The “Grower of the Year Award”, the highest honor of the California Association of Winegrape Growers (CAWG) went to Brad and Randy Lange this year, as celebrated at the CAWG Summer Conference. Watch this video tribute presentation for the two star growers behind LangeTwins Family Winery & Vineyards.
When is the best time to prune/top stone fruit in-season to keep from shading next year’s fruitwood? For conventional orchards? For pedestrian orchards? Watch this brief video interview with UC Farm Advisor Kevin Day as he answers these important questions.
Sacramento, Calif., (September 25, 2017) – California has received $500,000 from the U.S. Small Business Administration to increase export activities among small businesses. The funding, part of the State Trade Export Promotion program, will boost trade in foreign markets, – including China, Europe, Southeast Asia, and Mexico, – and encourage exports of information technologies, food and agricultural products, consumer goods and medical equipment.
“Small businesses can use these funds to identify international customers, market products globally, and make new business connections,” said Panorea Avdis, Director of the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz). “These resources, when added to the GO-Biz support businesses already receive, empower companies to scale-up operations, create new jobs and grow their local economies.”
California is the one of the largest exporting states in the nation. The state exports more than $163 billion in products, about 11 percent of all U.S. exports. This international trade supports more than 706,000 California jobs. Top markets for California’s exports include Mexico, Canada and China.
“On average, more than 25 percent of California’s agricultural production is exported,” said California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Secretary Karen Ross. “This federal funding is a victory for farmers and ranchers, food manufacturers, and the rural communities where they operate.”
California’s State Trade Export Promotion (STEP) program is a partnership between GO-Biz, CDFA, the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office and the Centers for International Trade Development. The program brings together state, federal, private and non-profit trade promotion organizations to promote export activities among targeted industries. California STEP is funded in part by a U.S. Small Business Administration grant.
Fresno, Calif., (September 25, 2017) – On Tuesday, September 19, property crimes detectives with the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office arrested 34 year old Miguel Colima and 29 year old Kacie Miller, both of Fresno. They face felony charges of burglary, possession of stolen property, identity theft and grand theft. Detectives contacted them while serving a search warrant at a home on the 300 block of N. Clark Street in Fresno. Detectives found some of the items which were reported stolen in the vehicle burglaries.
On the morning of Sunday, September 3, a group of farm workers were working in a grape vineyard when someone burglarized their vehicles. The workers parked two of their vehicles along a dirt road near Friant Road and Willow Avenue in Fresno. Both vehicles were not locked. When they returned to their vehicles around 11:30 a.m., they noticed some of their personal items were missing. This included driver licenses, social security cards, credit/debit cards, cash, tools, keys and a phone. The workers called the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office and a deputy responded to take a report.
During the investigation, deputies learned that one of the victim’s bank cards was used to purchase food at the McDonald’s restaurant located near Blackstone and Bullard in Fresno. A surveillance camera captured a picture of a woman in a 2013 black Acura TSX using the stolen card.
Detectives used this lead to identify the woman. During their search for her, deputies were able to make connections to other reports of farm worker vehicle burglaries and attempted burglaries. These occurred at the following locations.
Anyone with additional information on the suspects in these cases is asked to contact the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office at 559-600-3111. You may also contact Crime Stoppers at 559-498-7867. You will remain anonymous and may be eligible for a cash reward.
The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office would like to offer some tips to everyone in the public to help avoid becoming targets / victims of thieves.
Source: Fresno County Sheriff – Coroner’s Office, News Release, September 2017
Sacramento, Calif., (September 25, 2017) – The California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom is now accepting submissions for the 2017 “Imagine this… Story Writing Contest.” Third to eighth grade educators are invited to submit their students’ work to be entered to win awards including being published into a story book, a medal, an e-reader, and an all-expenses-paid trip to Sacramento for the awards ceremony during California Ag Day.
The “Imagine this… Story Writing Contest” is one of the longest running programs administered by the California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom. For more than 20 years, students have explored numerous agricultural themes to craft their narrative stories. Students are encouraged to write about whatever agricultural theme excites them. Over the years, stories have ranged from superhero apples to futuristic farms to talking animals.
“Agriculture is everywhere! From the food we eat to the clothes we wear, agriculture is a part of our life every day. Not only is it important to teach about agriculture-it’s essential!” explained Judy Culbertson executive director of California Agriculture in the Classroom.
Stories are judged and awarded regionally and then the six “Imagine this… Story Writing Contest” state winners are chosen. High school art students in Northern California illustrate the state winning stories. Working in teams, the artists express their personality through their own style. Drawings, paintings, digital art, and Claymation can be seen throughout past editions.
The annual deadline is Wednesday, November 1. Teachers are to submit the top 5 stories from each class. More information about the contest can be found at LearnAboutAg.org/imaginethis.
Source: California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom
Fallbrook, Calif., (September 25, 2017) – The California Avocado Commission is putting on one final grower field day this year, featuring presentations on crop estimating, reading avocado trees and energy efficiency programs for irrigation pumps. Topics include: Crop estimating to help growers better predict their grove’s yield for next year; how to read avocado trees going into winter— tree nutrition, grove maintenance tasks, pest and disease management and other issues; and improving yield while reducing energy and water inputs using compliance software to track water supplies and field Evapotranspiration (ET) demand without having to deploy new hardware devices. The field day will be held from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the Pine Tree Ranch Demonstration Grove (19455 E. Telegraph Rd, Santa Paula, CA).
Want to learn about the recent advances in prune research and how they impact your prune management practices? Attend the UC Cooperative Extension’s upcoming meeting on Tuesday, September 26th at the Ord Bend Community Hall (3241 CA-45, Glenn, CA) from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The meeting will feature UC Davis Plant Pathologist Themis Michailides, who will talk about cytospora canker; UC Davis Plant Pathologist Bob Johnson, who will talk about wood rot fungi; and UCCE Farm Advisor Emeritus Rich Buchner, who will talk about his prune rootstock trial research. The meeting will follow with a Question and Answer session to help growers and PCAs plan to apply research results ahead of the pruning season. Registration is $25 online here or for $35 at the door, and includes lunch.
Visalia, Calif., (September 22, 2017) – 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 Alfalfa fields continue to be irrigated, cut, and baled. Sorghum for silage is close to maturity. Corn silage continues to be harvested. Cotton is still being irrigated and bolls continue to develop. Some fields are being defoliated and having borders knocked down in preparation for harvest. Black-eyed beans continue to be exported to Korea.
Peaches, nectarines, and plums continue to be picked and shipped to both domestic and export markets. Stone fruit is being exported to Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, New Zealand, and Taiwan. A few old stone fruit orchards are being pushed out. Pistachio harvest is continuing, with exports to China, the European Union, Hong Kong, Mexico, Poland, Turkey, and Vietnam. Almond harvest continues throughout the county. Almonds are being exported to Argentina, Colombia, Chile, Germany, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Korea, Mauritius, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Peru, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, and Trinidad & Tobago. Walnuts are being harvested. Pears are being exported to Mexico. Asian pears are being shipped to Colombia and El Salvador. Table grape harvest continues, with exports going to Australia, China, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Taiwan, Thailand, Trinidad & Tobago, the United Arab Emirates, and Vietnam. Thompson seedless grapes are being placed on trays for drying. Finished trays are being rolled for pickup. Pomegranate harvest continues, with exports going to Brazil and Australia. Kiwifruit are nearing maturity and harvest should begin in one week. Persimmons are starting to color up in some areas.
Valencia orange harvest is nearly complete. Most citrus packing houses are getting ready for the new navel orange season. Some orange groves are being pushed out to make way for new plantings. Olives are being picked.
Certified producers are picking tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, and peppers for sale at those local Farmer’s Markets that are still open. Yellow squash, Zucchini, eggplant, Bell peppers, green Chili peppers, and cucumbers are being harvested and shipped domestically. Fall vegetables have been planted and are developing well. Recently planted strawberries continue to grow. Pumpkins are being prepared for harvest.
Low elevation rangeland continues to dry and conditions are fair. Feed costs for cattle remains high. The fed cattle market price is down to $105.00 per hundred weight. Harvested grain fields continue to be sheeped-off in the southern portions of the county.
Nursery shipments continue to be slow. Wholesale nurseries are shipping small amounts of stock to local and out-of-state retail outlets. New wells continue to be drilled.
Fresno, Calif., (September 22, 2017) – After a thorough analysis by independent consultants and District staff, multiple special board meetings, and grower workshops, the Westlands Water District Board of Directors voted by a margin of 7 to 1 to not participate in the California WaterFix (CWF). The District appreciates the efforts of Governor Jerry Brown and his administration to balance the interests of many. Indeed, over the last 12 months the State administration worked diligently to define a viable project, but from Westlands’ perspective, the project is not financially viable.
Westlands’ principal source of water is the Central Valley Project (CVP), a project operated by the United States Bureau of Reclamation. The CVP is integrated both operationally and financially. However, under the “participation approach” announced by Reclamation for CWF, only CVP contractors that chose to participate in CWF would pay the costs of constructing and operating new facilities, with no assurance that those contractors would receive the water supply benefits resulting from CWF.
Westlands supported the development of CWF and has invested considerable financial resources, time, and expertise into its planning, but consistently stated that it would not obligate the farmers it serves to billions of dollars in debt without reasonable assurances that the project would produce reliable, affordable water supplies. The District recognizes that solving Delta conveyance issues is critical to ensuring reliable water supplies to support the economy of the State, but it cannot support a project that would make water supplies for its farmers unaffordable.
Source: Westlands Water District, Press Release, September 20, 2017