Modesto, Calif., (January 19, 2018) – WUD and CDC filed a petition with the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) today requesting the call of an emergency hearing to consider increases to Class1,2,3,4a and 4b prices for a period of twelve months. The requested increase would add approximately $0.35/cwt to the over base price.
California dairy families have suffered severe economic hardship in the past three years. Many have gone out of business or acquired massive debt on top of eroded equity. The significant negative margins witnessed every quarter since January 2015 have placed many producers in a dire financial situation. 2017 displayed a modest recovery in the markets but the improvements were short lived and not significant enough to allow for positive margins. According to CDFA’s cost of production data, the smallest loss recorded these past three years was $0.23/cwt of milk produced during the first quarter of 2017.
You have likely read this newsletter’s milk price forecast with concern. WUD and
CDC’s boards had the same reaction and decided action must be taken against those spiraling prices. 2017 ended on a sour note, with the estimated over base price reaching the lowest level since June 2016. As we start 2018, producers are facing an even lower over base price, with current commodity prices yielding an over base of $13.29/cwt for January. Looking down the following few months is even less pleasant, with potential for prices to fall below $13/cwt. The first quarter of 2018 price forecast is set to be 12% below the last quarter of 2017. Compared to the latest cost of production of $18 per hundred weight released by CDFA (third quarter of 2017), this clearly illustrates how the price of milk will be insufficient to cover costs.
While the FMMO hearing is behind us, the process is not over. USDA still has not released its final decision for a California FMMO. Even when it does, there will be a referendum process (likely a few months) and an implementation period if the vote is a yes. Until then, we cannot sit idly while more dairy farms go out of business in the state. California’s milk production pattern relative to the rest of the country is concerning, with year-over-year milk production down 1.1% in November (the U.S. was up 1%). This is not a recent pattern: California’s milk production declined in 32 of the past 36 months. California dairy families clearly need additional revenues and we believe the CDFA
should provide pricing assistance while we await USDA’s final decision. If you are also
concerned with milk prices, you can call CDFA at 916-654-0462 or submit a letter to dairy@cdfa.ca.gov to voice your opinion on this matter.
CDFA has 15 days to grant or deny a hearing, so stay tuned for more details as we await the Secretary’s decision!
Visalia, Calif., (January 19, 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 planted where the ground allows. Persistent fog and rain late in the week will reduce the need for irrigation. As always more rain is needed in the weeks to follow. Shipments of corn seed are being received in preparation for spring planting.
The last of the stored table grapes continue to be exported to China and Mexico. Persimmon harvest was slow, with export demand primarily to Mexico. Kiwifruit are being sent to domestic markets and exported to Mexico. Pistachio nuts continue to be exported to Austria, Hong Kong, India, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Turkey, and Vietnam. Almonds continue to be shipped to Argentina, Belgium, Chile, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Israel, Japan, Korea, the Netherlands, Sweden, Taiwan, and Vietnam. Walnuts are being exported to China. Pruning continues in vineyards, and the brush is being shredded. Dormant sprays are being applied as the weather allows. Some field activities in fruit and nut orchards have been put on hold as fog and rain makes accessibility difficult.
Citrus harvest continues as the weather permits. Navel and Mandarin oranges continue to be exported to Australia, Japan, Korea, Mexico, New Zealand, and Peru. Navel oranges are trending towards larger sizes, with some packers having difficulty fulfilling orders for the smaller sizes. Pomelos are being harvested and sold domestically, as well as exported to China and Japan. Melogold hybrid grapefruit continue being exported to Japan. Lemon exports are in high demand for China, Hong Kong, Japan, Mexico, and New Zealand. Finger limes are still in high demand, with exports going to France, the Netherlands, and Switzerland. Olive growers continue to prune groves.
Fields are being prepared and planted with winter vegetable crops, but activities have been on the slow side due to wet soils. Lettuce continues to benefit from the recent damp weather, and growth looks ideal. Strawberries are growing well at roadside stands. Blueberries are still being brought into the county for planting.
This week’s rainfall will be beneficial for rangeland forage, but conditions are fair until more growth is seen. More rain is needed to help with germination and growth of rangeland forage. Supplemental feeding has been required. The fed cattle market price is holding at $120.00 per hundred weight this week.
Bare-root roses are being received and processed for reshipment out-of-state, with exports to Canada. Bare-root berries are being received at wholesale nurseries Nursery shipments have slowed due to the winter weather conditions.
Sacramento, Calif., (January 18, 2018) – The gypsy moth, an interloper from Europe and Asia, is threatening California’s majestic oaks in Ventura County.
Invasive desert knapweed, which comes from Africa, has made its first North American appearance in in California’s Anza-Borrego Desert, where it has started to crowd out native plants.
Asian citrus psyllids are slowly spreading the devastating huanglongbing disease in Southern California citrus.
River rats from South America, called nutrias, are munching voraciously on wetland plants in some areas of Stanislaus, Merced and Fresno counties.
These are just a few of the insects, weeds, animals and diseases that have entered the state of California from elsewhere on the globe, causing tremendous ecological damage and huge economic losses to agricultural crops, which ultimately affect every resident of California.
Based on historical data, a new invertebrate species establishes itself in California about every six weeks, on average. They don’t all become serious pest problems, but many evade eradication efforts, disrupt carefully balanced integrated pest management programs, hijack sensitive ecosystems, and spoil valued recreational resources and urban landscapes.
A diverse group of university scientists, federal and state government representatives, county agricultural commissioners and non-profit organization leaders who are battling these pests converged at a summit in the state capitol Jan. 11 and 12 to coordinate their efforts, pool intellectual resources, and plot a strategy for protecting agricultural crops, natural resources, unique ecological communities, cityscapes and residential neighborhoods.
“We are a big, beautiful, special place, blessed with great weather and diverse geography,” said California Department of Food and Agriculture Secretary Karen Ross at the summit. “That means a lot to our many visitors – including pests.”
Glenda Humiston, vice president of UC Agriculture and Natural Resources, said research is a fundamental component of the fight against damaging invasive species.
“We know that collectively, we have the tools and expertise to prevent invasive species from entering California, spreading and becoming established,” Humiston said. “I am so pleased with the numbers of people here today, and the expertise that you bring.”
A fundamental component of the fight against damaging invasive species is research, Humiston said, adding that the European grapevine moth in an apt example. The pest was detected in California’s wine country in 2009, and later found as far south as Fresno County. A multi-agency collaboration responded quickly.
UC ANR academics studied the moth’s biology, life cycle, host range and proven management practices. They developed a pest management program that relied on mating disruption with pheromones and application of carefully timed insecticides. In short order, the moth population plummeted, and the state was declared free of European grapevine moth, lifting a quarantine, enhancing farmers’ ability to export its product, and preserving the communities’ economic wellbeing.
“This multi-agency collaboration contributed to a successful, science-based response plan to a serious pest threat,” Humiston said.
She noted, however, that prevention is the best option.
“This is critical,” Humiston said. “Once the pests are here, they cost us millions upon millions of dollars to manage, not to mention the devastation and destruction inflicted on our crops, natural resources and the damage to local economies.”
In 2010, CDFA created a strategic framework for addressing California’s ongoing invasive pest problems and potential future introductions. Successful implementation of the framework requires partnerships involving government from the state to local levels, the agriculture industry and commodity groups, non-governmental organizations committed to the environment, and researchers at UC and other universities.
UC Cooperative Extension advisor emeritus John Kabashima led a break out session on arthropods during the summit.
UC Cooperative Extension advisor emeritus John Kabashima was instrumental in bringing the summit to fruition. Kabashima, who retired in 2015, continues to lead a battle against invasive shot hole borer pests in Southern California. The insects, originally from Asia, are killing thousands of Southern California trees, and have the potential to kill millions of trees in urban areas, natural areas and even on farms in parts of the state as far north as Sacramento.
“We convened this meeting to bring together experts in the field and people who are feeling the impacts,” Kabashima said. “We’re trying to start a 21st century invasive pest program that would then be implemented and funded to address the urgent issues before they cause any more devastation.”
At the end of the two-day summit, the participants voted to decide the most pressing issues and best strategies to take forward to their agencies, coalitions, research groups, legislators and constituents. Key strategies that emerged were:
Analyze the economic impacts of invasive species management and the cost of “doing nothing.”
Develop and maintain statewide surveys and map high-risk surveys.
Increase funding to study invasive species’ biology.
Create a standing rapid response workgroup to guide response to new invasive species. Fund a rapid response emergency fund.
Enact regulations to control high-risk vectors, such as soil, green waste, gravel, forage, straw and firewood.
Formalize the Invasive Species Council of California (ISCC) and the California Invasive Species Advisory Committee (CISAC).
Mark Hoddle, UC Cooperative Extension biological control specialist and director of the Center for Invasive Species Research at UC Riverside, said the summit was a valuable part of the ongoing battle against invasive pests.
Summit participants prepare to vote on most pressing invasive species’ issues and best management strategies.
“It’s good to see the number of agencies and organizations involved with invasive species issues,” Hoddle said. “I’m impressed with the energy in coming up with these priority lists.”
Summit outcomes will include sending recommended action items to the Legislature for funding consideration.
“Without financial support, many of the management tools that prevent unwanted incursions, find and monitor incipient pest populations, and develop sustainable, cost-effective management programs won’t be possible,” Hoddle said.
Santa Rosa, Calif., (January 18, 2018) – Six generations of the Tunzi family have grown up in Southern Sonoma County. Many of the six generations have two things in common: raising cattle and attending the small Dunham School in Roblar. The Tunzi family immigrated to America from Switzerland in 1882. Natale Tunzi, grandfather of the current family patriarch Jim, first lived in Lakeville before moving to Two Rock, and met his wife Isolena in Petaluma.
Six generations of the Tunzi family have grown up in Southern Sonoma County. Many of the six generations have two things in common: raising cattle and attending the small Dunham School in Roblar. The Tunzi family immigrated to America from Switzerland in 1882.
Natale and Isolena had three children and purchased a ranch in Roblar in 1898. They bought the ranch from a local doctor who owned a lot of property in the area. They built the first house on the property, which the family still lives in today, in 1906 and built their original barn around the same time.
The Tunzi family had a small dairy and milked around 60 cows by hand. At the height of the family’s dairy, they had around 100 head of cattle. They built a grade A barn in 1937 and were one of the first families to have a milking machine in the county. At the time it was built, the barn had state of the art facilities.
Before building this barn, the family packed the milk 100 feet to a separate room to separate the milk from the cream. They sold the cream to the Petaluma Coop Creamery in cans. The leftover milk was mixed with kale the family planted and used to feed their chickens.
The family had a lot of chickens at the same time they were raising dairy cattle. They had multiple chicken and brooder houses as well as their own hatchery as part of their operation. The family said they made more money on eggs than milk at that time.
In addition to raising cattle and chickens, the family grew hay on 110 acres in Roblar as well as at Hamilton Air Force Base during World War II. The family recalls hearing stories of cutting hay while bombers were taking off and landing at the base.
The family raised dairy cattle and utilized their grade A barn until the late 50’s when they retired from the dairy business. Jim said milking cows was a seven day a week job and joked that the family decided they liked to deer hunt and didn’t want to be tied down. They bought a ranch in Geyserville, phased out milking and began raising beef cattle. Jim and his brother were not farming full time and were partners in their excavating business for 40 years.
Today, the Tunzi family is still raising cattle on the same ranch in Roblar. The family has 342 acres split into three parcels, although the ranch was more than 500 at one point. Jim lived on the ranch with his wife Joan, who keeps track of their family history. They own their cattle in conjunction with Fred, a member of the fourth generation who didn’t grow up on the ranch but later became involved with the cattle.
Over the years, the family has raised multiple different breeds of cattle including Herefords, Simmental, Brangus, Charolais and currently have Angus. They peaked at 100 head of beef cattle, but now have about 80 cattle on the property.
Ten of these are Limousin cattle part of a small herd Robby, Jim’s grandson, is raising. Robby said his herd started when his uncle gave him a heifer when he was five. At the time, he was in kindergarten and from that bottle calf he raised, bred and built his herd off of. He bought a few head along the way and showed them at the fair which helped pay for college.
With his cattle project, Robby won the carcass contest one year at the fair, an accomplishment he views as a better achievement than winning the show. He was also the recipient of the Farm Bureau Foundation of Sonoma County’s Gold Cup his last year showing.
Robby is currently attending Oklahoma State University, majoring in Ag Business and Economics. After graduation, he has plans to come back to Sonoma County and keep the ranch going. While he doesn’t think the ranch is large enough to build a career on, he knows it will definitely be a part of his life going forward.
Permission for use is granted, however, credit must be made to the author and Sonoma County Farm Bureau when reprinting this item.
Davis, Calif., (January 18, 2018) – The success of a garden is normally identified by plentiful crops of tomatoes and squash or the beautiful display of vibrant thriving flowers, shrubs or trees. However, a school garden’s true success is dependent on the rich experiences and education students receive.
Taking the classroom into the garden
School gardens can play a big part in supporting a child’s education outside of the traditional classroom environment; offering hands-on learning experiences in a variety of core curricula. Social sciences, language arts, nutrition and math are just a few of the many subjects that can be easily integrated into the school garden curriculum.
When paired with nutrition education, school gardens can transform food attitudes and habits.
“Gardens containing fruits and vegetables can change attitudes about particular foods; there is a direct link between growing and eating more fruits and vegetables,” said Missy Gable, statewide director for the UC Master Gardener Program. “Programs statewide connect people to local community gardens, or provide school administrators and staff the information needed to get started with their own school, community or home garden.”
“Dig it, Grow it, Eat it”
The UC Master Gardener Program of Marin County hosts an award-winning school gardening program that emphasizes engaging students with the many learning opportunities in nature. The program is a portable field trip for school-age youth called “Dig it, Grow it, Eat it.”
“Dig it, Grow it, Eat it” starts with University-trained UC Master Gardener volunteers training school educators. Once trained, educators use the curriculum to teach students how to grow edible plants from seed to harvest. UC Master Gardener volunteers help deliver the curriculum and provide additional resources. Students learn how plants grow, and receive nutrition lessons to give them a better understanding of the human body’s need for healthy food.
The half-day workshop rotates groups of students through six stations providing them with garden enhanced nutrition education, linking health with growing and harvesting foods they like to eat and are good for them. These include:
Edible Plant Parts
How Plants Grow
Plant Seed Science
Propagation
Soil Science
The “Dig it, Grow it, Eat it” curriculum is centered on the theme “We love the earth because we care for it. We care for the earth because we love it.” For many children, getting their hands dirty in the garden and discovering the science of growing their own food brings a sense of joy and pride they can carry with them for years to come.
Different edible parts of plants are on display (roots, stems, flowers, leaves and seeds) for students to have hands-on learning in the garden. (Photo: UC Master Gardener Program Marin County)
UC Master Gardener volunteers in Marin County connect gardening topics to science and nutrition in portable field trips for their award-winning project, “Dig it, Eat it, Grow it.” (Photo: UC Master Gardener Program Marin County)
Students learn about healthy soil and the benefits of composting from a UC Master Gardener volunteer during a “Dig it, Eat it, Grow it” school field trip. (Photo: UC Master Gardener Program Marin County)
Fresno, Calif., (January 17, 2018) – The Valley Ventures Accelerator at Fresno State is now accepting applications through March 1 for its spring cohort. The program will continue to focus on sales, marketing, distribution and venture capital for emerging companies in the water, agriculture and energy technology fields.
The three-month cohort will select about 15 companies to participate in three, two-day sessions starting in March, culminating in a final open-pitch demonstration to the public, industry members, campus faculty and staff and potential investors.
“We find that the startups coming through the program share one universal interest — growth — so these workshops are a vital way for rising companies to receive broader exposure to the subject,” project coordinator Benjamin Francis said. “With our guest speakers and instructional toolkit, the entrepreneurs in the program will be exposed to various customer acquisition strategies that will either be newly implemented or expand upon what they are currently doing. Ultimately, we’re trying to help them develop principles for growing their customer base, attracting investment support if needed, and developing key sales and marketing strategies for enhanced short- and long-term profitability.”
Participants will take part in exercises and learning modules led by professionals, investors, industry experts, successful entrepreneurs and target consumers. Guest speakers will also offer advice about the evolution of their successful companies at similar stages of customer and venture capital development.
Companies accepted into the program demonstrated the potential to have an economic impact in the region and industry, along with the ability to improve the efficient use of scarce natural resources. Other evaluation criteria include commercial value, environmental impact, fundability, leadership, potential return, personnel skills and scalability.
The program enjoyed a successful first cohort in fall 2017 as 11 entrepreneurs from primarily California, as well as Brazil, Chile and Malaysia, are now in the latter stages of raising between $3.5 million to 5 million in venture capital.
Besides the workshop interaction, more than half of the fall cohort companies tested their products on the 1,000-acre University Agricultural Laboratory and received feedback from campus farm staff and Center for Irrigation Technology water management specialists. The companies also leveraged their networking potential with the Water, Energy and Technology (WET) Center and product evaluation by the BlueTechValley water and energy innovation cluster.
“We saw companies experience everything from generating their first $100,000 in revenue to a 20-percent increase in monthly revenue growth,” Francis said. “The members also appreciated the instruction on subjects such as advertising, distribution, industry recognition, lead generation, online presence, referral strategies and sales processes and teams.
“All the fall cohort companies were impressed with the Fresno-area entrepreneurial ecosystem, and a majority are trying to establish some portion of their business in this area. That means more jobs for a key Central Valley sector that continues to grow and the further development of a healthier local economy, thus providing more career opportunities for Fresno State students.”
The three-year accelerator program is coordinated by the International Center for Water Technology at Fresno State. Funding was made possible by a $500,000 federal grant through the Regional Innovation Strategies i6 Challenge and Seed Fund Support Grants competition and the BlueTechValley innovation cluster funded by the California Energy Commission.
For more information on the program, visit www.valleyventures.org or contact Benjamin Francis at 559.270.7121 or bfrancis@mail.fresnostate.edu.
Tulare, Calif., (January 17, 2018) – This year’s CALF World Ag Expo breakfast is shaping up to be a great event!
Father Gregory Boyle founder of Homeboy Industries
After last year’s power outage at the Heritage Complex re-routed the event to the VIP tent on the showgrounds, the planning committee decided to try the larger venue again this year to make more seating available for this always popular sold-out event.
The California Ag Leadership Breakfast hosted by local alumni is set for Thursday, February 15 at 6:30 am in the VIP Tent on the show grounds of the World Ag Expo. This year’s speaker will be the incredibly interesting individual, Father Gregory Boyle founder of Homeboy Industries.
This is a sell-out event each year, tables go very fast, contact the Lagomarsino Group for sponsorship, table, and ticket reservations today, don’t delay.
Call 735-9700, $100/each ticket; or $750 for a reserved table of 8.
Tables sell out very fast, don’t wait! Or email calf@lagomarsino.com to reserve seats today!
Washington, D. C., (January 17, 2018) – The Census of Agriculture occurs every five years. Surveys have been mailed out and can be completed online or on paper.
It is the only source of comprehensive, impartial agricultural data for every county in the nation.
The results are heavily relied upon by those who serve farmers and rural communities, including agribusiness, trade associations, University extension researchers, federal, state and local governments, and farmers and ranchers themselves.
The Agricultural Census results help shape farm programs and boosts services for rural communities.
It shows the nation the value and importance of agriculture and helps influence decisions that will shape the future of agriculture for years to come.
This is your opportunity to be counted and let your voice be heard.
Complete your 2017 Census of Agriculture.
If you have questions or need assistance, you can visit www.agcensus.usda.gov
Yuba City, Calif., (January 16, 2018) – Fire scientist Kate Wilkin was on the job just a few weeks when ferocious winds whipped up the Northern California firestorm of 2017. The national media focused on Napa and Sonoma counties, where the deadly Tubbs fire became the most destructive wildfire in California history, while devastating fires also broke out in Butte, Nevada, Yuba and other counties.
It was crunch time for Wilkin, who stepped in as the new forestry, fire science and natural resources advisor for UC Cooperative Extension in Sutter, Yuba, Nevada and Butte counties that fall. Four lives and 200 homes were lost in her new work community. Wilkin will now host workshops to help families and businesses recover from the firestorm and rebuild in a way that is more resilient to fire. Fire resiliency will start at her own home.
Wilkin and her husband Josiah Johnston moved into their first home, a ranch-style rambler atop a hill in Grass Valley, on Sept. 15, three days before Wilkin reported to work in the Sutter-Yuba County UC Cooperative Extension office in Yuba City.
The couple moved from a small apartment in Berkeley, where Wilkin was conducting research as a post-doc in the lab of UC Agriculture and Natural Resources researcher and UC Berkeley fire science professor Scott Stephens. The move from a hyper-urban Bay Area city to a small hamlet in the hills wasn’t too much of shock to their systems. Johnston was raised on a farm with chickens and goats. Wilkin grew up in the rural Appalachia community of Abingdon, Va. After completing her bachelor’s degree at the College of William and Mary, an internship with the Nature Conservancy in Kissimmee, Fla., introduced Wilkin to fire science.
“In the Disney Wilderness Preserve, the landscape would burn then flood every year,” Wilkin said. “I became fascinated with how these disturbances catalyzed diversity.”
What better place to continue a fire education than California?
Wilkin enrolled at CalPoly, San Luis Obispo, earning a master’s degree in biology. She spent the next three years in Yosemite National Park, working with a team of scientists to understand the impacts of packhorse grazing in mountain meadows.
“We found that the current policies led to meadow degradation,” Wilkin said. Yosemite then changed its policy to reduce the amount of horse grazing on these tender, sensitive mountain resources.
In 2011, Wilkin started work on her doctorate at UC Berkeley, where she studied the relationship between fire, forest diversity and water. Wilkin signed up for the pilot Graduate Students in Extension program at Berkeley, launched in 2014 to train and recruit graduate students for careers in research and outreach.
“The … internship gave me an amazing set of professional skills that I could practice, including media relations, public speaking to different audiences, and conference organizing and facilitating,” Wilkin told Science Magazine for an article about the innovative program. “Many of my colleagues and I see environmental problems and want to do applied research because we want to help find solutions.”
With full knowledge of the dangers of living in fire-prone areas, Wilkin and Johnston purchased a home close to the outdoor amenities they adore – hiking, backpacking and skiing.
“Tahoe is just an hour away,” Wilkin said. “I love the view from the house and the wooded setting. But we live in an area CalFire has designated as very high fire danger.”
As a fire scientist, Wilkin was well equipped to make changes to the home and landscape to minimize the risk.
“We moved in during peak fire season,” Wilkin said. “We didn’t hang artwork. My priority was to make the home and deck more fire resistant. We put in one-eighth-inch mesh over the vents, caulked around doors and windows, blew leaves off the roof and deck, removed lattice wrapping the deck and cleaned the gutters. Then we created defensible space starting close to the house and working our way outward.”
The couple labored about 200 hours and spent about $800 in the first six weeks buying and renting tools, including a chipper, saw and a truck to haul away tinder-dry lattice, foliage and pine needles. With the most critical fireproofing completed, the couple is now tallying the work that should be done to further enhance the fire safety of their home.
“We probably need another $6,000 to $7,000 of work,” Wilkin said.
Wilkin recalled the terrifying time about a month after moving into their new home when howling winds whipped around the house and fires were breaking out across Northern California.
“The North Winds are haunting,” she said. “I hadn’t felt wind like that since I lived in Florida and experienced hurricanes.”
Wilkin and Johnston were fortunate. The closest fire to their home was the McCourtney Fire, which burned 76 acres in Grass Valley. The wildfire stayed two miles away.
Kate Wilkin inspects a ponderosa pine on her property with an old fire scar, undeniable evidence that fire has swept through her neighborhood in the past.The Wilkin-Johnston home is at the top of a rise dotted with cedars, ponderosa pines and black oaks. The dying plants in the foreground are Himalayan blackberry bushes that were treated with glyphosate (RoundUp) to remove them. The invasive weed forms a continuous understory that climbs into tree canopies and can carry fire with it. Wilkin removed one blackberry stem from a cedar tree that was more than 30 feet long.Kate Wilkin and her husband Josiah Johnston in front of their Grass Valley home.The railing and both sides of the siding on the deck were covered in wooden lattice by the previous homeowners. Wilkin and Johnston found a squirrel cache between the layers of lattice, with acorns, pinecones, needles and other dry plant debris. “It was the perfect place to start a fire,” Wilkin said.Complex features on the roof – such as skylights, solar panels and a valley that can capture debris – require frequent maintenance to keep the roof fire safe. Johnston tacked down loose flashing on the roof and blew leaves off the roof and out of the gutters.
Sacramento, Calif., (January 16, 2018) – Northern California experienced intermittent rainfall, with snow accumulation occurring at higher elevations, until high pressure brought drier conditions at the end of the week. Central and Southern California experienced heavy precipitation earlier in the week as a strong Pacific storm system moved through the area and eventually gave way to drier conditions for the remainder of the week.
Temperature highs ranged in the 50s to 60s in the mountains, 60s to 70s in the valley and the desert, and 60s to 80s along the coast. Temperature lows were between 20s and 30s in the mountains, 20s to 40s in the desert, 30s to 40s in the valley, and 30s to 50s along the coast.
Rice looked good, both in terms of stand and in weed control. Fields that were planted earlier in the season had signs of good growth but most fields were irrigated due to the lack of rain to maintain growth. Winter forage crops, such as wheat, barley, other cereal grains and forage mixes continued to be planted and seed shipments received. Irrigation was still necessary to maintain growth of those plantings that have germinated. Alfalfa were growing well.
Pruning continued in stone fruit orchards and vineyards. Persimmon harvest continued. Some older, poorly producing orchards and vineyards were removed and prepared for replanting. Winter dormant sprays were applied to some orchards. Navel orange harvest continued. Pomelos were harvested. Olive growers continued to prune groves.
Pruning continued in nut orchards. Some older orchards were pushed out and the ground was prepped for planting. Herbicides were applied in some pistachio groves.
Fields were being prepared and planted with winter vegetable crops. Lettuce benefitted from the recent rain and growth looks ideal. Land preparation was ongoing for tomatoes. The spring carrot crop has not emerged, while winter carrots were scheduled to be planted in two weeks. Weed control was done on organic onion while convention onions were continued to be irrigated. The garlic stand was established, but it could benefit greatly with some rain to continue growing.
Rangeland and non-irrigated pasture were reported to be primarily in poor to very poor condition. Recent precipitation was beneficial to forage development, but conditions remain poor until more growth occurs. Supplemental feeding of livestock continued. Sheep grazed on idle crop land, stubble fields, and dormant alfalfa fields. Beehives overwintering in Fresno County were given supplemental feeding.
