challenge is organized by UC ANR Innovate and the AI Institute for Next Generation Food Systems, with lead support from the Reservoir, technology partner Bonsai Robotics, as well as Western Growers, Morrison Foerster, F3 Innovate, Taylor Farms, Beck’s Hybrids, Google.org, the California Tomato Research Institute, Linak U.S., and Plug and Play. The competition challenges college-level teams to identify and solve real-world agricultural problems using advanced robotics technology.

    For more information about the Farm Robotics Challenge, including details on how to participate or sponsor, visit https://farmroboticschallenge.ai.

    UC ANR Innovate

    UC ANR Innovate brings together people, resources and ideas to accelerate agricultural, food and biotech innovation in California. UC ANR Innovate develops practical technologies, generates research and policy insights, prepares a future-ready workforce and builds the ecosystems and partnerships that make innovation possible: locally, regionally and globally.

    The AI Institute for Next Generation Food Systems

    The AI Institute for Next Generation Food Systems (AIFS) is a USDA-National Institute of Food and Agriculture-funded research institute leveraging artificial intelligence to solve the world’s biggest challenges to crop and food production: ensuring a sustainable, nutritious, efficient and safe food supply while mitigating the impacts of changing conditions. For more information, visit https://aifs.ucdavis.edu.

    The Reservoir

    The Reservoir is a startup incubator and venture capital fund focused on helping ag tech startups succeed where agriculture happens – in the field. Reservoir Farms is the world’s first on-farm robotics incubator, starting in the Salinas Valley and expanding to other key regions like the Central Valley. Reservoir Ventures backs startups solving real problems in high-value crops. By combining R&D space, hands-on grower input and early-stage capital, the Reservoir helps turn promising ideas into tools for the growers who feed the world. Learn more at https://reservoir.co.

    Bonsai Robotics

    Bonsai Robotics is reimagining the agricultural industry with its AI-first platform that makes autonomous farming affordable, easy to use, and deployable across all farm equipment – whether retrofitted onto existing machines or built into next generation solutions. Its acquisition of farm-ng in 2025 combines its leading, vision-based autonomy software with modular, electric robotics to deliver next-generation machines adaptable for a wide range of crops, tasks and environments. Bonsai empowers growers to monitor and manage all farm equipment – new or legacy, autonomous or not – through a single, intuitive app. Learn more at www.bonsairobotics.ai.

    Morrison Foerster

    Morrison Foerster is a leading global law firm, with clients including some of the most innovative companies – from trailblazing startups to Fortune 100 enterprises. Morrison Foerster is the firm for Food + Agriculture, representing stakeholders across the value chain, from scientists in labs optimizing plant genetics, to farmers nurturing crops, to ag tech pioneers revolutionizing farm technology, to CPG companies and global brands selling your favorite foods. With unmatched scientific depth and deep sector knowledge, Morrison Foerster has helped shape the sector for over two decades. For more information, visit www.mofo.com.

    UC Agriculture and Natural Resources brings UC information and practices to all 58 California counties. Through research and Cooperative Extension in agriculture, natural resources, nutrition, economic and youth development, our mission is to improve the lives of all Californians. Learn more at ucanr.edu.

    To read more UC ANR news, visit our newsroom at ucanr.edu/News.

  • Jill Sperling Named State Supervisor of Ag Education and California State FFA Advisor

    The California Association, FFA, is pleased to announce the appointment of Jill Sperling as the new State Supervisor of Agricultural Education and California State FFA Advisor. Her selection was made by the California Department of Education, taking effect on May 1, 2025, following the retirement of Charles Parker. She becomes the first woman to serve in this role in the organization’s nearly 100-year history.

    A respected agricultural educator and mentor, Sperling brings a wealth of knowledge, experience, and leadership to the position, having earned multiple local and state awards for her excellence in teaching and service. Prior to this position, she served as the Central Region FFA Advisor for 10 years, supporting 86 agricultural education programs spanning from Sacramento to Merced counties. Before joining the state leadership team, Sperling spent 14 years as an agriscience educator and FFA advisor at Kingsburg High School.

    “I am immensely proud to be the first female State Supervisor of Agriculture Education and State FFA Advisor in California,” Sperling shared. “I have deep roots in agriculture education and grew up seeing the meaningful impacts that agriculture teachers make on the lives of their students through the three-circle model of agriculture education. I have been honored to serve the teachers and FFA members of the Central Region for the past ten years and am looking forward to working with my colleagues to provide leadership to the 108,000+ FFA members and over 1,100 agriculture teachers throughout our great state in the years to come.”

    As State FFA Advisor, Sperling will help lead the strategic vision of the California Association, FFA, supporting more than 108,000 members across 366 chapters. She will work in close partnership with California’s regional advisors to ensure local programs meet the diverse needs of students, while also collaborating with the California FFA Foundation, California Agricultural Teachers’ Association, and the California Department of Education to support the organization’s growing and evolving programs.

    Stepping into this distinguished role marks both a personal and professional achievement for Sperling. A native of Sacramento County and a proud American FFA Degree recipient, she follows in the footsteps of her father, Bob Heuvel, who served in this same position for nearly 30 years. Her husband, Dustin, is also a former FFA member, and their children, Auston and Avery, are former and current members of their local FFA program.

    About California Association, FFA: The California Association, FFA, serves more than 108,000 students and strives to make a difference in their lives by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth, and career success through agricultural education. To learn more about the California FFA, visit calaged.org.

  • Golden State Farm Credit Supports Local Students with Back-to-School Backpack Donation

    Golden State Farm Credit (GSFC) recently donated 25 backpacks filled with school supplies to support students and families through The Salvation Army of Chico’s Back-to-School program, an annual effort to ensure local students are prepared for a successful start to the school year.

    Recipients of the program will receive a backpack filled with various school supplies such as notebooks and paper, writing utensils, a calculator, and a lunchbox. Each donation will support a child in need living in Chico, Paradise, Magalia, or Forest Ranch, helping relieve the financial burden from local families, parents, and guardians.

    GSFC has previously partnered with The Salvation Army of Chico, particularly through its annual participation in the Angel Tree program, which provides Christmas gifts to hundreds of children in the region. This back-to-school effort represents a meaningful extension of that partnership and a shared commitment to serving the community year-round.

    “We’re proud to support programs that provide local youth with the tools they need to succeed,” said Kris Costa, director of marketing and communications at GSFC. “Supporting the Angel Tree Program has always been a meaningful experience for our team, so when The Salvation Army invited us to be part of their back-to-school effort, we were excited to jump in and help.”

    This donation is part of GSFC’s ongoing commitment to serve and strengthen rural communities. The association’s community outreach pillar extends beyond supporting local agriculture organizations, activities, and events; they believe in supporting families in the community when the need arises. Looking ahead in 2026, GSFC plans to connect with other Salvation Army locations near its branch offices to expand the backpack donation effort.

    About GSFC:

    Golden State Farm Credit (GSFC) is a lending institution of the Farm Credit System with offices in Northern and Central California that service the counties of Butte, Glenn, Tehama, Shasta, Trinity, Fresno, Kings and Tulare. The GSFC administrative office is located at 3013 Ceres Avenue, Chico, CA 95973. The Farm Credit System (System) is a nationwide network of borrower-owned lending institutions that provides loans, leases, and related services to farmers, ranchers, rural homeowners, agribusiness, agricultural and rural utility cooperatives, and Young, Beginning and Small Farmers nationwide. Congress established the System in 1916 to provide a reliable source of credit for the nation’s farmers and ranchers. Today, the System provides more than one-third of the credit needed by those who live and work in rural America.

    For more information about Golden State Farm Credit, call (530) 895-8698 or visit us online at www.goldenstatefarmcredit.com.

  • Innovative Ag Education Program Reaches Over 1 Million California Students

    Educating today’s students about the importance of California agriculture is critically important to protecting the future of farming and ranching in the Golden State. For nearly 40 years, the California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom has been a leader in that effort and is continuing to innovate to meet the needs of California classrooms.

    “We’ve been around since 1986, and our whole mission is to support teachers and students in incorporating agriculture into their classroom because agriculture affects our daily lives. It’s the food we eat; it’s the clothes we wear – it affects everything that we do,” said Amanda Fletcher, the Foundation’s executive director.

    During 2024, Fletcher said the Foundation’s programs reached over 1 million pre-K to high school students by engaging more than 34,000 teachers across California. Among the Foundation’s most-used resources was the 22ndannual issue of What’s Growin’ On, a 16-page interactive student newspaper funded in part by Farm Credit. More than 100,000 copies were distributed.

    Kevin Ralph, California President for AgWest Farm Credit, said California’s Farm Credit organizations have supported the Foundation’s work for many years.

    “Farm Credit has been proud to support What’s Growin’ On for more than 15 years – and in fact increased our support this year – because it’s proven to be an innovative and effective way of educating third through eighth graders about all the aspects of California agriculture,” Ralph said.

    Jacob DeBoer, Regional Marketing Manager with American AgCredit, agreed that the Foundation continues to do great work.

    “What makes the Foundation’s efforts so successful is that it comes up with ways to really reach students,” DeBoer said. “This year, the theme is ‘Imagine Your Future in Agriculture,’ which is especially important given the need to attract students to consider careers in ag-related fields. Besides information about farming, the newspaper and other programs discuss careers in fields including tech, marketing, soil science and ag mechanics. There’s nothing like drones to capture a young student’s imagination.”

    All seven Farm Credit organizations serving California – AgWest Farm Credit, American AgCredit, CoBank, Colusa-Glenn Farm Credit, Fresno Madera Farm Credit, Golden State Farm Credit and Yosemite Farm Credit – are financially supporting the Foundation’s work. They are all part of the nationwide Farm Credit System – the largest provider of credit to U.S. agriculture.

    Fletcher said the Foundation got its start in 1981 as a program launched by the California Farm Bureau Federation. It was spun off five years later as an affiliated 501c3 nonprofit. Today, seven – soon to be eight – employees develop age-appropriate curricula using a wide range of distribution methods.

    For example, a popular part of the program is the virtual California Farm Day. This year, 31,000 students watched one of two age-appropriate, hour-long programs including video and live Q&A sessions with ag experts. One segment showed a pest advisor walking through a broccoli field examining plants for insects. He explained that some insects were beneficial, and others weren’t and talked about the steps he took to become a pest advisor.

    “We had over 800 questions asked of the live hosts. A lot of the kids who were on that broadcast were from urban and more disadvantaged schools who don’t always have the ability to go on field trips, so this offered a little window into agriculture and how it affects their lives,” she said.

    “We probably work with 60% urban classes and 40% from the agricultural areas. Our target demographic is those urban and disadvantaged schools because we want to get into schools in L.A. and the Bay Area to make sure they’re getting the same education about agriculture that students in counties that have that rich agriculture history have access to.”

    This year, a grant from the California Department of Food and Agriculture allowed the Foundation to develop an interactive website called KnowinWhatsGrowin.com. Fletcher said it matches the state’s fourth-grade curriculum and focuses on specialty crops grown in different parts of the state.

    Santa Clara County students can learn about mushrooms, for example – how they’re grown and harvested, nutritional information, products that use mushrooms and even recipes.

    Because the Foundation strives “to keep growing, because if you stay stagnant that doesn’t work when the goal is to get the information out to the populace,” the staff is currently beginning a four-year project to develop a monthly curriculum for high school students that outlines ag-related careers. The lesson plans will tie into math, science and ag mechanics.

    “Then we are going to be working on developing an internship program that will go along with that. It’ll be exciting in the next couple of years once that gets off the ground,” she said.

    “We want to create materials that are easy and quick for teachers to implement so they have good programming for their students and to make sure that the next generation is informed about where their food and fiber comes from.”

    About Farm Credit:

    AgWest Farm Credit, American AgCredit, Colusa-Glenn Farm Credit, CoBank, Fresno Madera Farm Credit, Golden State Farm Credit and Yosemite Farm Credit are cooperatively owned lending institutions providing agriculture and rural communities with a dependable source of credit. For more than 100 years, the Farm Credit System has specialized in financing farmers, ranchers, farmer-owned cooperatives, rural utilities and agribusinesses. Farm Credit offers a broad range of loan products and financial services, including long-term real estate loans, operating lines of credit, equipment and facility loans, cash management and appraisal and leasing services…everything a “growing” business needs. For more information, visit www.farmcreditalliance.com

    About the California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom:

    California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom (AITC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to increasing agricultural awareness and understanding among California’s educators and students. AITC develops accurate, teacher-tested educational materials, provides training and programs for educators, and collaborates with organizations to highlight the importance of agriculture in daily life. Through initiatives such as comprehensive lesson plans, the What’s Growin’ On? student newspaper, the Imagine this… writing contest, Virtual Farm Day, the annual teacher conference, and many more programs, AITC fosters agricultural literacy and supports the future of agriculture – impacting over 1 million students annually. For more information, visit www.learnaboutag.org.

  • Not a Peep — Bird Flu Silences Poultry Competitions at Fairs

    Summertime at California county fairs usually brings a barnyard chorus of oinks, neighs and bleats from livestock. But in California, cock-a-doodle-doos are missing from that chorus. A statewide ban on bird exhibitions, due to highly pathogenic avian influenza, has left empty cages and disappointed young 4-H members who spent months raising chickens for competition.

    “Fowl News: Bird Flu Ruffles Feathers at the Fair,” is the latest episode of Unfold, a UC Davis podcast. In this episode, guest host Caroline Champlin, with University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources, explores how 4-H programs are keeping poultry education alive amid the ban. At the Orange County Fair, kids compete in the “avian bowl,” a quiz game designed to test knowledge of poultry science. You also can read an in-depth article on the topic at UC ANR’s Green Blog.

    UC Davis veterinary epidemiologist Maurice Pitesky, also with UC ANR, explains why the ongoing bird flu outbreak may be here to stay. He discusses how the virus spreads, the risks of bringing animals together, and innovative approaches to teaching about the bird flu, including a cooperative board game about stopping disease spread.

    In this episode:

    Maurice Pitesky, associate professor, UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine and University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources Cooperative Extension specialist

    You can listen to episodes of the Signal Award-winning podcast Unfold, on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, your smart speaker or wherever you get your podcasts. Original music for Unfold comes from UC Davis alumnus Damien Verrett and Curtis Jerome Haynes. Follow us on X at @unfoldpodcast or Bluesky at @unfoldpodcast.bsky.social. — By Amy Quinton, UC Davis

  • Wheat That Makes Its Own Fertilizer

    Scientists at the University of California, Davis, have developed wheat plants that stimulate the production of their own fertilizer, opening the path toward less air and water pollution worldwide and lower costs for farmers.

    The technology was pioneered by a team led by Eduardo Blumwald, a distinguished professor in the Department of Plant Sciences. The team used the gene-editing tool CRIPSR to get wheat plants to produce more of one of their own naturally occurring chemicals. When the plant releases the excess chemical into the soil, the chemical helps certain bacteria in the soil convert nitrogen from the air into a form the nearby plants can use to grow. That conversion process is called nitrogen fixation.

    The study was published online in Plant Biotechnology Journal.

    In developing countries, the breakthrough could be a boon for food security.

    “In Africa, people don’t use fertilizers because they don’t have money, and farms are small, not larger than six to eight acres,” Blumwald said. “Imagine, you are planting crops that stimulate bacteria in the soil to create the fertilizer that the crops need, naturally. Wow! That’s a big difference!”

    The breakthrough in wheat builds on the team’s earlier work in rice. Research also is underway to extend this technology to other cereals.

    Worldwide, wheat is the No. 2 cereal crop by yield and takes the biggest share of nitrogen fertilizer, using about 18% of the total. Globally, more than 800 million tons of fertilizer were produced in 2020 alone, according to figures from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization.

    But plants take up only about 30 to 50% of the nitrogen in fertilizer. Much of what they don’t use flows into waterways, which can create “dead zones” that lack oxygen, suffocating fish and other aquatic life. Some excess nitrogen in the soil produces nitrous oxide, a potent climate-warming gas.

    The work-around: Protect the fixer

    Nitrogen-fixing bacteria produce an enzyme called nitrogenase, the “fixer” in nitrogen fixation. Nitrogenase is only located in the bacteria, and it can only work in environments with very little oxygen.

    Legumes such as beans and peas have root structures, called nodules, that provide a cozy, low-oxygen home for nitrogen-fixing bacteria to live.

    Unlike legumes, wheat and most other plants don’t have root nodules. This is why farmers use nitrogen-containing fertilizer.

    “For decades, scientists have been trying to develop cereal crops that produce active root nodules, or trying to colonize cereals with nitrogen-fixing bacteria, without much success. We used a different approach,” Blumwald said. “We said the location of the nitrogen-fixing bacteria is not important, so long as the fixed nitrogen can reach the plant, and the plant can use it.”

    To find a work-around, the team first looked at 2,800 chemicals the plants produce naturally. They found 20 that, among other jobs useful to the plant, also stimulate bacteria to produce biofilms. Biofilms are a sticky layer that surround the bacteria and create a low-oxygen environment, allowing nitrogenase to work. The scientists determined how the plant makes those chemicals and which genes control that process.

    Then, the team used the gene-editing tool CRISPR to modify wheat plants to produce more of one of those chemicals, a flavone called apigenin. The wheat, now with more apigenin than it needs, releases the excess through its roots into the soil. In experiments they conducted, apigenin from the wheat stimulated bacteria in the soil to create the protective biofilms, allowing nitrogenase to fix nitrogen and the wheat plants to assimilate it.

    The wheat also showed a higher yield than control plants when grown in a very low concentration of nitrogen fertilizer.

    Farmers could save billions

    Farmers in the United States spent nearly $36 billion on fertilizers in 2023, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates. Blumwald calculates that nearly 500 million acres in the U.S. are planted with cereals.

    “Imagine, if you could save 10% of the amount of fertilizer being used on that land,” he pondered. “I’m calculating conservatively: That should be a savings of more than a billion dollars every year.”

    Other authors include Hiromi Tajima, Akhilesh Yadav, Javier Hidalgo Castellanos, Dawei Yan, Benjamin P. Brookbank and Eiji Nambara.

    A patent application has been filed by the University of California and is pending. Bayer Crop Science and the UC Davis Will Lester Endowment have supported the research.

    Read about the earlier work of the Blumwald team to develop rice that can stimulate its own nitrogen fertilizer here. — By Trina Kleist, UC Davis

  • Medfly Quarantine in Portion of Santa Clara County

    A portion of Santa Clara County has been placed under quarantine for the Mediterranean fruit fly (Medfly) following the detection of two wild female flies in the city of San José. If not stopped, Medflies can devastate fruits and vegetables grown in backyards and on local farms by reproducing and leaving larvae in produce, and the invasive flies can then spread to other regions. A quarantine is a way to minimize damage and stop the risk of spread by restricting the movement of fruits and vegetables.

      

    CDFA is working collaboratively with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Santa Clara County Division of Agriculture on this project.  This project is new and separate from the recently-eradicated Medfly infestation in Alameda County.

     

    The quarantine area measures approximately 109 square miles, bordered on the north by Trade Zone Boulevard; on the south by Camden Avenue; on the west by San Tomas Expressway; and on the east by Evergreen Valley Community College.  The quarantine will cover parts of the cities of San José, Santa Clara, Campbell, and the town of Los Gatos. A link to the quarantine map may be found here: www.cdfa.ca.gov/plant/medfly/regulation.html

      

    The quarantine will affect any growers, wholesalers, and retailers of susceptible fruit in the area as well as local residents.  Home gardeners are urged to not move homegrown produce from their property.  However, residents living in the quarantine area may consume or process (i.e. juice, cook, or grind in the garbage disposal) fruit on the property where they were picked or dispose of fruit by bagging and sealing and placing in the garbage (not green waste).  These actions protect against the artificial spread of the infestation to nearby regions where it can affect California’s food supply and backyard gardens.

      

    Sterile male Medflies are scheduled to be released in the area as part of the eradication effort. The release rate will be 250,000 males per square mile per week in an 84.76 square mile area around the infestation.  The sterile medfly release program has a proven track record of eradication in California.  Sterile male flies mate with fertile wild female flies in the natural environment but produce no offspring.  The fly population decreases as the wild flies reach the end of their natural life span with no offspring to replace them, ultimately resulting in the eradication of the pest.  The sterile male medflies are reared at the joint CDFA/USDA sterile insect rearing facility in Los Alamitos, California, which prepares sterile flies for release everyday over California.

      

    Additionally, properties within 200 meters of the detection sites are treated with an organic formulation of Spinosad, which originates from naturally-occurring bacteria in soil, to eliminate any mated females and reduce the density of the population.  To further reduce the population, properties within 100 meters of infested properties are subject to host-plant or fruit removal to eliminate eggs and larvae.

      

    This eradication approach is the standard Medfly program used by CDFA and is the safest, most effective, and most efficient response program available.  CDFA has successfully eradicated each and every detected Medfly infestation in California history, dating back more than 40 years.

      

    The pest is known to target more than 250 types of fruits and vegetables. Damage occurs when the female lays eggs inside the fruit.  The eggs hatch into maggots, which tunnel through the flesh of the fruit, making it unfit for consumption.  Residents who believe their fruits and vegetables are infested with fruit fly larvae are encouraged to call the State’s toll-free Pest Hotline at 1-800-491-1899 or email reportapest@cdfa.ca.gov.

      

    While fruit flies and other invasive species that threaten California’s crops and natural environment are sometimes detected in agricultural areas, the vast majority are found in urban and suburban communities.  The most likely pathway for these invasive species to enter our state are by “hitchhiking” in fruits and vegetables brought back illegally by travelers as they return from infested regions of the world or from packages containing fruits and vegetable from other states or countries.  To help protect California’s agriculture and natural resources, CDFA urges travelers to follow the Don’t Pack a Pest program guidelines (www.dontpackapest.com/).

     

    To help prevent future introductions, residents are encouraged to:

    • Assist agriculture crews working to protect your garden by allowing them access to your yard to place traps and inspect plants.
    • When entering California from another state or country, avoid bringing agricultural products – including fruits and vegetables.  Help us protect our agriculture, natural resources, and California’s unique biodiversity from invasive fruit flies – please Don’t Pack a Pest (www.dontpackapest.com/).
    • Determine if your property is located within an active quarantine area by visiting www.CAFruitFly.com.
    • Please do not send or receive any homegrown fruit, vegetables, or meat products, as they may contain invasive species that can “hitchhike” in these products.
    • Inspect your garden regularly for signs of invasive fruit flies or maggots and report any findings to CDFA at 1-800-491-1899.

      

    Federal, State and County agricultural officials work year-round to prevent, deter, and eliminate the threat of invasive pests and diseases that can damage or destroy our agricultural products, natural environment, resources, and unique biodiversity.  The efforts are aimed at keeping California’s food supply plentiful, safe, and pest-free.

      

    Residents with questions about the project may call CDFA’s Pest Hotline at 1-800-491-1899.  To learn more about invasive species and how to protect California’s fruits and vegetables, please visit www.cdfa.ca.gov/plant/fruitfly