California Ag Network

Category: Events

  • San Joaquin Valley Weed Science Days!

    There are TWO upcoming weed science extension days in the San Joaquin Valley this April.

    The first will be held on the 2nd of April at the Kearney Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Parlier (9240 South Riverbend Road, Parlier CA 93648) and the second will be held on April 11th at the Westside Research and Extension Center in Five Points (17353 West Oakland Avenue, Five Points, CA 93624).

    The meeting at the Kearney Center will focus on rangeland, turf, and tree and vine systems while the meeting at the Westside Center will focus on agronomic crops, ROWs, and tree and vine systems. Both meetings will open with hands-on weed ID and nozzle selection/drift management training.

    The Kearney meeting has been approved for 3.5 CDPR continuing education credits (other); an application for 3.5 credits is currently pending for the Five Points meeting.

    Both meetings are free to attend although we do request that you register by calling the UCCE Merced County office at 209-385-7403 to reserve your spot. Agendas are listed below (pdf flyers are also attached).

    Our programs are open to all potential participants. If you require special accommodations, please contact the UCCE Merced County office at 209-385-7403. Thank you and we hope to see you at the meeting!

     

    San Joaquin Valley Weed Science Day at the KARE

    Tuesday, April 2 2019, 8:00 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.

    Kearney Agricultural Research and Extension Center

    9240 South Riverbend Road, Parlier CA 93648

     

    8:00 a.m. Registration and Welcome (Refreshments provided)

     

    8:30 a.m. Concurrent Sessions (attendees will be split into two groups and will rotate between the weed ID and spray drift demonstrations at 45-minute intervals)

    Session 1: Identification of Common Weeds of Agricultural Cropping Systems and Non-Crop areas of the Southern San Joaquin Valley.

    Anil Shrestha, Chair: Department of Viticulture & Enology and Professor: Weed Science, CSU Fresno

     

    Session 2: Nozzle Selection and Proper Use and Spray Drift Management

    James Schaeffer, Staff Research Associate, UCCE – Fresno County

     

    10:00 a.m. Break (Refreshments provided)

     

    10:15 a.m. Post-Emergence Herbicides for Use in Orchards

    Kurt Hembree, Weed Science Advisor, UCCE – Fresno County

     

    10:45 a.m. Turfgrass Weeds in the Central Valley

    Maggie Reiter, Environmental Horticulture Advisor, UCCE – Fresno, Madera, Tulare and Kings Counties

     

    11:15 a.m. Post-fire Rangeland Weed Management: A Critical Component of Land Stewardship

    Rebecca Ozeran, Livestock and Natural Resources Advisor, UCCE – Fresno and Madera Counties

     

    11:45 a.m. Glyphosate for Weed Control: How it Works, Why it Fails, and What we can do to Maximize Efficacy

    Lynn Sosnoskie, Agronomy and Weed Science Advisor, UCCE – Merced and Madera Counties

     

    12:15 p.m. Adjourn

     

    San Joaquin Valley Weed Science Day at the WSREC

    Thursday, April 11, 2019, 8:00 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.

    Westside Research and Extension Center

    17353 West Oakland Avenue, Five Points, CA 93624

     

    8:00 a.m. Registration and Welcome (Refreshments provided)

     

    8:30 a.m. Concurrent Sessions (attendees will be split into two groups and will rotate between the weed ID and spray drift demonstrations at 45-minute intervals)

    Session 1: Identification of Common Weeds of Agricultural Cropping Systems and Non-Crop areas of the Southern San Joaquin Valley.

    Anil Shrestha, Chair: Department of Viticulture & Enology and Professor: Weed Science, CSU Fresno

     

    Session 2: Nozzle Selection and Proper Use and Spray Drift Management

    James Schaeffer, Staff Research Associate, UCCE – Fresno County

     

    10:00 a.m. Break (Refreshments provided)

     

    10:15 a.m. The Biology and Management of Alkaliweed

    Kurt Hembree, Weed Science Advisor, UCCE – Fresno County

     

    10:45 a.m. Managing tough weeds in the right-of-way (ROW), landscape and other non-crop sites

    Rick Miller, Corteva Agrisciences

     

    11:15 a.m. Pre- and Post-Herbicide Performance on Threespike Goosegrass in Tree Nut Orchards

    Drew Wolter, UC Davis

     

    11:45 a.m. Breaking Bindweed: What Controls the Species and What Doesn’t Work

    Lynn Sosnoskie, Agronomy and Weed Science Advisor, UCCE – Merced and Madera Counties

     

    12:15 p.m. Adjourn

    Attached Files

    SJV Weed Day April 2 2019 at KAC Flyer
    SJV Weed Day April 11 2019 at WSREC Flyer

  • As Ag Tech Summit Nears, Tickets Remain Available: Also limited openings for President’s Opening Reception on March 26

    A limited number of tickets remain for the Sixth Annual Salinas Valley Ag Technology Summit on March 27 at Hartnell College in Salinas, as well as for the President’s Opening Reception that will start the event on the evening of March 26.

     

    Speakers, panels and exhibitors at the 2019 summit will highlight how industry players can leverage innovation for increased productivity and strategic advantage in an era of rapid change.

     

    In line with its theme of “Tomorrow’s Technology You Can Use Today, the summit’s main day on March 27 will feature educational tracks in ag production and ag business. Topics will include the latest in precision crop management, “big data” to accelerate decision-making, blockchain traceability for food safety and initiatives to meet agricultural workforce needs in 2020 and beyond.

     

    A third track, offered by the event’s co-organizer, the California Association of Pest Control Advisers (CAPCA), is worth up to five hours of approved credit in continuing education.

     

    Keynote speakers also will zero in on hot-button themes. The morning keynote on the summit’s main day, March 27, will be delivered by Dr. Bob Whitaker, chief scientific officer for the Produce Marketing Association, and the luncheon address will be made by Glenda Humiston, vice president for agriculture and natural resources at the University of California.

     

    “Each one of our sessions will offer distinct insights,” said Nick Pasculli, who chairs the 2019 summit planning committee and is CEO of TMD, a produce-focused marketing firm in Salinas. “Taken together, the entire experience will make our attendees excited about all they can achieve with new tools and new thinking.”

     

    As always, the sixth annual event will provide unique opportunities for learning and networking while supporting agribusiness students and programs at Hartnell College. It also will spotlight the Salinas Valley’s emergence as an incubator and hub for innovation and development in ag tech.

     

    “The Salinas Valley Ag Tech Summit is one of the most important events of the region,” said Pasculli, founder, president and creative director of TMD, a creative services agency with many clients in the produce industry. “It brings together the brightest minds in ag production and technology, all for the benefit of increasing sustainability and strengthening this industry as we feed the world and build a thriving economy.”

    Ag Tech Summit

    The summit will open with the President’s Opening Reception from 6-8 p.m. in the STEM Building (S) at Hartnell, featuring local wines and hors d’oeuvres and participation by industry leaders. The main Ag Tech Summit program on March 27 will begin with a continental breakfast at 6:30 a.m. The afternoon exhibition will also include a Beer Hall featuring the Carmel Craft Brewing Co.

     

    Community members, ag industry members, growers, PCAs, CCAs, QALs, pilots, students and participants in ag tech and software industries are encouraged to attend. The event is organized by the Hartnell College Agriculture Business and Technology Institute in collaboration with the Monterey Bay Chapter of the California Association of Pest Control Advisers (CAPCA).

     

    The two-day event is organized by the Hartnell College Agriculture Business and Technology Institute in collaboration with the Monterey Bay Chapter of the CAPCA.

     

    For registration and schedule information, visit: http://svagtechsummit.com/.

  • Political analyst David Wasserman to keynote 2019 Organic Trade Association conference Annual policy conference to focus on Bold Ideas & Critical Conversations:

    Attendees of the Organic Trade Association’s spring policy conference will have the rare opportunity to get an insider’s look into the upcoming presidential race when they hear from one of the few political analysts in the country who accurately forecast the results of the historic 2016 election.

    keynote speaker

    David Wasserman, one of the nation’s most influential political analysts and election forecasters and U.S. House Editor for the non-partisan The Cook Political Report, will share his spot-on insights and deep knowledge of today’s political landscape at the Organic Trade Association’s annual policy conference on May 22 in Washington.

     

    The Bold Ideas & Critical Conversations conference is part of a powerful week of organic advocacy, education, and collaboration that the Organic Trade Association has planned for its Organic Week activities scheduled the week of May 20 in D.C.

     

    Wasserman is regarded as among the most accurate election forecasters in the country, and his authoritative analysis of political trends is closely followed by other political experts as well as academics and the general public. In 2016, he drew wide praise for his pre-election analysis, including his piece titled “How Trump Could Win the White House While Losing the Popular Vote” written two months before election. His data-driven forecasting looks at both national and local trends, the relationship between consumer brand loyalty and voting, and what the future holds for American elections.

     

    “The Organic Trade Association is thrilled to have David speak at our conference,” said Laura Batcha, CEO and Executive Director of the Organic Trade Association. “Today’s political environment is very unpredictable, so David’s keen insights into today’s political scene, and his proven electoral foresight will be timely and eye-opening for our attendees.”

     

    The trade association will host its annual conference at a unique venue–Dock 5, a creative urban space in the nexus of the historic Union Market– opened to the public in 1871 and once the largest market in Washington, D.C.

     

    The conference is one of three major events of Organic Week, during which organic stakeholders will double-down on big ideas and solutions to advance organic. In the backdrop of the nation’s capital, small organic producers and major growers, family-run organic operations and nationwide companies, researchers and policy advocates, and distributors and retailers will come together to promote organic policy priorities. Included in the week will be educational opportunities, advocacy, and networking as participants explore leading-edge thinking, discuss bold strategies, and take incremental steps to advance policy and private sector solutions.

     

    Activities begin with Member Day on Monday, May 20, at the Organic Trade Association’s headquarters in the Hall of the States where members will gather for updates and discussions on industry issues. That evening, the Organic Trade Association’s Board of Directors will host a guided bus tour to view D.C. monuments. On Tuesday, May 21, attendees head to Capitol Hill for Advocacy Day to meet with congressional policymakers and discuss the importance of organic. On Thursday, May 23, the Board of Directors will meet alongside a volunteer service project at DC Central Kitchen where attendees will be invited to roll up their sleeves and help!

     

    Registration is open. Register by March 15 for the best pricing on this action-filled week.

  • California Fresh Fruit Association Hosts 83rd Annual Meeting

    (Santa Barbara, CA) – The California Fresh Fruit Association (CFFA) kicked off their new fiscal year
    yesterday during the Annual Membership Meeting at their 83rd Annual Meeting in Santa Barbara,
    California. The event featured the election of the Board of Directors and Chairman, as well as industry and
    committee updates.

    Santa Barbara Meeting

    The Board of Directors is made up of 44 men and women from operations located from as far south as Coachella Valley to as far north as Lake County. Randy Giumarra (Giumarra Vineyards) was elected as Chairman of the Board of Directors for the 2019/20 fiscal year. The organization’s officers are nominated to serve for a one-year period and are selected by a committee of past Board Chairs. The full slate of officers includes:

    CHAIR: Randy Giumarra (Giumarra Vineyards) – Bakersfield-based fresh grape and tree fruit shipper

    FIRST VICE CHAIR: Kevin Herman (The Specialty Crop Company) – Madera-based fresh fig,
    pomegranate, and persimmon shipper

    SECOND VICE CHAIR: Wayde Kirschenman (Kirschenman Enterprises) – Kern County-based diversified
    farming operation

    SECRETARY/TREASURER: Louis Pandol (Pandol Bros., Inc.) – Delano-based fresh grape shipper
    The Association honored Kent Stephens, CFO of Marko Zaninovich, Inc., with the prestigious Mentor’s
    Award, which is bestowed to an individual who has demonstrated exceptional dedication to the fresh grape,
    berry and tree fruit communities through their leadership in the industry. Stephens, through his work in both
    the table grape industry and water advocacy, has made an immensely positive impact on California
    agriculture over his forty year career. The Mentor’s Award was first awarded in 1966 to Mr. Martin
    Zaninovich of Jasmine Vineyards, Inc. An awardee is selected by the Association’s Mentors’ Committee
    and a recipient is selected based on the following criteria: a trusted counselor or guide; a wise, loyal advisor;
    a tutor, coach, teacher; and a person who, through effort, discovery, innovation, dedication, and/or perseverance, has influenced the industry in a positive way.Santa Barbara Meeting

    Prior to the Annual Membership Meeting, the Annual Industry Workshop featured key note speakers Mr.
    Ruben Navarrette and Mr. John Manzella. Both speakers delivered passionate messages about the issues
    of immigration and trade wars, as well as many other issues that are impacting the future of California agriculture and what our industry must do to be prepared.

  • Kern County Spring Citrus Meeting – March 8

    The University of California Kern County Cooperative Extension is holding a spring citrus meeting on Friday, March 8 from 8:30 a.m. to noon at the Kern County Cooperative Extension auditorium. Meeting topics include the latest Asian citrus psyllid treatment strategies, the 2019 Kern County ACP coordinated treatment plan and more. The meeting is open to all citrus growers and affiliates.

    Continuing Education (CE) units or Certified Crop Advisor (CCA) units are not available for this meeting. A full list of speakers and topics is provided below.

    8:30 a.m.
    Registration

    9 a.m.
    Latest Treatment Strategies for Asian Citrus Psyllid
    Dr. Beth Grafton-Cardwell, director, Lindcove Research & Extension Center

    ACP-HLB Update and 2019 Kern Coordinated ACP Treatment Plan
    Judy Zaninovich, Kern County ACP-HLB Grower Liaison

    Are You Applying Imidacloprid Properly?
    Rick Leonard, Bayer

    What Should We Do About California Red Scale?
    Dr. Beth Grafton-Cardwell, director, Lindcove Research & Extension Center

    Spider Mites of Concern in the Lower San Joaquin Valley
    David Haviland, Kern County Cooperative Extension entomologist and Farm Advisor

    Noon
    Adjourn

    Meeting details:
    Friday, March 8
    8:30 a.m. to Noon
    Kern County Cooperative Extension Auditorium
    1031 S. Mount Vernon Ave.
    Bakersfield, CA 93307

    For questions, please contact: 
    Judy Zaninovich
    Kern County ACP-HLB Grower Liaison
    jsleslie@msn.com

  • International Citrus Research Conferences Come to Riverside

    To explore and discover solutions to plant diseases impacting the global citrus industry, the 21st Conference of the International Organization of Citrus Virologists (IOCV) and the 6th International Research Conference on Huanglongbing (IRCHLB) are taking place at the Riverside Convention Center in Riverside from March 10-15, 2019.

    Co-organized by Citrus Research Board, the conferences will bring more than 500 attendees – from leading researchers and regulators to citrus growers – representing over 22 countries to Southern California, the birthplace of California’s iconic citrus trees. This is the first time the IOCV and IRCHLB conferences will be held in conjunction.

    The IOCV conference returns to Riverside for the first time since the inaugural Citrus Virus Diseases conference in 1957, which was organized on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Citrus Experiment Station at the University of California, Riverside in 1907*.

    The IOCV conference will take place from March 10-12, and features presentations on citrus leprosis, tristeza, yellow vein clearing and the de novo discovery of citrus viruses, as well as citrus viroids and diagnostics. In addition, for the first time in the history of IOCV, the conference will include sessions on non-graft-transmissible diseases of citrus.

    Taking place March 12-15, the IRCHLB will feature research presentations and interactive sessions on the global status of Huanglongbing (HLB), a summary of current HLB research efforts and the vision for long-term sustainable HLB management practices. HLB has killed hundreds of thousands of citrus trees in Florida and other countries, and is one of the biggest threats facing California’s commercial citrus industry.

    “California’s citrus community is honored to be hosting the Joint Conference of the IOCV and IRCHLB and hosting citrus researchers from around the world. We’re looking forward to learning about breakthroughs from our fellow scientists and collaborating with them to find sustainable solutions to the disease threats facing the citrus industry,”said UC Riverside Professor Georgios Vidalakis, chair of the Joint Conference. “On behalf of the conference, we are grateful for the support of Citrus Research Board – one of the leading citrus research organizations – and the staff that took the lead on organizing and hosting the conference.”

    Save the date

    About the Joint 2019 IOCV-IRCHLB Conferences

    The 21st Conference of the International Organization of Citrus Virologists and the 6th International Research Conference on Huanglongbing is organized by the Citrus Research Board; the University of California, Riverside; and the United States Department of Agriculture’sAgricultural Research Service in collaboration with numerous citrus industry, state and federal government, and university partners. Learn more at www.iocvirchlb.com

    About Citrus Research Board

    Citrus Research Board administers the California Citrus Research Program, the grower-funded and grower-directed program established in 1968 enabling the state’s citrus producers to sponsor and support needed research. More information about the Citrus Research Board may be found at www.citrusresearch.org.

  • Expert Panels Added to California Olive Oil Day Program

    It’s not too late to register for the Olive Oil Commission of California’s second annual​ ​California Olive Oil Day to be held March 5, 2019 at the Robert J. Cabral Ag Center in Stockton. The event is free and open to all interested industry members.

    The day-long ​program​ will include a morning session from 8:30 a.m. to noon and an afternoon session from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. with lunch in between.

    The morning session will include presentations on OOCC-funded research projects including work done by the UC Davis Olive Center on the OOCC’s mandatory government sampling and testing program along with updates from other University researchers on olive oil pests and diseases. Additionally, the program will include a presentation by a panel of representatives from the UC Davis Olive Center, the California Olive Oil Council, the American Olive Oil Producers Association and the OOCC. Each will provide an overview of the unique activities they conduct to support the olive oil industry.

    Lunch will be served at noon with the afternoon session beginning at 1:00 p.m. This portion of the program features material from the OOCC Olive Oil Quality Workshop developed to educate producers and all sectors of the olive oil supply chain on the best practices to enhance quality and extend shelf life. A panel of olive oil experts has also been added to this presentation and will include: David Garci-Aguirre from Corto Olive Oil; Marcelo Berlanda from California Olive Ranch; Natalia Ruiz from Modern Olives; and Samantha Dorsey from McEvoy Ranch. Panel members will answer questions and present their views on a host of factors affecting the quality of olive oil. Alexandra Kicenik Devarenne, olive oil consultant, will present the quality workshop and moderate the panel discussion.

    Attendees are welcome to come for either or both the morning and afternoon sessions as well as to join us for lunch. For more information on California Olive Oil Day click ​here​. To RSVP for this free event, please contact Tyler Rood at ​tyler@agamsi.com​ by February 28.

  • USDA 2018 Farm Bill Implementation Listening Session

    The U.S. Department of Agriculture is hosting a listening session for initial input on the 2018 Farm Bill. USDA is seeking public input on the changes to existing programs implemented by the Farm Service Agency, Natural Resources Conservation Service and Risk Management Agency. Each agency will take into account stakeholder input when making discretionary decisions on program implementation.

    Deadline for registration to attend the event in person is February 22, 2019. Register at www.farmers.gov/farmbill.

    The event will be streamed live on www.farmers.gov/farmbill for those who are unable to attend in person. No registration is required to view the livestream.

    Written comments are encouraged by February 22, 2019; additional comments will be accepted through March 1, 2019. To submit comments, go to the Federal eRulemaking Portal at http://www.regulations.gov  and search for Docket ID USDA–2019–0001.   Follow the online instructions for submitting comments. You may also submit written comments at the listening session. Comments received will be publicly available on www.regulations.gov.

  • Public Invited to Visit SJV Soil Health Demo Site in Five Points

    UC Cooperative Extension cropping systems specialist Jeff Mitchell is issuing a standing invitation to the public to visit the site of an ongoing conservation agriculture research project and see for themselves the results of long-term soil-building practices.

    “Every Friday morning from 9 o’clock till noon, beginning in February and going through June, I invite folks to come to the project site to see up close and personal just what soil health means,” Mitchell said.

    The project, funded by the National Research Initiative, compares plots that have been managed for more than 20 years in an annual rotation of cotton, processing tomatoes and more recently sorghum, garbanzos, and melons, under four different treatments: no-tilled plus cover crops, no-tilled with no cover crops, conventionally tilled with cover crops and conventionally tilled without cover crops.

    “What we’ve got at this site is a very long-term example of exactly what implementation of a small set of soil care, or soil health, principles really means for soil function and management,” he said.

    Mitchell says that the study site in Five Points is a valuable resource for the people of California because of its dedicated adherence to principles that are widely touted to improve production efficiencies, reduce emissions, cycle nutrients more tightly, and reduce inputs over time.

    “I recently heard about the value of publicly showcasing long-term sites such as the one we’ve got in Five Points. It’s being done in several other places, including the Dakotas and in Europe,” Mitchell said. “It just seems to make sense to open up our field more widely to folks who might be interested in seeing the remarkable changes we’ve seen and monitored for a long time.”

    According to Mitchell, the NRI Project field is already “the most visited research field in the state,” but with this new invitation, he is hoping to have an even broader and wider impact.  “We’ve got a simply amazing resource here and I want folks to see it,” he says. The study has also been selected as one of the monitoring sites of the North American Project to Evaluate Soil Health Measurements that has been initiated by the Soil Health Institute of Morrisville, NC.

    More than 30 peer-reviewed scientific articles have been published based on work done in this study field.

    The NRI Project is located at the University of California’s West Side Research and Extension Center, 17353 W. Oakland Ave., in Five Points.

    “I promise to be out there every Friday morning from Feb. 15 through June 26,” he said.

  • International Agri-Center® Prepares for 2019 World Ag Expo®

    The International Agri-Center® is set to hold the 52nd World Ag Expo® February 12-14, 2019. The largest annual agricultural exposition of its kind, World Ag Expo® boasts more than 1,450 exhibitors displaying cutting-edge agricultural technology and equipment on 2.6 million square feet of exhibit space. In 2018, 106,700 people came from 49 states and 63 countries to attend the 51st World Ag Expo®.

    On Tuesday morning, Opening Ceremonies will kick off the show with special guest speaker, American Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall. A variety of seminars will be offered, including dairy, water, international trade, government regulation and women in agriculture. These seminars are presented by professionals in the industry and provide attendees with valuable information to improve their operations.

    New this year will be a free, one-day conference aimed at young women interested in a career in agriculture. Grow by FarmHer, is being held on the West Coast for the first time and requires pre-registration at http://bit.ly/GrowAtWAE19. Other special events include the Capitol Ministries dinner on Tuesday night, the Wednesday morning Prayer Breakfast and the California Ag Leadership breakfast on Thursday morning.

    The Top-10 New Products Competition, sponsored by Bank of America, is back with products offering improved technology for the field and increased efficiencies. From a one-of-a-kind heavy-duty electric fork lift, to an affordable dairy genomic test, to a wireless irrigation valve control system, the Top-10 New Products has something to offer every type of farming operation.

    “World Ag Expo® continues to provide the best platform for buyers and sellers to meet, greet, and grow the Ag industry,” says Jerry Sinift, International Agri-Center®’s CEO. “Our theme this year is ‘Harvesting Technology,’ and there is plenty of time, money and resource saving technology to find at this show. We’re impressed every year with the new innovations our exhibitors bring to World Ag Expo®.”

    Attendees can look forward to new features this year, including daily livestock dog demonstrations in the new Demonstration Pavilion, Ride & Drive areas on the East and West ends of the grounds, and a wide variety of new seminars that cover everything from Cannabis to automation in the ag industry. Attendees will also be able to enjoy an additional 20 acres of parking to the East of the International Agri-Center® grounds. With the move of on-site RV camping to the South parking lot, space to the East of the grounds has been converted to day parking.

    Starting February 1, World Ag Expo® attendees can get the latest news, information and updates about the show by downloading the new 2019 mobile app. The free app provides mobile access to the schedule of events, an exhibitor directory, map of the show grounds and other visitor resources. The app is available for download from the iOS and Android app stores by searching “World Ag Expo® 2019.”

    For a full schedule of events, visit http://bit.ly/WAE19Schedule. For more information about the show or to purchase tickets for 2019 World Ag Expo® visit www.WorldAgExpo.org.

    World Ag Expo® – bringing you the best in Ag since 1968.