Davis, Calif., (February 16, 2018) – For more than 35 years, scientists have tried to isolate embryonic stem cells in cows without much success. Under the right conditions, embryonic stem cells can grow indefinitely and make any other cell type or tissue, which has huge implications for creating genetically superior cows.
A cow blastocyst with the Inner Cell Mass, which is the precursor of embryonic stem cells, stained red. (Pablo Ross / UC Davis)
In a study published this week in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, scientists at the University of California, Davis, were able to develop a new culture system that allows them to efficiently derive stem cells on almost every single attempt.
Producing embryonic stem cells from large livestock species like cattle is important for genetic testing, genome engineering and studying human disease. The cells may offer a better model for human stem cell therapies. Mice and rats are sometimes too small to demonstrate whether certain therapies will work on humans.
Breeding a better cow, faster
If researchers can generate gametes, or sperm and eggs cells, from the stem cell lines, the ramifications are profound. Such “in vitro” breeding could decrease the amount of time it takes to produce genetically superior cattle.
“That could revolutionize the way we do genetics by orders of magnitude,” said study author Pablo Ross, an associate professor in the Department of Animal Science at UC Davis’ College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.
In just a few years, scientists could speed up the process of improving generations by decades. “In two and a half years, you could have a cow that would have taken you about 25 years to achieve. It will be like the cow of the future. It’s why we’re so excited about this,” said Ross.
A colony of cow embryonic stem cells. (Pablo Ross / UC Davis)
The cow of the future could have more muscle, produce more milk, emit less methane, or more easily adapt to a warmer climate.
Ross envisions the findings helping the cattle industry become more sustainable. “Animals that are more efficient and have improved welfare, that may have more disease resistance is better for everyone,” said Ross.
Additional co-authors include Yanina Soledada Bogliotti, Marcela Vilarino, Delia Alba Soto, Rafael Vilar Sampaio with the UC Davis Department of Animal Science; Jun Wu, with the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center; Daiji Okamura with Kindai University; Cuiqing Zhong, Masahiro Sakurai, Keiichiro Suzuki and Juan Carlos Izpisua Belmonte with the Salk Institute for Biological Studies.
The research was supported by the National Institutes of Health and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Visalia, Calif., (February 16, 2018) – Tulare County Agricultural Commissioner released the current status today of Major crops in the most valued county in the California Ag portfolio. They report that winter forage crops, such as wheat, barley, other cereal grains, and forage mixes continue to be irrigated to maintain growth. Pre-emergent herbicides are being applied to fields, and weed control is expected to pick up in the next few weeks. As always more rain is needed to maintain good growth and avoid irrigation. Black-eyed beans are being exported to Australia.
Stone fruit, pecan, walnut, and pistachio orchards, along with grape vineyards, continue to be pruned and debris shredded. Some old orchards and vineyards are being pushed out to make way for new plantings. More stone fruit orchards are starting to bloom, with the earliest varieties in full bloom. Some almond trees have started blooming. Bee colonies are now being moved into almond and stone fruit orchards in anticipation of the bloom. Almonds in storage are being exported to Belgium, Colombia, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Israel, Japan, Korea, Kuwait, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, Sweden, and the United Arab Emirates. Pistachio shipments are going to Australia, Bulgaria, China, France, Hong Kong, Israel, the Netherlands, Spain, and the United Arab Emirates. Pecans are being exported to Japan, New Zealand, and the Philippines. Some kiwifruit are being shipped to Australia, Honduras, Japan, and Mexico.
Navel orange, Mandarin, and lemon harvest continues. Some pruning and skirting of orange groves is occurring. Navel oranges continue to be packed and shipped domestically and exported to Australia, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, and Thailand. The warm weather is starting to impact navel orange quality. Cara Cara oranges are also being shipped to Japan and other Asian countries. Mandarins are going to Chile and Malaysia. Minneola tangelos are still being shipped to Japan and the European Union.
Vegetable fields are continuing to be prepared for early plantings of squash and cucumbers. Greenhouse vegetables continue to be harvested. Strawberry and blueberry plantings are progressing well and some are starting to bloom.
The lack of rain has left the rangeland forage in poor condition. More rain is needed to help with germination and growth of rangeland forage. The fed cattle market remained steady at $126.00 per hundred weight this week. Egg production has increased due to the warm weather
Retail nurseries are stocked up on both perennial and annual plants for the spring season. Bare-root roses are being received and processed for reshipment out-of-state, with most shipments going to Florida and Canada. Wholesale nurseries are shipping out bare-root trees and shrubs to domestic and export markets. Camellias are being sent to local and out-of-state nurseries.
Tulare, Calif., (February 16, 2018) – World Ag Expo® and E.M. Tharp, Inc. have teamed up again to provide the “We Believe in Growing” scholarship, which supports local high school students who will be attending four-year universities to major in an agricultural field. This year’s winners, Aalexias Woolf and Abbigail Prins, will each receive $2,500 scholarships to be renewed up to four years, totaling $10,000 per student.
“We are thrilled to join again with World Ag Expo® to support agricultural education,” said Casey Tharp, Vice President of E.M. Tharp, Inc. “There is so much ambition and talent within our younger generation. I am optimistic about the future of agriculture, because of students like Aalexis and Abbigail.”
Aalexias Woolf, a student at North High School in Bakersfield, CA, plans to study Agriculture Education at California State University, Fresno this upcoming fall.
Being raised around livestock and animals, Aalexias dreamed of becoming a veterinarian until she reached high school, where she fell in love with agriculture education. Aalexias has been heavily involved with the FFA organization, and was selected this year to act as a delegate for California FFA at the National FFA Convention in Indianapolis, IN.
“The agriculture community is a small, tight-knit community,” said Woolf.” Participating in the agriculture program at North High School has given me opportunities that I never thought were possible…I am incredibly grateful for the chance to be involved in the agriculture industry and look forward to the chance to continue my education and career in the field.”
Abbigail Prins, a student at Mission Oak High School in Tulare, CA, plans to study Animal Science at Washington State University. Abbigail was crowned District 9’s first Alternate Dairy Princess, and has won the California Junior Holstein Association’s Dairy Bowl for the past four years.
“The career goal that I’ve set, is to become a Dairy Geneticist,” said Prins, “Through this profession I hope to make the dairy and agriculture industries more efficient, by producing more yield with fewer resources…The biggest impact I want to make, is to make the lives of dairy farmers easier, all while still producing a perfect product.”
To be considered for the scholarship, students from across the Central Valley submitted letters of recommendation, high school transcripts, ACT or SAT scores and must expect to graduate from high school during the 2017-2018 school year.
The winners will be recognized at the World Ag Expo Awards Ceremony on Tuesday, February 13, 2018 starting at 7:30 a.m. in the Conference & Dining Room of the Heritage Complex. Media is invited to attend the breakfast and awards ceremony. Please reach out to Jennifer Fawkes at media@farmshow.org with questions or interview requests.
Sacramento, Calif., (February 16, 2018) – The recent holiday season collapsed in flames for thousands of Ventura and Santa Barbara County residents in the path of the catastrophic Thomas Fire. It is considered the largest fire in California history, burning nearly 282,000 acres and destroying more than one-thousand homes and other structures. The fire spread across 440 square miles, more land than any California city except Los Angeles. It burned all the way to the Pacific Ocean, and it also damaged terrain near the community of Fillmore, about 30 miles away.
California farmers were in the path of the fire, as well, and I was privileged yet saddened to meet with some of them last week on a trip through the burn area. There was a profound feeling of devastation when standing on homesites that were completely leveled by fire.
Avocado growers suffered damage across nearly five-thousand acres of groves, and citrus growers also experienced losses. One of the things I learned is that avocado orchards were more susceptible than citrus because the plantings are generally at higher elevations, where the Thomas Fire cut much of its destructive path. There were also significant losses to rangelands.
However, I must point out that as I visited with growers I was struck right away by their resiliency and their optimism. They shifted into recovery mode almost immediately, going into their orchards as soon as it was safe to replace irrigation drip tape that melted in the fire, in order to protect their trees and soils from further damage.
Incidentally, those irrigation systems demonstrated the value of working Ag lands by generating enough moisture to help keep the fire from doing even more damage to homes.
I wish to thank the California Avocado Commission for hosting my visit. The farmers I met last week are already looking to the long-term, talking about opportunities to rebuild rather than focusing on what was lost. Their sense of cooperation and commitment to community is truly inspiring.
Secretary Ross looks over a part of the Thomas Fire burn area with avocado grower Dan Pinkerton while Ventura County agricultural commissioner Henry Gonzales looks on. All photos courtesy of Ken Melban, California Avocado Commission.The fire burned all the way to the ocean.A charred avocado grove near Santa Paula.Secretary Ross (fifth from right) with growers in Fillmore.
Fresno, Calif., (February 15, 2018) – Farms that sell only fresh produce are dependent on buyers for markets and pricing. The UC Cooperative Extension small farms team in Fresno and Tulare counties believes farmers can earn more money by taking production a step further, by adding extra value to their products with processing, preserving and packaging the produce.
Small-scale farmers gather at the UCCE Fresno County office to learn about value-added business opportunities.
“Value-added products can improve the bottom line of a small family farm by bringing in additional income and diversifying production,” Dahlquist-Willard said. “We wanted to connect beginning farmers and Southeast Asian farmers to programs that could help them develop and market value-added products from their farms.”
Patti Chang (right) of Feed the Hunger Foundation speaks to the group. UCCE ag assistant Michael Yang translates into Hmong.
The value-added workshop included presentations from a farmer with a successful value-added business, government agencies and non-profit organizations. Alternative lenders such as Fresno Madera Farm Credit, who provided funding for the workshop, also presented on loans available for small-scale farms. UCCE agricultural assistant Michael Yang translated the presentations into Hmong.
Kingsburg organic farmer Paul Buxman opened the workshop with his personal journey into value-added production. Buxman’s story begins in 1994 when a spring hail storm swept through his farm.
“The hail marked all my fruit. I had 100,000 pounds of plums, peaches and nectarines I could not sell. What could I do?” Buxman said. “An idea came to my head like a lightbulb. Take the fruit, cut off the scar, cook it and make jam.”
The new venture wasn’t an instant success. Buxman found himself delivering unsold jam that first year to a Bay Area homeless mission, pulling up right behind a bread truck.
“Man does not live by bread alone,” he said with a laugh.
But each year he and his wife improved their product, and the market grew.
Farmer Paul Buxman says his Sweet Home Ranch jam (right) is so addictive, it’s ‘barely legal.’
“This jam is so addictive, it’s barely legal,” Buxman said. His “Sweet Home Ranch Homemade Preserves” costs $2 per jar to make, and sells for $5 each.
Buxman suggested the farmers at the UCCE workshop to try making a value-added product. The new products could be spices, food, cleaning products, handicrafts, and even experiences, such a teaching a skill.
“You have so much more to offer people than you realize,” Buxman said.
During the subsequent panel discussion, Kiel Schmidt outlined the support that Food Commons Fresno can provide. An important element is the opportunity to rent the organization’s commercial kitchen to create value-added merchandise to health department specifications. Patti Chang of Feed the Hunger Foundation said her organization provides technical assistance and loans to new ventures that can carry out their mission of reducing hunger and helping people out of poverty.
“We worked with two Oaxacan women in Madera who didn’t want to be field workers anymore,” Chang said. “They wanted to make a product from their culture: mole. They became a certified business, opened a bank account at Wells Fargo and opened a small restaurant in a grocery story. We helped them negotiate the lease.”
Dawn Goliik of the U.S. Small Business Administration said the organization can help small farmers start, grow and run businesses with training, mentoring and counseling.
“It’s all free to you,” Golik said.
The UCCE small farms team also has a marketing associate, Lorena Ramos, who is available for farmers to contact regarding value-added product development.
The workshop ended with a presentation on California’s Cottage Food Law, which allows residents to process and prepare foods in their own home kitchens to sell to the public. Some of the home-prepared products the law permits are jams, jellies, cookies, cakes and fudge, dried fruit, vegetables and spices. A complete list of approved foods is on the state website.
Two Oaxacan women in Madera are marketing their traditional mole in addition to running a small restaurant inside a grocery store.
The Cottage Food Law is for businesses with a gross annual income below $50,000, which have no more than one employee (not including household members).
“There is no charge, just paperwork to fill out,” said Matthew Gore with Fresno County Environmental Health. “This isn’t difficult, and we’re here to help you with the forms.”
Dahlquist-Willard said an important part of her UC Cooperative Extension program is the connections she and Yang can help farmers make with the myriad services available to them.
“We encourage small farmers to contact us in our Fresno office,” she said.
Santa Rosa, Calif., (February 15, 2018) – Pat Burns has joined Sonoma County Farm Bureau’s Board of Directors.
Burns has served as the General Manager of Vineyard Operations for M. Draxton Wines since 2013 where he oversees the vineyard operations of 250 acres of Cabernet in Alexander Valley. Additionally, Burns is in charge of Grower Relations and purchasing grapes for Draxton Wines.
Burns was born and raised in Healdsburg but wasn’t involved in agriculture until 1993 when he started working for Bevill Vineyard Management. He started with Bevill in 1993 working as a vineyard manager until 2013 when he began his current job with Draxton Wines.
Although Burns didn’t’ grow up involved in agriculture, he was surrounded by it all his life. His career in agriculture started when he was looking for a good job working outside and his friend’s father talking to him about working in vineyard management. Burns said the father arranged an interview which took place in the field in the middle of a vineyard redevelopment job. He was offered and accepted the job on the spot, took a cut in pay, gave his two weeks notice and started two weeks later.
Burns said his passion for agriculture stems from the challenges faced every day by being outdoors, gambling with Mother Nature and watching vines grow. In addition to that, working in challenging places with great people that are driven to take care of plants and to ensure that things are done correctly makes him passionate about his career in agriculture.
“Even after being involved for 25 years, I still get a sense of accomplishment when we complete a new vineyard installation or replant, or when I see the ground being tilled at the right time, and the best sense is at harvest,” said Burns. “I think that being able to harvest a crop that you have worked is one of the most fulfilling things. Every year we get to see an end product to all of the hours that were put in throughout the growing season.”
For Burns, water and labor are two of the most important issues regarding agriculture. Burns knows it’s important to keep up with the evolving water issues and regulations. In addition to water, many other regulations that affect farming need to be watched and contested when needed. In many situations farmers are having their rights taken and their hands tied when it is unnecessary.
Burns joined the Sonoma County Farm Bureau Board to stay current on issues affecting agriculture. He is looking forward to learning more and having the opportunity to educate the general public about agriculture and how it affects them. Burns said there are many things the general public doesn’t understand about ag and what it to produce a product whether that is a fruit, vegetable, grain, livestock, feed for livestock, timer or winegrapes.
“I’ve been fortunate enough to do some traveling and I thoroughly enjoy it,” said Burns, “but in my opinion there is no place like Sonoma County. We are fortunate to have what we have.”
For more information visit sonomafb.org/directors.
Sacramento, Calif., (February 15, 2018) – Warm and sunny winter days are no cause for celebration among the farmers, ranchers and forest managers who rely on UC Agriculture and Natural Resources’ research-based information and expertise to make their work more profitable. Such is the feeling shared by UC Cooperative Extension advisor Dan Macon in his Foothill Agrarian blog. He began worrying more than a month ago about the spate of dry weather in the state.
“While I’m a worrier by nature, I think worrying about the weather is natural for anyone who relies on Mother Nature directly,” Macon wrote.
“He knows his subject and he writes well about it. I read every post, but his most recent piece about Old Man Reno, one of his farm dogs, really resonated with me. Read his blog every chance you get: it will make you feel better about life,” wrote Rose Hayden-Smith, the author of the UC Food Observer.
“There’s a lot of misunderstanding about alfalfa as a crop,” Michael said. “It does take water to grow it, as with anything, but you get multiple harvests of it every year.”
Videos two and three will be launched March 2 and April 6.
The UC Food Observer also recommended a blog produced by the CIWR’s Faith Kearns – The Confluence. She recently wrote about how California’s idea of “natural” beauty may have shifted during the drought.
The December issue of California Dairy Magazine is now available to read online! Read the latest California Dairy & Feed industry news and technology. Here’s a peek of what’s inside:
AI Breeding & Consulting with 3 Parreiras
Dairy Producers Plea for Emergency Price Increase
USDA Delays California Milk Marketing Order
Federal Budget Deal Supports Dairy Insurance
Controlling Alfalfa Weevils with Pyrethroid Resistance
Sacramento, Calif., (February 14, 2018) – The California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR), will honor four organizations for their achievements in reducing risk from pesticide use in a public ceremony on Feb. 12, 2018.
“The variety of award winners this year demonstrates that pests—both in agricultural and urban settings—can be managed successfully using effective, low-risk methods,” said DPR Director Brian Leahy. “Integrated pest management is fundamental for managing pests thoughtfully and effectively in California.”
Director Leahy will present the awards at 1:30 p.m. in the Sierra Hearing Room, California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA) at 1001 I St. in Sacramento. The ceremony will be webcast at https://video.calepa.ca.gov.
The IPM Achievement Awards recognize organizations that use integrated pest management (IPM) to address the diverse pest management needs throughout California. IPM is a tool that allows people to manage pests by using natural and preventative strategies, and thus reduces the use of chemical pesticides. The awards will be given in the areas of innovation, leadership, and education and outreach.
The 2017 IPM Achievement Award Winners are:
The Citrus Research Board Joint Agency Biological Control Task Force – In 2010, the Citrus Research Board (CRB) established a task force to help control an invasive insect pest called Asian citrus psyllid (ACP), a serious threat to the $3 billion California citrus industry. ACPs, which are as small as a grain of rice, can infect backyard citrus trees (and potentially commercial orchards) with a bacteria that causes a devastating plant disease called Huanglongbing (HLB), or citrus greening disease. There is no cure for HLB and it is fatal to trees. The CRB Joint Agency Biological Control Task Force was created and is comprised of the Citrus Research Board, California Department of Food & Agriculture, University of California-Riverside, the United States Department of Agriculture and Cal Poly-Pomona.
Instead of relying solely on conventional pesticides to fight this insect, the task force developed a program using natural predators as a means of reducing ACP populations. The Task Force imported, reared and studied parasitic wasps from Pakistan that kill ACPs. These wasps are a key part of the first biocontrol program that successfully targeted and reduced ACP populations in urban areas and citrus orchards while replacing large-scale, pesticide-driven campaigns in sensitive urban sites. At this time, the project has been successfully implemented in several counties, including Imperial, San Diego, Riverside, San Bernardino, Los Angeles, Orange, Ventura, and Santa Barbara counties. The award categories are for innovation and leadership. Media interested in this project may directly contact Carolina Evangelo at 559.738.0246 and carolina@citrusresearch.org.
Hines Landscaping San Francisco – Four horticultural professionals managing indoor plants in commercial buildings and outdoor gardens in San Francisco make up Hines Landscaping San Francisco. In the 1990’s, Hines Landscaping began transitioning to sustainable landscaping practices in an effort to reduce its chemical footprint. One successful tactic has been to replace synthetic fertilizers by feeding plants a compost tea. To achieve this, the company developed its own vermiculture program, where worms are fed green waste and restaurant scraps from their buildings. The resulting compost tea, applied to plants, has helped to reduce the number of insects and mites attracted to the plants. Today, Hines Landscaping manages its pest flare-ups with strategic pruning, biological controls and using the least toxic chemicals. Its outdoor gardens contain native and drought-tolerant plants chosen to reduce pests while supporting pollinators and beneficial insects. In addition, Hines Landscaping hosts several tours of its gardens and facilities annually to share their innovative pest management practices. Tour attendees include schoolchildren, college students and professional groups. Encouraged by their parent company, Hines Landscaping speaks to other building managers at workshops and forums worldwide to share its innovative pest management practices. The award category is for leadership. Media interested in this project may directly contact Shirley Vaughan at 415-398-8655 and shirley.vaughan@hines.com.
Manteca Unified School District Operations Department – The Operations Department of Manteca Unified School District has helped to improve field conditions for student athletes while reducing the amount of chemical pesticides it uses to tackle harmful pests. These pests include gophers, insects and weeds on school landscaping areas and athletic fields. The department maintains almost 700 acres of property at 32 campuses. In 2014, the proliferation of gopher mounds was an increasing problem on the athletic fields. This led to a dangerous situation for student athletes and increasing reports of injuries suffered from gopher holes and uneven landscapes. Rather than increase the amount of pesticides applied, the Operations Department adjusted its gopher management strategy and started a large-scale gopher-trapping program. By 2016, the Operations Department had cut the number of gopher-targeted pesticide applications in half from their 2014 peak use. Their efforts resulted in the complete elimination of pesticide use for gopher management in 2017. An added bonus was that the money saved by switching to the trapping program was re-invested into repairing the district’s athletic fields! The Operations Department shares its success story with their school community and other school districts throughout the state. The award category is for leadership. Media interested in this project may directly contact John A. Lopez, Supervisor of Grounds, Fields & Landscape Services, at (209) 858-0712 and jlopez@musd.net.
Orange County Mosquito and Vector Control District – The Orange County Mosquito and Vector Control District protects the public from mosquitoes, rats, fire ants, and flies on private and public properties such as residential homes, golf courses, parks, rights-of-way, and schools. Between 2014 and 2015, Orange County experienced a period of increased West Nile Virus infections and detected invasive Aedes mosquitoes—a pest that can potentially transmit Zika, dengue fever or other mosquito-borne diseases. In response to this health issue, the district coordinated a campaign to improve communication and community engagement, increase risk awareness, and reduce mosquito populations rather than relying solely on synthetic pesticides to battle mosquitoes. The district implemented a new strategy to train teams that went door-to-door to inspect properties for mosquitoes and educated residents about draining standing water to reduce breeding locations for the pest. From 2015 to 2017, teams inspected more than 40,000 properties. The award category is for education and outreach. Media interested in this project may directly contact Lora Young at (714) 971-2421 x 115 and lyoung@ocvcd.org.
Santa Rosa, Calif., (February 14, 2018) – Byron Palmer and Nate Chisholm are the co-founders of Grounded Land and Livestock, working on what they describe as restoration grazing. The company was started in 2015, but the partners have been working together since 2011.
Byron Palmer and Nate Chisholm are the co-founders of Grounded Land and Livestock
Grounded often partners with Sonoma Mountain Institute, a non-profit whose mission is to preserve land for natural, scenic, agricultural, cultural, educational and scientific purposes. Sonoma Mountain Institute has focused on developing ways to restore soil and vegetation.
“People come to us with ranches they want managed in a certain way either ecologically minded or sustainably,” said Palmer. “On one end, we manage these ranches ecologically, improving their natural capital. On the other end we provide custom care for organic dairy cattle and organic beef cattle.”
Palmer describes Grounded as a cattle care business where they are providing custom organic cattle for other producers. Palmer estimates about 98% of their cattle are organic; the cattle that aren’t organic are part of their grass-fed beef program.
“We work to provide organic cattle care for people, and we partner with a non-profit to do economical land management with those cattle. We’re improving the cattle’s condition as well as the land at the same time.”
Grounded has a very strong focus on animal performance and health, and Palmer stresses that they never sacrifice that to improve the condition of the land. The balance between the two is very important to the business’ mission and is at the core of what they do.
To achieve both goals of animal performance and health and improving the land, Grounded focuses on managing the density of the animals as well as the recovery of the grass and the stocking rate of the animals.
When Palmer and Chisholm get a ranch to graze, they start by improving the internal fencing infrastructure using electric fence.
Throughout the year, Grounded manages their stocking rate at 80% of maximum. The stocking rate is the number of animals on the entire grazing unit for the entire grazing season. If you have too many animals for too long, you’re going to overgraze your property, said Palmer.
Grounded spends a lot of time assessing the quality and quantity of the land to determine how to most effectively run their cattle. By keeping their stocking rate at 80%, Palmer said that in a bad year they’ll have a drought reserve but in a good year they’ll have a lot of grass they can graze the next year.
Grounded and the Sonoma Mountain Institute hire a third party biologist to do plant counts and vegetation monitoring. Over four years, they’ve seen over a 100% overall increase in the number of species on their grazed lands but a decrease in invasive species such as thistle.
Grounded provides organic care for short bred and young heifers, and Palmer said producers often spend a lot money on feeding those heifers in their own operations, which has a significant impact on their bottom line. Some operations, Palmer said, don’t know what it costs them per day to take care of the heifers because they have so many different things to track.
Grounded specializes in the ability to provide care for less than what the farmer is spending as well as helping achieve their required pasture days and scale their operation.
“One of the unique things is we’re able to help people save money,” said Palmer. “We’ve run the numbers, looked into a lot of studies and talked to a lot of dairy nutritionists. It’s the one thing we specialize in, and we’re able to save operations up to 40% on their daily feed cost.”
Palmer said they appreciate being able to do business with local operations where there is a long heritage of agriculture in Sonoma and Marin counties.
“We think agriculture in all forms here is very important to the heritage of our community,” said Palmer. “We appreciate being able to be part of the communal fabric.”
For more information visit www.groundedgrasslands.com or sonomamountaininstitute.org.
