California Ag Network

Category: Featured Post

  • LandFlex Succeeds as an Incentivizing Farmer-Driven Solution for SGMA Compliance

    Permanently retiring millions of acres of productive California farmland is not a solution the growing world population needs right now.  That is why a new program, known as LandFlex was created, providing an alternative solution to assist farmers in meeting the requirements of SGMA. Millions of dollars of LandFlex funding have recently been awarded to serve farmers within critically overdrafted basins of California.  Watch this video with Anja Raudabaugh, CEO Western United Dairies, to learn more about the success of the program.

    Please thank this video’s sponsor afimilk for their industry support.

  • Why Invest in Beef on Dairy for the Long-Term?

    Watch this brief interview with Tom Brinks from Ever.Ag, as he provides current insights into the beef market and both short & longterm gains to be had for dairy producers investing in the beef market.

    Please thank this video’s sponsor afimilk for their industry support.

  • New Robots Featured at FIRA USA to Serve Specialty Crop Ag

    The specialty crop ag community was excited to gather recently in Salinas for the second edition of FIRA USA.  The event featured the latest robotics and automation technologies on the market for fruit, vegetable and tree nut growers.  Watch this special video presentation showcasing new technologies from several innovative companies featured at this event.

  • Application Deadline Approaching for On-Farm Water Recharge Incentive Funding

    It’s very important for California farmers to know that not only will there be more funding available in the next round of the NRCS Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), but the application deadline is coming much earlier this year. And for growers that are interested in getting some incentive funding for participating in on-farm groundwater recharge, applications are due by Nov. 3rd. Watch this brief interview with Wendy Rash from NRCS to learn more.

    Please thank this video’s sponsor afimilk for their industry support.

  • New UCCE Dairy Advisor for Tulare and Kern Counties

    California Dairy Magazine is excited to announce Rubia Branco Lopes as the new UCCE Dairy Farm Advisor for Tulare and Kern Counties. Watch this brief introductory video to get to know Rubia better, and read more in California Dairy Magazine.

    Please thank this video’s sponsor afimilk for their industry support.

  • US Grain Market Trends Supporting Lower Feed Costs for California Dairies

    Watch this brief interview with Shelby Myers, Grain Markets Intelligence Director from Ever.Ag, as she shares current grain market dynamics supporting more affordable feed availability for California dairies, based on her presentation at a recent meeting in Tulare, CA.

    Please thank this video’s sponsor afimilk for their industry support.

  • Why So Much Volatility in the US Cheese Market Recently

    Class 3 milk prices have seen better days in the California dairy industry.  The cheese market in particular has been quite volatile recently, and producers are disappointed to see prices on the decline this month.  Watch this brief interview with Tiffany LaMendola, Vice President of Risk Management at Ever.Ag, as she explains the current dynamics of the cheese market.

    Please thank this video’s sponsor afimilk for their industry support.

  • Inaugural Whole Vine Festival to be Dedicated to Nat DiBuduo

    As grape growers and consumers prepare to come together and celebrate the San Joaquin Valley grape industry, Saturday, October 21 (10 a.m. – 5 p.m.) and Sunday, October 22 (10 a.m. – 4 p.m.) at the Whole Vine Festival on the Fresno State Campus, festival organizers are pleased to announce that the inaugural Whole Vine Festival will be dedicated to longtime grape industry leader and advocate Nat DiBuduo.

    DiBuduo has worked in the grape industry since his youth, growing up on his family’s table grape farm in the San Joaquin Valley.  He graduated with a Plant Science degree from Fresno State, focusing on viticulture.  Over the years, DiBuduo has carried many roles and served on various Boards, supporting agricultural and community. Chief among them was his 18 years of service as President of Allied Grape Growers. Representing about 250,000 tons of the California grape crush, DiBuduo did his best to ensure that their grower membership’s grapes found a good home with sustainable returns from year to year.  Even in retirement, DiBuduo continues his lifelong involvement in San Joaquin Valley agriculture, and currently works as a Real Estate Agent at Alliance Ag Services.

    “We are thrilled to honor Nat DiBuduo for his vision to see this festival in his mind’s eye and then engage in the foundational work to build it,” shared Whole Vine Festival President Vickie Goudreau.  “Without Nat’s vast experience and deeply rooted relationships, the festival would lack authenticity and credibility. Nat helped steer the course in those formative years. This festival is a testament to Nat DiBuduo’s love for the vineyard and for the people who tend it.”

    Matthew Malcolm, Whole Vine Festival Board Member and Editor-in-Chief of American Vineyard Magazine, added, “I’m one of many that have had the privilege of working with Nat DiBuduo over the years.  He is a gentleman and makes friends wherever he goes.  The California grape industry and the Whole Vine Festival have been blessed by his kind and deep-rooted influence.”

    DiBuduo will be honored at the Opening Ceremony, Day 1 of the Whole Vine Festival at 10:00 a.m. at Fresno State near the Science II Buildings on Saturday, October 21.  All are invited to attend this momentous occasion. “Please join us in honoring Nat DiBuduo at the Whole Vine Festival for his lifetime of dedicated service to the grape industry and the San Joaquin Valley,” Goudreau expressed. For more details on this free event, visit https://www.thewholevine.com.

    About the Whole Vine Festival

    The mission of the Whole Vine Festival is to bring the community together in celebration of all things related to table grapes, raisins, and wine produced in the San Joaquin Valley, as well as to raise the worth of the Valley in the hearts and minds of its people. The inaugural festival will take place Saturday, October 21 (10 a.m. – 5 p.m.) and Sunday, October 22 (10 a.m. – 4 p.m.) at the Fresno State Campus.  A festive opportunity for families and individuals of all ages, attendees can enjoy grapes in all forms, a kids fun and educational area, live music, and local food vendors with grape-inspired cuisine.  Admission and parking are free.  Visit www.thewholevine.com to learn more and get involved.

  • New Technology to Quickly Assess Nitrogen Status of Grapevines

    Want to speed up the grapevine nitrogen sampling and testing process in your vineyard?  Watch this brief interview featuring Alireza Pourreza, an Associate Professor at UC Davis, who shares that it can now be done effectively using remote sensing from above the vineyard. Read more about it in American Vineyard Magazine.

    Please thank this video’s sponsor the U.S Department of Agriculture for their industry support.

  • Nisei Farmers League Stands Up for Long Time Farmworker Rights

    There are countless immigrant farmworkers that spend most of their lives laboring to feed the world in states such as California, and struggle without the benefits of citizenship and any clear path to get there. Watch this brief interview with Manuel Cunha, President of the Nisei Farmers League, as he and many others take a stand to support the rights of these many hard working families that are the powerhouse of California agriculture.

    Please thank this video’s sponsor the U.S Department of Agriculture for their industry support.