California Ag Network

Category: News

  • Invasive Species Council, CDFA to Host April 29 Webinar

    The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) is partnering with the Invasive Species Council of California to host a public webinar on April 29 from 3 p.m. to 4:30 to give stakeholders and the public an opportunity to review and comment on the Proposition 4 grant draft guidelines, application requirements and evaluation criteria for the invasive species grants.

    When California voters approved Proposition 4 in 2024, it included $20 million for activities and projects targeting invasive species, in addition to funding for a variety of other projects supporting the state’s food systems, biodiversity, climate-smart agriculture and other nature-based climate activities. The invasive species funding will be invested in the form of grants that support work on minimizing the economic, ecological and human health impacts caused by invasive species that have been or are likely to be detected in California.

    “Invasive pests and diseases are a constant concern for farmers and ranchers,” said Karen Ross, California Agriculture Secretary and co-chair of the Invasive Species Council of California. “These grants are an investment in protecting the security of our food systems that rely on the health and resilience of the natural and working lands of California.”

    “Invasive plants and animals are a growing challenge in a changing climate,” said Wade Crowfoot, California Secretary for Natural Resources and co-chair of the Invasive Species Council of California. “They destroy infrastructure, eat crops, and spread disease. These grants will help our partners on the ground prevent and respond to these challenges earlier, protecting our farms and ecosystems, and all of us who depend on them.”

    CDFA will also accept public comments on the draft guidelines between April 29 and May 29. Comments can be submitted at cisac@iscc.ca.gov or in writing to:

    Victoria Hornbaker
    Plant Health and Pest Prevention Services
    California Department of Food and Agriculture
    1220 N Street Sacramento, CA 95814

    Proposition 4 includes a total of $300 million for a variety of activities related to supporting climate smart agriculture. This funding for invasive species work is in addition to funding for several other categories of work at CDFA: $74 million to improve the climate resilience of agricultural lands through two existing programs administered by the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA)—the Healthy Soils Program ($36 million) and the State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program ($38 million); $20 million to support farmers’ markets; and $19 million to fund urban agricultural projects.

    Those interested can register for the webinar here: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8596881761300013914

    — Story Contributed by the California Department of of Food and Ag

  • Citrus Season Update

    Citrus growers in California are seeing an early bloom with unprecedented warm weather, and are experiencing challenges with tariffs and trade issues. However, the mood remains optimistic. Julia Inestroza, Board Chair for the California Mutual, spoke with Matthew Malcolm of California Ag Network to discuss the growing season at the California Citrus Showcase in Visalia. Watch this quick video and read more in California Fruit & Vegetable Magazine.

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

  • Leveraging Nature’s Secret Weapon Against Ticks

    Tick populations are increasing, especially in warm, humid areas of the United States. This puts both livestock and people at greater risk for serious tick-borne diseases. Traditional tick control methods are often costly and rely heavily on chemical treatments, which are facing growing resistance in different tick species. Scientists at the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) are working on new, safer and practical solutions for controlling tick populations and protecting humans and animals from tick bites.

    At the ARS’s National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research  in Peoria, IL, Entomologist Lina Flor-Weiler, Plant Physiologist Will Hay, and their colleagues are testing the acaricidal effects — substances that are effective at killing ticks and mites — of different defatted seed meals from the mustard plant family against different tick species.

    After mustard seed crops are pressed to extract oils for food and biofuel applications, the remaining seed material is often considered a byproduct of little value. Yet, recent research shows this byproduct can be highly effective against dangerous pests.

    “The defatted seed meal retains a diverse array of compounds —one of which is glucosinolates,” said Flor-Weiler. “When defatted seed meals are hydrated, an enzyme is activated that converts glucosinolates into isothiocyanates, a gaseous compound we know to be responsible for the pungent taste of mustard and horseradish. Research has shown that these isothiocyanates have potent pesticidal properties, making them effective against certain soil insects, nematodes, and disease-causing fungi.”

    The study, published in Experimental and Applied Acarology, measured the bio-fumigation effect of three defatted seed meals from the mustard family and its effectiveness in killing three different tick species. They tested the defatted seed meals of brown mustard(Brassica juncea), garden cress (Lepidium sativum), and pennycress (Thlaspi arvense) against the Lone Star tick, the American dog tick, and the blacklegged tick.

    Defatted seed meals from all three plants killed the ticks under laboratory conditions, though their effectiveness varied by tick species. Since the three mustard species differed in the type and amount of gaseous compounds they produced, the amount of seed meal needed to kill ticks also varies among the species. This suggests that certain plants may be more effective against certain tick species than others.

    “Ticks spend most of their lives on the ground or in vegetation, which are ideal conditions for this plant-based method,” said Flor‑Weiler. “Understanding the levels of effectiveness of each defatted seed meals, along with understanding the tick life cycles, will help us determine the best application strategies useful in real-world conditions.”

    “For example, this method can serve as an effective pest control strategy in areas known to be favorable tick habitats such as around structures, edge habitats, and livestock areas. If successful, this approach could offer a practical, eco-friendly alternative to reduce tick populations and protect public health,” added Flor-Weiler.

    This is particularly significant in the Midwest and Northeast regions of the United States, where ticks transmit a wide array of pathogens that cause serious diseases such as Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, babesiosis (affecting both humans and animals) and the Powassan virus.

    The researchers are eager to expand their studies to include cattle ticks through new collaborative efforts. By targeting cattle ticks in these high-risk areas, the team hopes to further demonstrate the effectiveness of mustard seed meals as a natural tool for controlling tick populations and reducing the spread of tick-borne illnesses.

    In addition to helping control ticks, this research also benefits mustard seed producers in the United States by creating new market opportunities for defatted seed meals, which can be used as a natural tick biofumigant.

    Read about previous ARS studies, showing promising results against biting insects like mosquitoes and in reducing fungal contamination in grains. — Story contributed by Maribel Alonso, ARS Office of Communications

  • Bill Reintroduced to Improve Access to Locally-Grown Food

    Reps. David Valadao (R-CA) and Hillary Scholten (D-MI) reintroduced the Promoting Access to Local Agriculture Act. This legislation aims to remove administrative hurdles for small farmers and ranchers to participate in federal nutrition programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Program (SNAP), which would expand their economic opportunities and improve access to healthy, affordable food for families.

    “Central Valley producers grow the food that feeds our nation, but unfortunately, complicated administrative hurdles make it hard for them to provide food to families in our own communities,” Valadao said “This bipartisan bill reduces these barriers and equips small farmers and ranchers with the tools needed to accept benefits through programs like SNAP and WIC. By expanding access to fresh, locally-grown food for lower-income families and opening new markets for producers, we can both strengthen our agricultural economy and improve food access across the Valley.”

    “The Farmers Market Coalition is extremely pleased to see the introduction of this bill. Farmers markets and the farmers who sell at them face many barriers to accepting SNAP and other Federal Nutrition Benefits, and this bill would make necessary improvements to remove red tape and streamline the process. These changes will increase income for American farmers and improve access to healthy food for low-income shoppers,” said Jamie Hadji, Board President of the Farmers Market Coalition.

    Sen. Tina Smith (D-MN) introduced the companion bill in the Senate.

    “Every family deserves nutritious, affordable food, and that food can be grown right here in Minnesota. Farmers and producers are the lifeblood of Minnesota’s ag economy, and we should be doing everything we can to help farmers sell their products to families in their local community,” Smith said. “By cutting red tape and providing necessary technology and equipment, this bill will make it easier for them to accept nutrition program benefits, while simultaneously helping folks using federal nutrition programs get healthy, local food at farmers markets.”

    The Promoting Access to Local Agriculture Act would require the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to:

    • Streamline the application process for farmers and ranchers to participate as authorized vendors under various nutrition programs like SNAP, WIC and the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Programs.
    • Streamline the equipment/technology systems needed by farmers to process the benefits.
    • Provide free wireless or mobile processing equipment and systems for farmers markets.

    Read the full text of the bill here.

    — Story contributed by the office of Rep. Valadao

  • Meat Institute Releases Report on How Animal Ag Supply Chains Are Calculating Emissions

    The Meat Institute released a new report entitled,  “Greenhouse Gas Accounting: Emissions Factors Brief,” offering a closer look at how companies across the animal ag supply chain are currently measuring and reporting upstream greenhouse gas emissions.

    “This report is intended as a practical resource for companies throughout the meat and poultry supply chain to better understand how emissions data are developed, to ask clearer questions of data providers, and to build strategies that reflect their operational realities,” said Meat Institute President and CEO Julie Anna Potts. “The report also outlines current knowledge gaps and points to where practical guidance and coordination could help improve alignment throughout the supply chain.”

    The brief reflects input from Meat Institute packer and processor members through surveys, interviews and industry roundtables, along with review by independent experts. It focuses on the scope 3 emission factors used today for beef, pork and poultry, and highlights areas where approaches differ across data sources, system boundaries, and calculation methods.

    For the broader supply chain, the report shows that:

    — Reported emission factor values span a wide range across proteins, often due to differences in functional units, geographic assumptions and whether impacts such as land use change are included or reported separately.

    — Many companies reference the same core U.S. studies, but apply them in different ways based on their own sourcing regions, customers, and reporting needs.

    — Recent publicly available data for poultry remains limited, with most of the reported information coming from third-party tools rather than published literature.

    — Method choices — such as how methane is modeled or which Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) assessment values are applied — can meaningfully affect reported results, even when companies are working from similar underlying data.

    This report is a product of the Meat Institute’s Sustainability Committee.

    — Story contribued by the Meat Institute

  • California Table Grape Commission Launches a New Global Campaign as the Season Arrives Early

    The California table grape season is on track to arrive about two weeks early, signaling that grapes from California will be available for promotion longer than previous seasons. Each season begins in the Coachella Valley, where growers are expecting to begin harvesting at the beginning of May this year. An early start to harvesting in the San Joaquin Valley is also expected to begin in mid-June.

    “California grapes have always enjoyed a long season, with grapes often being promoted into January, but an early start to the season this year lets retailers get a head start on promotions and providing tasty, healthy, happy Grapes from California to eager customers,” said Commission President Ian LeMay.

    For the 2026 season, the Commission is launching an updated global marketing campaign throughout the U.S. and up to 22 export markets, targeting the trade — which includes retailers, wholesalers and importers, as well as primary shoppers — with the objective to drive demand for California table grapes. The updated campaign introduces retailers and consumers to a cast of characters known as the Lunchbox League. The Lunchbox League is a trio of superhero grapes that originate from California, where tasty fuels healthy, and healthy makes happy. Captain Cluster, Munch and Glow are the superheroes who make up the Lunchbox League and serve as the embodiment and personification of all the health benefits, taste, and quality of California grapes.

    “This campaign element is exciting because it capitalizes on the scientific perspective published by Dr. John Pezzuto in July 2025, which claimed grapes should be considered a superfood, in order to give the Lunchbox League their superhero status,” said LeMay.

    Dr. Pezzuto, Ph.D., D.Sc., is a leading resveratrol and cancer researcher and Dean of the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences at Western New England University.

    To drive demand for California grapes through the season, the commission works with retail partners on a variety of activities such as contests, digital promotions, merchandising, point-of-purchase materials and sampling. For retailers in the U.S. with registered dietitians on staff, the commission Retail RD Program offers an additional way to promote Grapes from California and highlight the health benefits of grapes to shoppers. Retail dietitians can work directly with the commission dietitian team to develop customized promotional activities and educational materials.

    “With a healthy crop arriving early and an engaging new campaign with demand-driving materials and activities, the commission is eager to work with retailers throughout the U.S. and around the world to move California table grape volume this season,” said LeMay.

    — Story provided by the California Table Grape Commission

  • Committee Advances Wine Labeling Legislation

    The California Association of Winegrape Growers (CAWG) and Family Winemakers of California (FWC) announced that AB 1585, American Wine Truth in Labeling legislation, cleared its first committee hearing on an 18-0 bipartisan vote.

    AB 1585 would require any wine labeled “American” be made from 100% American-grown wine grapes. This standard aligns the national designation with the same requirement California applies to wines labeled “California.”

    “Today’s vote is an important first step toward ensuring that when a bottle says ‘American,’ it means American,” said CAWG President Natalie Collins. “California’s wine community has invested significantly in building the American wine brand, and we are grateful the committee recognized what is at stake, for growers, wineries, communities, and the consumers who trust what’s on the label. This effort has been strengthened by a clear and unified voice across the industry. We thank the committee for its leadership and look forward to advancing this bill.”

    “Family Winemakers of California is proud to see this legislation move forward,” said FWC Board President GinaLisa Tamayo. “Truth in labeling isn’t just good policy — it’s the foundation of what our members have built their reputations on. When a bottle says ‘American,’ consumers deserve to know it means exactly that. Today’s vote is an important first step, and we’ll be with this bill every step of the way.”

    The recent hearing marks the beginning of a legislative process that will continue through August. AB 1585 must clear several additional steps, including the Assembly Appropriations Committee, where the bill heads next, before the legislature’s August 31 deadline to act on 2026 session legislation.

    — Story contributed by the California Association of Winegrape Growers and Family Winemakers of California

  • Bearing Almond Acreage Drops for First Time in Decades

    California’s bearing almond acreage decreased over the past year — the first drop in 30 years — according to Land IQ’s 2026 Standing Acreage Initial Estimate as bearing acreage stabilizes.

    Initial 2026 bearing acreage is estimated at 1,385,870 acres, compared to the 2025 Land IQ Standing Acreage Final Estimate of 1,401,097 million bearing acres. This reflects a decrease of 15,227 bearing acres over the past year.

    Land IQ’s recent Initial Estimate does not include total almond acreage. It looked at bearing acreage, specifically orchards planted before 2024 that have matured enough to produce a crop for the coming 2026 harvest. Land IQ’s final report on total acreage and non-bearing acres — including newer plantings not mature enough to produce almonds for commercial consumption — will come out in November.

    In addition, Land IQ estimated 47,588 acres of orchard removals, adding to the nearly 49,197 acres removed in the 2024-25 crop year.

    The drop in bearing acres is due to orchard removals and a slowdown in new plantings. This comes on the heels of Land IQ’s report in 2025 that found that California’s total almond acreage had dropped four years in a row to 1.52 million acres.

    “While we’re seeing stabilization in bearing acreage, global demand remains strong and is the foundation of our industry,” said ABC President and CEO Clarice Turner. “Continued, strategic investment in market development is essential to supporting long-term growth and to position California almonds for the future.”

    The Land IQ report is a snapshot of the coming 2026 harvest but does not offer an estimate on the actual almond production for the 2026-27 crop year. A production estimate will be released on May 12 with USDA-NASS’ Subjective Estimate. As of December 2025, the Almond Board of California Board of Directors voted to cease funding for the July USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) Objective Measurement Report, making a change in California almond crop estimates going forward.

    Land IQ’s final acreage estimate in November of 2026 will cover total acres, bearing acreage, non-bearing acreage and potentially abandoned acres and removals from Sept. 1, 2025 to Aug. 31, 2026. Please note that the almond crop year runs Aug. 1-July 31, so this estimate includes the harvest for the 2026-27 crop year.

    Land IQ’s Initial Estimate and its Final Acreage Estimate in November are commissioned by the Almond Board of California to provide statistical transparency and a robust picture of California almonds to industry stakeholders around the world. In 2018, ABC first commissioned Land IQ, a Sacramento-based agricultural and environmental scientific research and consulting firm, to develop a comprehensive, living map of California almonds, with the first report issued in 2019. The map is the result of more than a decade of research

    — Story Contributed by the Almond Board of California

  • IDFA Welcomes House Appropriations Support for Key Dairy Priorities

    The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) welcomed action by the U.S. House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration to advance its FY2027 funding bill, including key dairy priorities.

    Michael Dykes, president and CEO of IDFA, released the following statement:

    “IDFA applauds the Subcommittee for maintaining strong support for dairy across federal nutrition and innovation programs. The bill’s $4 million investment in Healthy Fluid Milk Incentives Projects builds on the program’s proven success in stretching SNAP dollars and helping SNAP participants purchase more milk. Additionally, provisions in the bill preserve dairy benefits in (Women Infants and Children) and ensure that whole and 2% milk, made available by the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act, is applicable to all school meals, securing access to nutrient-dense foods that parents and children need. Sustained funding for the Dairy Business Innovation Initiative will also help drive innovation, strengthen regional supply chains, and create new market opportunities for dairy farmers and processors. IDFA thanks Chairman Andy Harris and Ranking Member Sanford Bishop, Jr. and Subcommittee members for their support of the dairy industry priorities contained in the FY27 funding bill. We look forward to working with Congress to include these priorities in the final FY2027 appropriations package.”

  • Judges Named for 2026 All American Jersey Shows

    The All American Jersey Shows’ three shows will be held Nov. 6–9 in conjunction with the North American International Livestock Exposition in Louisville, Kentucky.

    Chris Lahmers (Marysville, Ohio), will judge the All American Jersey Show on Sunday and Monday, Nov. 8–9. This marks his second time officiating the open Jersey show in Louisville, having previously judged in 2013. He also judged the All American Junior Show in 2012 and the National Jersey Jug Futurity in 2011. Lahmers has officiated nine shows in Louisville, six at World Dairy Expo and five at the Pennsylvania All-American across multiple breeds. His international experience includes judging Jerseys at International Dairy Week in Australia and at shows in Costa Rica and Japan. Chris and his wife, Elizabeth, exhibit a Brown Swiss herd with their daughters, Elaina, Ava and Audrey.

    Ryan Krohlow (Poynette, Wisconsin) was selected to judge the National Jersey Jug Futurity. Following his role at the 2025 All American Jersey Show, this will be his first time officiating the Futurity. He recently judged at International Dairy Week in Australia and has also officiated the World Dairy Expo Jersey Show (2024), Mid-Atlantic Jersey Show (2023), Midwest Spring and Fall National Holstein Shows, and the All-American Holstein Show, along with numerous state shows. Ryan and his wife, Haley, and their four children, Callie, Conway, Cooper and Case, operate under the HammerTime prefix.

    There are 457 three-year-olds currently eligible for the 2026 National Jersey Jug Futurity. In 2025, the class offered $11,730 in premiums, including $3,296 to the winner.

    Keith Topp (Botkins, Ohio) will judge the All American Junior Jersey Show on Friday, Nov. 6. This will be his third time officiating in Freedom Hall. He previously judged the All American Jersey Show in 2019 and the National Jersey Jug Futurity in 2017. Topp has judged Jersey and colored breed shows across 27 states, including the 2022 World Dairy Expo Jersey Show, as well as the Milking Shorthorn and Brown Swiss shows in Madison in 2019 and 2017 respectively. He owns and operates On Topp Genetics with his wife, Kindra, and their children, Keaton and Kinley.

    First- and second-place class winners in these shows will be named 2026 All American and Reserve All American honorees by the American Jersey Cattle Association.