California Ag Network

Category: Non-Video

  • Fresno County Department of Agriculture Crop Report

    Fresno County Department of Agriculture Crop Report for the Month Ending Sunday, February 28, 2018

    Fresno, Calif., (March 14, 2018) – Irrigated grain fields continued to grow well and some fields started to develop seed heads. Broadleaf herbicides were applied as needed. Dry-land barley, triticale, oats, and wheat struggled with lack of rain. Ground preparation in rice fields started.

    Alfalfa started to grow but growth is slow. Alfalfa fields were treated for weeds. Garlic and onion fields continued to grow rapidly. Garbanzo bean fields were growing well. Growers tiled soil, shaped furrows, and replaced drip tape for upcoming spring crops. Ground for sod was being leveled and prepared for seeding.

    Almond and stone fruit started to bloom last month. Bloom sprays were made to control diseases. The County was hit with a hard freeze and growers ran water to protect trees.   The extent of damage will not be known for several weeks. In Sanger District, growers participating in the Mexico Stone Fruit Program started hanging pheromone traps for Oriental Fruit Moth on February 15. Grape vines continued to be pruned and tied. Herbicides were applied to vineyards and cover crops between rows were growing slowly from lack of rain. Many vineyards continued to be pushed out for planting of nut trees. Pistachio and walnut orchards were still being pruned. Almond export was slow. Almonds, pecans, pomegranates, prunes, raisins, and walnuts were exported to Algeria, Australia, Bahrain, Chile, China, Colombia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Egypt, El Salvador, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Kuwait, Latvia, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and Vietnam. Chilean and Peruvian table grapes were re-exported to Canada. Nectarine, peach and plum bud wood was exported to Australia.

    Work continued on preparing fields for spring crops. Herbicides were applied to control weeds before planting. Carrots are in all stages of production around the County. Radicchio, fennel, parsley, and spinach were all growing well. Including mizuna, onion, and radish for seed production. Head, leaf, and Romaine lettuce field were growing fast. Asparagus fields were growing well. Blueberry buds were swelling and blooms could be seen at the end of the month. Blueberries and raspberries continued to arrive from Oregon for transplanting. Small growers setup and repaired their hoop houses/ greenhouses in preparation for early spring planting.

    Citrus harvest was in full force around the County. With exports picking up towards the end of February. A hard freeze hit the County late in February, with Sanger reporting a few hours below 28 degrees. Will take a couple weeks to determine freeze damage. Plant growth regulators were applied to orchards to prevent fruit drop. Exclusion nets were placed around mandarins in preparation of citrus bloom. Mandarin orchards continued to be removed and replaced with higher value mandarin varieties. Gophers have been an issue in Huron district, eating orange and lemon roots causing trees to topple. Grapefruit, lemons, mandarins, oranges, and tangelos were exported to Australia, China, Dominican Republic, French Polynesia, Guatemala, Republic of Korea, Japan, New Zealand and the Philippines.

    Bees have been busy pollinating in almond and stone fruit orchards. Cold windy conditions did not help bee activity. Cattle and sheep were grazing in the eastern foothills, but forage conditions were low with lack of rain. Sheep were also seen grazing in fallow fields. Ranchers were out branding new calves. Egg production was expected to increase with the longer days.

  • Peach Blossom Festival Brings 5,000 Youth To Fresno State Campus

    Fresno, Calif., (March 14, 2018) – About 5,000 children representing nearly 145 elementary schools from the San Joaquin Valley will participate in the 60th annual Peach Blossom Festival of Oral Interpretation on Thursday and Friday, March 8 and 9, in various locations on the Fresno State campus.

    The festival, which attracts schools from Livingston to Delano, was created to help young people gain knowledge and appreciation of literature through oral interpretation and performance. The event also gives children an opportunity to visit a University campus.

    The festival begins at 9:30 a.m. Thursday and at 10 a.m. Friday. Check-in will be held in the lobby of the John Wright Theatre in the Speech Arts building (only teachers can check in their students). A full schedule and a list of participating schools is available on the Peach Blossom Festival website.

    The event is hosted by the Department of Communication in the College of Arts and Humanities at Fresno State.

    Parking is $3 for daily permits, available at dispensers located at parking lot entrances. Permits are valid in any green parking lot.

    For more information, contact Marcie Lierly, festival director, at 559.278.4419 or mlierly@csufresno.edu or visit www.peachblossomfestival.com.

     

  • Farm Tours Teach Children About Fresh Food at the California State Fair Farm!

    Sacramento, Calif., (March 14, 2018) – The California State Fair Kaiser Permanente Farm does more than grow food; it grows knowledge and enriches the lives of area youth and even peaks the students’ interest to pursue careers in California’s number one industry: Agriculture. School tours at The Farm teach K-6th graders about California fresh produce at the 3.5 acre working farm. Schools from all over the region are welcome to tour the farm.

    K-6 grade students get a unique, hands-on experience in a living classroom that shows them first-hand where their food comes from. Students will see actual crops including a functioning greenhouse. They will participate in five learning stations: Grow it- explore seeds; See it- see what the seeds turn into; Save it- the newest methods for growing plants; Plant it-  plant seeds; and Taste it-  taste the foods grown on The Farm.

    The CA State Fair Farm grows over 90 varieties of fruits and vegetables all year long from cotton, kiwi, squash, eggplant, chili peppers, corn and melons to pumpkins. Nearly 4,000 students experience what it takes to plant, maintain and manage a farm during Spring/Fall Farm Tours. The California State Fair Farm is a working farm that produces tons of produce which is donated to the Sacramento Food Bank. In 2017, more than 16,000 pounds of produce was donated.

    The California State Fair Kaiser Permanente Farm Tours are offered for six weeks in the spring and fall. The spring farm tours at Cal Expo are Monday thru Thursday starting April 9th and wrap up May 17th. The fall tours will begin on September 10th and will conclude October 18th. Schools are encouraged to book tours for both spring and fall now before all of the slots are taken.

    There is a nominal fee of $7 per student for the tour. Included in the fee is a tour through the Forest Center, an area that features 40 native species of trees. Experts from the Forest Foundation allow the children to get close to nature while learning about the benefits of a healthy sustainable forest. Also during the farm tour, students can milk “Cali”, a mechanical cow donated by the California Milk Advisory Board!

    Reservations are going on now at http://www.castatefair.org/farmtours/.

    For more information about The California State Fair Kaiser Permanente Farm School Tours and to schedule an interview with a classroom tour, contact:
    Media Director, Darla Givens, 916-263-3108.

  • Saying Farewell to a Friend of Agriculture

    Sacramento, Calif., (March 13, 2018) – One person can make a difference and sometimes we don’t have the time to say goodbye. It is with great sadness we say goodbye to our dear colleague and friend from the Netherlands, Mr. Ton Akkerman who passed away suddenly last month.

    Secretary Ross with Dutch Counselor for Agriculture Ton Akkerman.

    Ton was Dutch Counselor for Agriculture at the Royal Netherlands Embassy in Washington D.C. He was instrumental in our first Climate Smart Agriculture mission, which was to the Netherlands in 2015. This mission was important to further our understanding of how agriculture is adapting to climate change in other regions of the world. Ton sat beside the Netherlands Minister of Agriculture during our discussions and the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding, and he guided us through every stage of our visit in the Netherlands.

    We remember Ton’s warm smile, his intellectual thinking, and how he made the delegation feel comfortable and welcome through every aspect of our trip. Since then he had continued to work with us closely to further our relationship.

    Ton opened other key collaborations at the Dutch Consulate in San Francisco that we continue to develop very closely. He will be greatly missed but we know he has left us in good hands, and we will always remember him in the years to come as we continue our work to build our international collaboration. He certainly made a big difference in our lives.

     

  • Backyard Chickens Need More Regulation

    Davis, Calif., (March 13, 2018) – Historically, keeping backyard chickens was a response to economic hardship — whether it was in the Depression or during wartime food rationing.

    But a growing number of chickens today are roaming or are caged on small family farms and in backyards, as suburban and urban poultry gains more popularity among consumers. Many people prefer to raise their own food because they think it will be safer, fresher and more nutritious than that which was commercially raised. Yet, a new University of California, Davis, study suggests that local ordinances are not adequately addressing human and animal health when it comes to backyard poultry, and laws that do exist do not keep pace with those for commercial growers.

    “Ironically, as people seek to take control over the way their food is grown, most ordinances fail to ensure basic health and welfare for birds and humans,” said Catherine Brinkley, assistant professor of community and regional development, in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. She is the primary author of the study.

    The paper, “A Method for Guarding Animal Welfare and Public Health: Tracking the Rise of Backyard Poultry Ordinances,” was recently published in the Journal of Community Health.

    What needs to happen, the author recommends, is that there be more laws that mandate vaccinations, manure management and general animal welfare in urban and suburban settings similar to policies and regulations imposed on commercial chicken ranches.

    “Provisions governing animal slaughter and routine veterinary care are rare, presenting a concern for monitoring and intervening in public health crises,” the study says. “In addition, shelters anticipate higher poultry intakes, particularly as unwanted birds are turned loose to become strays.”

    Researchers focused their study on 100 municipalities in Colorado, the only state to compile public data for animal shelter surrenders and other statistics. Compared with three other U.S. cities — Los Angeles, Miami and New York — Denver had the highest percentage of respondents in favor of allowing backyard poultry, 62.5 percent, and the lowest percentage of respondents who believed urban poultry would lead to more human disease, at 7.4 percent. Almost 42,000 households across the four cities were surveyed.

    Almost all the laws governing poultry-keeping in Colorado were passed since 2000.

    “More poultry ordinances have been passed or modified in Colorado in the last five years than in the previous hundred,” Brinkley said.

    The most common guidelines for poultry ordinances, the researchers found, pertain to housing design, placement and the sex of birds — some municipalities ban roosters altogether, some do not, and still others permit one rooster per 12 hens, for example. But regulations pertaining to cleanliness, ventilation, and food and water requirements are often lacking. Ordinances governing the slaughter of backyard chickens occur in only half of municipalities in Colorado, and many are vague, researchers found.

    Regulations pertaining to the chickens’ health and welfare were rare in the Colorado study, with only 2 percent of municipalities including poultry under animal cruelty and abuse regulations.

  • High School Students Who Worked with UC Mentors Big Winners In Ag Science Fair

    Davis, Calif., (March 12, 2018) – Nine Woodlake High School students took part in the UC Davis Agriscience fair research project competition, held at the campus March 2-3. Several who worked with UC Lindcove Research and Extension Center scientists took home winning ribbons.

    “We are very proud that we played a part in making these students winners,” said Beth Grafton-Cardwell, Lindcove director.

    Lindcove has been conducting an ag science ‘experience research’ day for Woodlake High School ag academy students the past three years. Last September, the students participated in a research project on citricola scale taught by Grafton-Cardwell. Students learned about experimental design, studied the life cycle of the insect using microscopes, collected leaves from a research plot, evaluated the survival of the scales exposed to different treatments, and plotted their data.

    “This was a great opportunity for students to see how science applies to agriculture and to talk about careers in agricultural science,” Grafton-Cardwell said.

    The Woodlake winners who were part of the program were Kirsten Killian and Nate Reeves. Kirsten was mentored by Lindcove staff research associate Therese Kapaun. Kirsten won first place in plant systems and fifth place overall. Nate Reeves took fifth place in plant systems. In addition, Woodlake High School won the overall novice Division 1 team award.

    The students’ teachers are Jason Ferreira, agriculture academy instructor, and teaching assistants Joshua Reger, Joel Leonard and Stephanie Doria.

  • CDFA Accepting Proposals For Small Dairy Research

    Sacramento, Calif., (March 12, 2018) – The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) is now accepting proposals to address small dairy climate change research.

    Supported by a $250,000 allocation from the Budget Act of 2017, these grants will fund research proposals that evaluate how small dairies differ from large dairies in adapting and mitigating to climate change. The proposals will also help identify cost effective strategies to reduce methane from smaller dairies.

    Eligible applicants include California academic institutions, nonprofits and out-of-state groups collaborating with California-based scientists and organizations.

    Applicants are invited to submit grant proposals requesting up to $250,000 electronically to cdfa.oefi@cdfa.ca.gov no later than Friday, April 16, 2018 at 5 p.m. PDT.

    The 2018 Small Dairy Climate Change Research Request for Proposals contains detailed instructions, including: eligibility requirements, timelines, scoring criteria and research priorities. Interested parties can access this information at: www.cdfa.ca.gov/oefi/research/.

    Contact: Steve Lyle, Director of Public Affairs, California Department of Food and Agriculture – 916-654-0462

  • Urban Farming Workshops Start Soon in Sacramento and San Diego

    Sacramento, Calif., (March 12, 2018) – Are you an urban farmer in the Sacramento or San Diego region? Are you a gardener thinking of selling some of your produce to neighbors, restaurants or at a farmers’ market? Are you part of a non-profit organization growing and distributing food in your community? If so, you are invited to join other urban farmers at one or more of four low-cost full-day workshops starting soon in both the Sacramento and San Diego regions, offered by UC Cooperative Extension and local partners.

    Learn more about the workshops, as well as the 2017 workshop series’ held in the Los Angeles and San Francisco Bay Area regions, at ucanr.edu/sites/UrbanAg/Urban_Ag_Workshops.

    If you’re growing more food, herbs, flowers or fiber than your family or organization consumes, and if you are selling or otherwise distributing the excess, and if you are growing in or at the edge of a city or town, then you are one of an increasing number of urban farmers. Urban farms are often very small scale, commercially marginal and operated by beginning farmers. They can be operated by individuals, families, non-profit organizations, schools or colleges, or by other groups. Research shows that successful urban farms can bring social, health, environmental and economic benefits to local communities, including improved access to healthful food.

    A UC Cooperative Extension (UCCE) team recently assessed the needs of urban farmers around the state, and found that they struggle with production, business, and marketing challenges, many of which are specific to the urban context of their farms. Additionally, many urban farmers are unaware of agricultural regulations, city zoning and permitting rules, food safety, soil quality issues and pest quarantines.

    To help new urban farmers get started effectively, and to help more experienced urban farmers improve their skills and profitability, the UCCE team is offering a series of four urban agriculture workshops in each of the Sacramento and San Diego regions. These communities have recently put policies in place to encourage urban farming, and many residents are getting involved. The workshops will be held at urban farm sites and will include farm tours and discussions with local urban farmers sharing challenges and success stories.

    The 2018 workshop series starts March 16 in the Sacramento area and March 23 in the San Diego area.

    Workshop #1 will cover urban farming legal basics, including types of urban farm enterprises, zoning issues, soil testing, required permits and licenses, and an introduction to key local resources such as the Agricultural Commissioner and UCCE staff.

    Workshop #2 will cover marketing and business management for urban farms, including business planning, record keeping, market channel options, and an introduction to labor laws and risk management.

    Workshop #3 will be about production considerations for urban farmers, focusing on water management, integrated pest management (IPM), and soil contamination/soil improvement.

    Workshop #4 will cover pre- and post-harvest food safety practices, using CDFA’s Small Farm Food Safety Guidelines.

    Cost: Each workshop is $20 for a full day of expert speakers, participatory exercises, lunch and refreshments. Each workshop will be a one-day event. Urban farmers and future farmers, and others who are interested can take one, several, or all four of these workshops.

    Registration is open. Space is limited, so please sign up early.

    San Diego registration: http://ucanr.edu/sdurbanag2018

    Sacramento registration: http://ucanr.edu/sacurbanag2018

    More UC ANR urban farming resources: ucanr.edu/sites/UrbanAg/

    For more information:

    San Diego Series: Mary Redlin, Southern California Coordinator, mvredlin@ucanr.edu, (562) 900-3041

    Sacramento Series: Penny Leff, Northern California Coordinator, paleff@ucanr.edu, (530) 752-5208

  • CDFA Announces Grant Funding Available For Healthy Soils Program

    Sacramento, Calif., (March 9, 2018) – The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) is now accepting applications for the Healthy Soils Program (HSP). The program provides funding for incentivizing and demonstrating soil health practices that sequester carbon, reduce greenhouse gases, and improve soil health.

    The HSP has two components: the HSP Incentives Program and the HSP Demonstration Projects.

    The HSP Incentives Program provides financial assistance for implementation of soil health practices that sequester soil carbon and reduce GHG emissions. California farmers and ranchers, as well as Federal and California recognized Native American Indian Tribes, are eligible to apply.

    The HSP Demonstration Projects showcase California farmers’ and ranchers’ implementation of HSP soil health practices. By using demonstration projects, awardees can help support widespread adoption of soil health management practices throughout the state.  Not-for-profit entities, University Cooperative Extension, federal and university experiment stations, Resource Conservation Districts, Federal and California-recognized Native American Indian Tribes, and farmers and ranchers in collaboration with any of the aforementioned entities are eligible to apply.

    A total of up to $1.6 million will be awarded for the projects, with no more than $500,000 allocated specifically for HSP Demonstration projects.

    This grant process may prioritize funding to agricultural lands in counties where a state of emergency was declared in 2017 due to wildfires under executive orders signed by Governor Edmond G. Brown, Jr. These counties include: Butte, Lake, Los Angeles, Mendocino, Napa, Nevada, Orange, Santa Barbara, Sonoma, Ventura and Yuba.

    Applications and all supporting information must be submitted electronically by April 13, 2018 at 5:00 p.m. PDT. Awards will be made based on a first-come-first-served basis and will be subject to administrative and technical reviews prior to being funded.

    For detailed information on eligibility and program requirements, prospective applicants should visit the CDFA Healthy Soils Program website at: www.cdfa.ca.gov/oefi/healthysoils/.

    CDFA will hold two workshops and two webinars to provide information on program requirements and the application process (see below). CDFA staff will provide guidance on the application process, provide examples, and answer any questions. There is no cost to attend the workshops. Individuals planning to attend should email grants@cdfa.ca.gov with his or her contact information, the number of seats required, and the workshop location.

    Orange County – Tuesday, March 13, 2018
    1:00 pm – 2:30 pm – HSP Incentives Program
    2.30 pm – 4:00 pm – HSP Demonstration Projects
    OC Fair and Event Center – Board Room
    88 Fair Drive, Costa Mesa, CA 92626

    Yuba City – Friday, March 16, 2018
    9:00 am – 10:30 am – HSP Incentives Program
    10:30 am – 12:00 pm – HSP Demonstration Projects
    University of California Cooperative Extension Sutter/Yuba
    142 Garden Highway
    Yuba City, CA 95991

    Webinar – Monday, March 19, 2018
    9:00 am – 10:30 am – HSP Incentives Program
    10:30 am – 12:00 pm – HSP Demonstration Projects

    Webinar – Wednesday, March 21, 2018
    9:00 am – 10:30 am – HSP Incentives Program
    10:30 am – 12:00 pm – HSP Demonstration Projects

    To register for the webinars, please visit the program webpage at https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/oefi/healthysoils/.

    Prospective applicants may contact CDFA’s Grants Office at grants@cdfa.ca.gov with general program questions. For information regarding free-of-charge technical assistance provided by non-profit organizations, Resource Conservation Districts (RCDs), and California academic institutions, applicants should refer to www.cdfa.ca.gov/oefi/healthysoils.

    NOTE – The HSP is part of California Climate Investments, a statewide program that puts billions of Cap-and-Trade dollars to work reducing GHG emissions, strengthening the economy, and improving public health and the environment – particularly in disadvantaged communities.  The Cap-and-Trade program also creates a financial incentive for industries to invest in clean technologies and develop innovative ways to reduce pollution.  California Climate Investments projects include affordable housing, renewable energy, public transportation, zero-emission vehicles, environmental restoration, sustainable agriculture, recycling, and much more.  At least 35 percent of these investments are located within and benefiting residents of disadvantaged communities, low-income communities, and low-income households across California.  For more information, visit the California Climate Investments website at:  www.caclimateinvestments.ca.gov.

  • California’s Desert Agriculture Is Hot Stuff

    Parlier, Calif., (March 9, 2018) – Stretching from the Death Valley to Calexico, California’s vast dry desert is home to a unique and important agriculture industry.

    It’s a place where summertime temperatures often top the 115-degree mark. Where water supplies for irrigation depend on the Colorado River, but upriver states are claiming more of it. Where evapotrasporation – a reference rate of water use in unstressed turf grass – is 72 inches per year, but rainfall is rarely more than 4.

    Still, stalwart farmers grow dates, carrots, lettuce, broccoli, cabbage, kale and more, plus plants for landscaping everything from family homes to beautiful and luxurious resorts. The agriculture output of the state’s three desert counties – Riverside, San Bernardino and Imperial – exceeds $4 billion annually.

    The California desert also impacts the quality of life across the nation. If Americans are enjoying a salad in the winter, the lettuce most likely was grown in the California desert. There are bountiful winter recreation opportunities available on the beautifully manicured golf courses, parks and landscapes.

    A group of UC Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR) academics formed a desert workgroup to better serve the state’s desert region. The group organized a symposium in February to bring together representatives from desert farm and natural resources communities, related industry and academics working in the desert.

    Director of UC Cooperative Extension in Imperial County, Oli Bachie, is chair of the UC ANR Desert Workgroup.

    “The close exchange of information among desert researchers, non-profit organizations, industry and clientele groups will facilitate collaboration among UC ANR, Arizona and Mexico and foster how our programs should be shaped on a regional level,” said Oli Bachie, the director of UC Cooperative Extension in Imperial County and the current workgroup chair.

    With saline soil, scorching summer temperatures and limited water supplies, the desert could be considered a hotbed of the “wicked problem.” A wicked problem isn’t evil, said UC Associate Vice President Wendy Powers, the symposium’s plenary session keynote speaker.

    “The term ‘wicked problem’ was coined at UC Berkeley,” Powers said. “It’s a problem with circumstances that resist resolution.”

    She named climate change and the growth of the global population California must help feed as wicked problems faced by the state. Powers described UC ANR’s statewide programs that are working to find solutions to formidable issues faced in California agriculture.

    “We’re on the verge of some serious breakthroughs as we look at solving wicked problems,” Powers said. “They are accelerated by conversations like those we’re having today.”

    UC ANR Associate Vice President Wendy Powers was the symposium’s plenary session keynote speaker.

    UC Vice Provost Mark Bell said that the potential of UC ANR to reach every single Californian is what drew him to his position in 2017. Bell invoked Star Wars robot R2D2 for an acronym to reflect the characteristics that accurately define UC ANR.

    “R2 stands for reach and relevance,” he said. “D2 is diverse and dispersed.”

    UC Cooperative Extension offices serve 57 California counties and its nine research and extension centers are located in key agriculture ecosystems, including one in the low desert of the Imperial Valley.

    The afternoon program of the symposium included breakout sessions to highlight programs and research efforts in three broad areas: irrigation and crop production, landscape management, and livestock and feed quality.

    “This was the first attempt to organize such a regional desert-based symposium for the UCANR Desert Workgroup with the collaboration of desert-serving UCCE counties,” Bachie said. “I believe that we have registered a remarkable get-together.”

    The symposium had speakers and participants from UC, USDA, California Department of Food and Agriculture, the desert agricultural industry, pest control advisors, non-profit institutions and organizations, agricultural commissioners, farm bureaus, Arizona and Mexico universities and the general public.

    “I believe that the symposium is a stepping stone for future desert research and extension meetings, conferences and symposiums among people engaged or interested in desert agriculture and natural resources,” Bachie said.