California Ag Network

Category: Featured Post

  • Central Valley Farmer Plans to Take Fight Back to D.C. as Congressman

    California agriculture may be on its way to getting better representation in Washington D.C. with John Duarte running for California’s new 13th Congressional District.  A Central Valley native and an active multigenerational farmer, John is no career politician.  Protecting property rights and increasing water storage are among his top priorities. Watch this brief interview with John to see what he plans to bring to the table.

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

  • Hundreds of Thousands of Prime CA Farmland Acreage Fallowed this Year Due to Drought

    Farmers and other California residents have been pushing legislature for many years to increase our state’s water storage capacity with no success, and with the “years of plenty” long past, hundreds of thousands of acres of prime farmland will go fallow this year. This will have devastating impacts on our nation’s food supply, local communities and the many families that traditionally worked these fields that will be left uncultivated. Watch this brief interview with Adam Borchard from the California Fresh Fruit Association as he addresses the current situation.

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

  • California Almond Subjective Forecast Estimates Smaller Crop

    The 2022 California Almond Subjective Forecast published by the U. S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) estimates that the crop harvested in 2022 will come in at 2.8 billion pounds, 4 percent below last year’s 2.92 billion pounds.

    Forecasted yield is 2,040 pounds per acre, 8 percent below the 2021 yield of 2,210 per acre.

    Richard Waycott, Almond Board of California

    “A lower crop estimate was not totally unexpected versus last year’s 2.9 billion pounds,” said Richard Waycott, president and CEO of the Almond Board of California (ABC). “Some growers’ crops this spring were impacted by frost, while all growers are managing continuing concerns about water availability. However, demand for California almonds around the globe remains strong and California almond growers are prepared to meet that demand.”

    The Subjective Forecast is the first of two production reports from NASS for the coming crop year. It is based on opinions from a phone survey conducted from April 19 to May 6 of randomly selected California almond growers. The sample of growers, which changes every year, is spread across regions and different sized operations.

    On July 8, NASS will release its second production estimate, the 2022 California Almond Objective Report, which is considered more accurate and is based on actual almond counts using a more statistically rigorous methodology to determine yield.

    This Subjective Forecast comes two weeks after NASS released the 2021 California Almond Acreage Report, which gave a preliminary estimate for bearing acreage in 2022 at 1.37 million acres, about 3.8 percent larger than its estimate for 2021 of 1.32 million bearing acres.

    NASS conducts the annual Subjective Forecast, Objective Report and Acreage Report to provide the California almond industry with the data needed to make informed business decisions. These reports are the official industry crop estimates.

  • How to Protect Your Farmland for Future Generations in California

    Many California farms are run by families who have cultivated the land for several generations.  It’s not just land, it’s not just an investment — it is part of what defines them and their mission to feed the world. Watch this brief interview with Charlotte Mitchell from the California Farmland Trust as she shares how to protect their legacy of farming for generations to come.
    Please thank this video’s sponsor Suterra for their industry support.

  • The Mission and Objectives of the California Farmworker Foundation

    The pandemic proved challenging to all in various ways, and farmworkers had unique needs that had to be met in order to keep agriculture going and food from California on dinner tables all over the world. The California Farmworker Foundation was among the great organizations that rose to the occasion to meet their needs. Pandemic aside, farmworkers are essential, they have families and needs, they have a voice, and the California Farmworker Foundation has been established and continues to grow for these reasons. Watch this brief interview to learn more.
    Please thank this video’s sponsor Suterra for their industry support.

  • Farmers Cannot Bear the Burden of Record Inflating Costs Alone

    Among some of the top issues impacting the California fresh fruit industry, and all of the state’s agricultural industries for that matter, are record inflating production costs.  This was addressed at the recent annual conference of the California Fresh Fruit Association (CFFA). Watch this brief interview with CFFA President Ian LeMay as he addresses this.
    Please thank this video’s sponsor Suterra for their industry support.

  • EU Proposes New MRL Regulation on Imported Pistachios

    It appears that aflatoxin will not be the only naturally occurring mold sabotaging pistachio shipments destined for the European Union.  The EU is proposing a new MRL regulation on Ochratoxin A in pistachio imports to go into effect January 1, 2023. But what is Ochratoxin A and what should the pistachio industry know about this? Watch this brief interview with Thomas Jones from the Safe Food Alliance as he explains.  Read more about it in Pacific Nut Producer Magazine.
    Please thank this video’s sponsor Trece for their industry support.

  • Navel Orangeworm Sterile Insect Technique Moving Forward

    Many tree nut growers are aware of the pistachio industry’s investment and government support of sterile insect technique as another tool to suppress navel orangeworm populations in the orchard, but recognize that the research takes time and money. So how far have we come and does the technique still have promise for combatting the tree nut industry’s number one insect pest? Watch this brief video to find out, featuring Ted Sheely, a cotton and pistachio grower who has been following this program long before it was used for navel orangeworm. Read more in Pacific Nut Producer Magazine.
    Please thank this video’s sponsor Trece for their industry support.

  • Almond Nitrogen Fertilizer Recommendations Following Whole Orchard Recycling

    Whole orchard recycling has been a great alternative to the traditional burning of aging almond orchards; however, incorporating the carbon rich wood chips back into the soil presents concerns for nitrogen availability upon replanting.  Watch this brief interview with UCCE Farm Advisor Brent Holtz as he shares his nitrogen application recommendations for replanting almonds following orchard recycling based on recent studies, and be sure to read his monthly Almond Tasks column in Pacific Nut Producer Magazine.
    Please thank this video’s sponsor Trece for their industry support.

  • Growers Limited to Insecticides for Control of Walnut Husk Fly

    As growers prepare to begin monitoring their orchards for walnut husk fly emergence in June, watch this brief interview with Jhalendra Rijal from the Tree & Vine Expo, as he shares more about the nature of this pest and the limited tools growers have to control it.  Read more in-depth information about walnut husk fly control in the May issue of Pacific Nut Producer Magazine.
    Please thank this video’s sponsor Trece for their industry support.