California Ag Network

Category: News

  • Denner Ranch: 125 Years of Farming In Santa Rosa

    Santa Rosa, Calif., (February 10, 2017) – Denner Ranches, established in 1890, is operated by Kathy Reese and her husband Steve, Russ Denner and his wife Joanne and their son Brian Denner.

    The property was purchased by Reese and Denner’s great grandfather who emigrated from Devonshire England, originally settling in Illinois before coming west and deciding Santa Rosa was the place he wanted to live.

    The ranch was purchased in two parts, with the second half acquired in 1935. When the original piece of property was purchased in the 1890’s, it was growing winegrapes, but the vines were removed and the ranch transitioned through many other crops. Over the years, the ranch has raised horses for the U.S. Calvary, hogs, potatoes, hops, beef and dairy cattle, corn silage and hay.

    The family is currently growing 42 acres of Russian River Chardonnay. Additionally, the property has 258 acres of organic pasture most of which is leased to a local cattle company, but the family also runs their own small herd of cattle on the property. The remaining 180 acres are leased to a farmer growing vegetables which include squash, peppers, tomatoes and other seasonal items.

    While Kathy is passionate about the cattle and said she couldn’t see herself without them, Russ describes himself as the instigator of the vineyard. The 42 acres of winegrapes brings the property full circle, back to what it was originally planted with when the family purchased the land more than 125 years ago.

    Russ and his wife Joanne married in 1972 and moved back to the property in 1977 where they live in the original house built in the early 1900’s, which, as a remodeling contractor, he has restored.  Kathy and Steve married in 1970 and moved back to the property in 1982, building a new house.

    Russ’s son Brian, 29, joined the family business in 2013. He grew up on the ranch attending El Molino High School and Santa Rosa Junior College before working in security and construction. He was partway through the hiring process with the Richmond police department before deciding to come back and spend a year working on the family farm. He fell in love with the farm and has continued to work in the vineyard and is involved with day to day operations.

    Brian’s son, Silas, is six and will be the sixth generation of the Denner family to grow up on the property.

    Between 1984 and 1985, Russ and Steve were working on the farm, but the property wasn’t able to sustain both families. Russ and Steve went back to their day jobs. The parents were still operating the property and weren’t quite ready to let go.

    “It all worked out,” said Kathy, “timing is everything. Our fathers worked hard to build this ranch.”

    In 1994, Kathy and Russ returned to the property to take over the day to day operations. The family transitioned 46 acres of the property to vineyard in 1996. Russ said the family would have expanded more but were restricted due to the tiger salamander and the regulations surrounding it.

    “For farming to be sustainable you have to be able to change crops,” said Russ which has been vibrantly demonstrated by the family over the last 100 years. “The tiger salamander has made it so you can’t till the ground. We’re stuck with pastures we can only run cattle on.”

    The family has been working with NRCS on various projects and has had their pastures certified organic. They have also worked with the City of Santa Rosa to use reclaimed wastewater since 1976.

    The ranch has been used as a filming location for movies as wells as local sheriff’s department trainings. The Reeses are actively involved in Sonoma County Farm Bureau, where Kathy Reese sits on the board of directors, and are committed to ensuring future generations have the ability to farm in Sonoma County.

    “The scary part,” said Russ, “is not knowing how we’re going to keep going and change crops.”

    Kathy said, “How do you plan for succession when you don’t know how you’re going to survive?”

     

     

  • Train-the-Trainer tractor workshops

    Fresno, Calif., (February 10, 2017) – Western Agricultural Processors Association (WAPA) will be hosting tractor “Train-the-Trainer” workshops throughout the next two months.

    Dates and locations include:

    • February 22, in English, from 9 a.m. to noon and in Spanish, from 1 to 4 p.m., at the Semi Tropic Coop & Almond Huller, 25382 Highway 46, Wasco.
    • February 23, in English from 9 a.m. to noon and in Spanish, from 1 to 4 p.m., at Mid Valley Cotton Growers, Inc., 626 W. Cartmill, Tulare;
    • March 8, in English from 9 a.m. to noon and in Spanish, from 1 to 4 p.m., at the CPDES Hall, 172 W. Jefferson Ave., Easton;
    • March 9, in English from 9 a.m. to noon. and in Spanish, from 1 to 4 p.m., at Peters Fruit Farms, Inc., 41018 Road 56, Reedley;
    • March 15, in English from 9 a.m. to noon, at Travaille and Phippen, Inc., 12700 E. Graves Road, Manteca;
    • March 16, in English from 9 a.m. to noon, at Howard Dryer Co., 2169 Franklin Rd., Yuba City.

    Participants will be provided with the information needed for understanding the rules and regulations on tractor operation and conducting trainings. Sessions will cover Cal/OSHA regulations, safety aspects and proper operation and maintenance.

    Cost to attend is $50 per person. For more information, click here.

  • Drought, Flood and Wildfire Experts List

    Davis, Calif., (February 9, 2017) – Experts from the University of California, Davis, are available to media to discuss the drought and water-supply issues affecting California.

    Water Management And Planning – Water supplies, delivery systems and conservation

    Jay Lund, a professor of civil and environmental engineering and director of the Center for Watershed Sciences at UC Davis, can discuss the short-term and prolonged impacts of drought on California’s water supply. He has particular expertise in water management and policy, urban water conservation, and the relationship between Northern California’s water supply and water deliveries statewide. He wrote CALVIN (California Value Integrated Network), a computer model that analyzes statewide water supplies and delivery, and projects impacts of climate, storage and other changes. He co-authored reports in 2014 and 2015 on the drought’s economic impact to California agriculture. Contact: Jay Lund, Civil and Environmental Engineering, (530) 752-5671, jrlund@ucdavis.edu.

    Planning and managing water resources – Samuel Sandoval, an assistant professor and UC Cooperative Extension specialist, is an expert in water resources planning and management. He works with scientists, engineers, environmentalists, system operators and decision-makers to integrate ideas into policies and quantify the benefits and drawbacks. He has helped develop educational materials (California Water Virtual Tour and the Water and Drought Online Seminar Series) to cope with negative effects due to drought and water scarcity. Speaks Spanish and English. Contact: Samuel Sandoval, samsandoval@ucdavis.edu.

    Josué Medellín-Azuara is a senior researcher at the UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences. His areas of expertise include hydro-economic modeling, regionwide economic impact analysis, water recycling and remote sensing for estimating agricultural consumptive use. He has been a co-developer and an applied researcher of the CALVIN and SWAP models for water management in agricultural and urban uses in California. He is a co-author of the 2014 California Drought Impact Report and similar reports in 2015. He serves as the convener of the California Water and Environmental Modeling Forum. Bilingual in Spanish and English. Contact: Josué Medellín-Azuara, jmedellin@ucdavis.edu.

    Flood Risk and Management – Nicholas Pinter, a geology professor, is a nationally recognized expert in flooding, flood risk and management. Pinter studies the geology of the earth’s surface, applied to a range of problems. His research is focused on rivers, floodplains, flood hydrology and watersheds, which he’s applied to help provide a scientific basis for sound natural-hazards public policy at national and local levels. He holds the Roy J. Shlemon Chair in Applied Geosciences. Contact: Nicholas Pinter, Department of Earth and Physical Sciences, (530) 754-1041, npinter@ucdavis.edu.

    Drought And Wildfires – Wildfire, climate and plant communities: Mark Schwartz, a plant ecology professor in the Department of Environmental Science and Policy, can discuss the impact of climate change on wildfires, as well as where and when plant communities are predicted to exhibit stress as a consequence of unusual climatic conditions, including wildfire. His work to help better predict fire behavior and forest vulnerabilities informs decisions about fire management, including prescribed fire, fuels reduction, and management responses to wildfire events. Contact: Mark Schwartz, (530) 752-0671, mwschwartz@ucdavis.edu.

    AGRICULTURAL IMPACTS – Economic impact on agriculture and consumers: Daniel Sumner is the Frank H. Buck Professor of Agricultural and Resource Economics and the director of the UC Agricultural Issues Center. He can discuss the impact of drought on the economy, commodity and food markets, food availability, and consumer food prices. He can explain how farmers are likely to adjust the crops they grow, as well as how food prices will be affected in California and around the nation. Contact: Daniel Sumner, Agricultural and Resource Economics, dasumner@ucdavis.edu.

    Drought impacts for ranchers – Ken Tate is a professor and UC Cooperative Extension rangeland watershed specialist, as well as the Russell L. Rustici Endowed Chair in Rangeland Watershed Sciences. He works closely with ranchers to help them cope with the drought, which has severely impacted California’s 41 million acres of rangeland. This rangeland is vitally important as a source of livestock forage, wildlife habitat, plant diversity and clean water. Read about this work. Contact: Ken Tate, Rangeland Watershed Laboratory, (530) 754-8988, kwtate@ucdavis.edu.

    Leslie Roche is the Rangeland Management Specialist in UC Cooperative Extension in the Department of Plant Sciences. She works with ranchers and rangeland managers to integrate management expertise and applied research to develop drought adaptation and recovery strategies. California ranching is largely dependent on rain-fed systems—as opposed to groundwater or stored water—and therefore is among the first in agriculture impacted by drought. Severe drought conditions can trigger undesirable ecological shifts, which impact forage and livestock production and directly threaten livelihoods of ranching families and communities, as well as the ecosystem services these expansive lands provide. Contact: Leslie Roche, (530) 754-8766, lmroche@ucdavis.edu.

    Groundwater quality and recharge – Graham Fogg, professor of hydrogeology in the Department of Land, Air and Water Resources, is an expert on groundwater quality and sustainability, groundwater modeling, the response of water systems to climate change, and the transport of groundwater contaminants. Published research he co-authored in 2015 examined how moving levees and flood control can increase groundwater supply. Contact: Graham Fogg, (530) 752-6810, gefogg@ucdavis.edu.

    Groundwater contamination and resources – Thomas Harter is an expert on groundwater occurrence, groundwater flow, recharge dynamics, the role of rivers, precipitation and irrigation in maintaining our aquifers, and on how human activities and agriculture affect groundwater quality. He holds the Robert M. Hagan Endowed Chair in Water Management and Policy, and is a professor in the Department of Land, Air and Water Resources and a UC Cooperative Extension groundwater hydrologist. He works with the agricultural industry and government agencies to manage groundwater resources. Learn more. Contact: Thomas Harter, Land, Air and Water Resources, (530) 400-1784, thharter@ucdavis.edu.

    The drought is influencing economy, commodity and food markets, food availability and consumer food prices, among other issues.

    Surface water resources, snowpack and groundwater recharge – Helen Dahlke, assistant professor in integrated hydrologic science at the Department of Land, Air and Water Resources, can discuss the impact of climate change on the snowpack, surface water quantity and quality, and long-term trends in water resources availability and sustainability. Her work includes research on the feasibility of using the agricultural landscape for large-scale winter groundwater recharge. Contact: Helen Dahlke, (530) 302-5358, hdahlke@ucdavis.edu.

    Fish And Wildlife Impacts – Watershed management and fish: Peter Moyle is a professor of fish biology in the Department of Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology and associate director of the Center for Watershed Sciences. He is an authority on freshwater and estuarine fishes of California, including the delta smelt. He has monitored native fish populations through droughts for more than four decades and has documented the declining status of native fishes, as well as the invasions of alien species. In a 2013 study, he and fellow scientists determined that climate change and human-caused degradation to aquatic habitats threaten extinction of over 80 percent of California’s native fish. In 2014, he led a crew that sampled drought-stricken streams, looking for native fishes, throughout Northern California. Contact: Peter Moyle, Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology, (530) 752-6355, pbmoyle@ucdavis.edu.

    Water Law And Policy – Richard Frank, professor of environmental practice at the School of Law, can comment on legal and policy issues arising out of California’s drought. His areas of expertise include California water rights law, drought-related issues currently confronting California and the American West, legislation, and water governance issues in California. He teaches water law at King Hall, has written on these issues and testified before Congressional and California state legislative committees on these topics. Contact: Richard Frank at (530) 752-7422, rmfrank@ucdavis.edu.

    Home And Garden Issues – Drought-tolerant landscapes and sustainable gardening practices – Ellen Zagory, director of public horticulture for the UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden, is an expert on plant propagation and sustainable planting design. She helped develop the UC Davis Arboretum All-Stars — 100 plants with properties tested by horticultural staff possessing many qualities that make them outstanding choices for any landscape, including their heat and drought tolerance. Zagory’s current projects include helping to convert a variety of campus settings from little-used, high-maintenance, high-water landscapes to heat-tolerant, low-water, low-maintenance landscapes. She travels the state to instruct UC Cooperative Extension master gardeners and regional garden clubs about steps they can take toward more sustainable gardening practices. Contact: Ellen Zagory, UC Davis Arboretum, arboretum@ucdavis.edu.

    Converting lawns to natural meadows – Andrew Fulks, assistant director of the UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden, manages the campus’s natural landscape areas for teaching, research and public use. He is an expert on converting landscapes from high maintenance and high water-use to regionally appropriate landscapes with multiple aesthetic and wildlife benefits. His knowledge of the measures the campus has used to decrease its outdoor water use and improve stormwater quality can be applied at both institutional and homeowner scales. His current projects include managing the 700-acre streamside and grassland ecosystem at the UC Davis Putah Creek Riparian Reserve and the re-establishment of a native California grassland at UC Davis Russell Ranch. He can speak to the steps involved in converting lawns to attractive, natural, drought-tolerant meadows using wildflowers and native grasses. Contact: Andrew Fulks, UC Davis Arboretum, (530) 219-7618, amfulks@ucdavis.edu.

    Landscaping with drought-tolerant California natives: Taylor Lewis, horticulturist and nursery manager for the UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden Teaching Nursery, has studied the best methods for planting and growing California natives, and has worked to make them publicly available. With his calendar of when California natives bloom in hand, he teaches seminars statewide to dispel the myth that California native landscapes are not aesthetically pleasing. Lifetime Master Gardener and local radio talk show host of the “KFBK Garden Show” Farmer Fred Hoffman refers to Lewis as “…one of the biggest influences on the use of California natives in the state.” Lewis is an expert on how homeowners can make their landscapes drought-tolerant by incorporating California natives. He is currently working on propagating California native plants for use throughout campus and for sale to the public. Contact: Taylor Lewis, tclewis@ucdavis.edu.

    Water And Energy –Water rates and water-energy efficiency – Frank Loge is director of the Center for Water-Energy Efficiency and a professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. Loge can discuss the link between water, energy, and greenhouse gas emissions; energy used in water production, treatment, use and disposal; the development of novel efficiency technologies; the role of information technology in water-energy efficiency; and water rates, inclusive of the types of rates, compliance with state law, and socioeconomic equity. Contact: Frank Loge, Center for Water-Energy Efficiency, (530) 754-2297, fjloge@ucdavis.edu.

    Water-energy nexus – Edward “Ned” Spang, assistant professor of Food Science and Technology, is an expert on the water-energy nexus, the inextricable link between water and energy. He can discuss energy used to produce fresh water and water consumed in energy production at a local, national or global scale. He can also discuss water and energy policy. Contact: Edward Spang, Food Science and Technology, (530) 754-5447, esspang@ucdavis.edu.

     

     

  • California Exports Finished 2016 On A High Note But Dropped Slightly From Previous Year – The California Trade Report

    Sacramento, Calif., (February 9, 2017) – California’s merchandise export trade concluded 2016 with an exceptionally strong showing in December, posting a nominal 9.3 percent gain over the same month in 2015.

    According to a Beacon Economics analysis of U.S. trade statistics released by the U.S. Census Bureau, foreign shipments by California businesses totaled $14.04 billion for the month, a robust increase over the $12.85 billion recorded in December 2015. For the year, the state’s exports totaled $163.62 billion compared to $165.37 billion recorded one year earlier.

    “After a sluggish start to the year, export numbers picked up in the spring and, despite a strong dollar, finished the year briskly,” said Jock O’Connell, Beacon Economics’ International Trade Advisor.

    The state’s exports of manufactured goods in December increased by 8.6 percent to $9.05 billion from $8.33 billion one year earlier. Exports of non-manufactured goods (chiefly agricultural products and raw materials) jumped 14.1 percent, to $1.70 billion from $1.49 billion. Re-exports, meanwhile, rose 9.3 percent to $3.29 billion from $3.01 billion.

    For the year as a whole, the state’s manufactured export trade amounted to $103.41 billion, 2.9 percent shy of the previous year’s $106.50 billion. Non-manufactured shipments totaled $19.79 billion, off one percent from $19.99 billion one year prior. Re-exports hit $40.42 billion exceeding last year’s total of $38.88 billion by a four percent margin.

    “If you consider that the value of the dollar was at its highest in over a dozen years in 2016, it shouldn’t be surprising that California’s exports last year fell short of 2015,” said Robert Kleinhenz, Economist and Executive Director at Beacon Economics.

    Note – The latest comprehensive Ag export data for California (for 2015) are available here.

    Link to full California Trade Report 

     

     

  • Homegrown Experts Help Restore Arboretum Waterway

    Davis, Calif., (February 9, 2017) – UC Davis has a secret weapon in its mission to clean and beautify the Arboretum Waterway: homegrown expertise.

    An expanding group of undergraduate students — led by Randy Dahlgren, a professor and world leader in water-quality biogeochemistry — will sample the water and provide important analysis throughout the university’s multiyear effort to enhance the Arboretum Waterway. The students are part of a new group internship that Dahlgren designed to provide undergraduates hands-on experience in water-quality and aquatic ecosystem restoration.

    “It’s good for everyone,” Dahlgren said. “The students are playing a critical role in solving real-world problems, which gives restoration efforts a better chance to succeed, which benefits all of us who enjoy the centerpiece of the arboretum.”

    Visitors love walking the 3.5-mile loop around the Arboretum Waterway — except when the water is covered with unsightly duckweed and algae, which are a natural byproduct of what is essentially a stagnant pond.

    The waterway sits in the channel that used to be the North Fork of Putah Creek, but long ago the creek was diverted due to frequent flooding. Now, the Arboretum Waterway is dammed at both ends and serves as a holding pond for storm runoff and a receptacle for clean, recycled wastewater.

    Starting later this month, UC Davis will launch a four-year project to reduce algae growth and sedimentation by increasing water flow, deepening and narrowing the channel, and planting more native wetland vegetation on the banks.

    “We’re introducing small elevation gains via weirs — barriers across the waterway that alter its current—as well as a pump to recirculate the water,” said Andrew Fulks, assistant director of the UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden. “Picture a series of large, natural steps with water cascading down. Once the water reaches the bottom step, a pump will take the water back to its starting point.”

    How water-quality monitoring helps

    Water quality is not a toggle switch, not something you switch on and off. It takes a process to improve water quality and restore aquatic ecosystems.

    “It’s like cholesterol in our blood,” Dahlgren explained. “When your cholesterol is too high, you take progressive steps to lower it. Maybe first you increase exercise, then change your diet, then turn to statin drugs if the other two steps aren’t effective.”

    But you don’t know whether interventions are working if you don’t monitor the blood or, in this case, the water. Throughout the restoration project, Dahlgren and his students will measure water-quality indicators such as levels of nitrogen, phosphorous, dissolved oxygen, and algae.

    The group internship got underway last fall with 10 undergraduates majoring in environmental science and management. Dahlgren will offer similar group internships with more students over the next few years.

    “It was a lot of fun,” said Samuel Moose, a third-year student and member of the inaugural group. “I really enjoyed the fieldwork and the opportunity to solve problems.”

    “And we got to see the big picture,” added Anna Britzman, who plans to pursue a career in wildlife conservation. “We worked with so many experts, and it helped me see how important water quality is to restoring wildlife habitat.”

    Right in his own backyard – The research also has strong international relevance because aquatic ecosystems worldwide suffer from excess nutrients in the water. For the past 10 years, Dahlgren has studied nutrient-rich aquatic dead zones in China that are strikingly similar to the Arboretum Waterway. The big difference for Dahlgren is that he can collect water samples in the arboretum on his bike in 30 minutes.

    Fulks is grateful for the proximity, too. “Randy and the interns are helping us monitor the effect of our efforts, which is so important to the project’s overall success,” Fulks said. “By partnering with our experts and students here on campus, we are creating a living laboratory as well as a treasured resource for our community.”

     

     

     

  • Are Your Birds Safe From Avian Influenza?

    Sacramento, Calif., (February 8, 2017) – Outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza in January 2017 killed birds at commercial poultry farms and backyard flocks in the UK, China and South Korea. Thousands more ducks, chickens and other birds were culled to contain the disease. The outbreaks are spurring University of California scientists to develop more safeguards to protect U.S. poultry from avian influenza.

    To prevent outbreaks of this highly contagious virus in the United States, commercial and backyard poultry owners are being asked to fill out an online biosecurity survey. UC Agriculture and Natural Resources and UC Davis researchers are studying poultry-raising practices to help strengthen the industry’s defenses against avian influenza.

    “With changing migration patterns of wild birds and global movements of poultry, there is an urgent need to develop plans to protect U.S. poultry against highly pathogenic avian influenza,” said Beatriz Martínez López, director of the Center for Animal Disease Modeling and Surveillance in the School of Veterinary Medicine at UC Davis.

    People who raise chickens, quail, ducks, turkeys, geese or other birds anywhere in the United States are invited to fill out the survey.

    “We want to hear from all poultry producers: from the large commercial farms producing chicken eggs to the poultry enthusiasts who raise a few ornamental show birds in their backyards,” said Martínez López, who is part of the University of California’s Agricultural Experiment Station.

    The survey asks which bird species are being raised and a few flock management questions. Is the flock is housed or kept outdoors? How often do you get new birds? What is the source of new birds? It also asks questions about location, such as the distance of the birds from ponds and other bodies of water that may attract migrating waterfowl.

    Immediately after completing the online survey, participants receive a biosecurity score and recommendations to help them make more informed decisions.

    “Each producer will receive their own biosecurity score and customized recommendations,” Martínez López said. “Recommendations highly depend on the production system and we tried to adapt them to make the changes easier to implement for individual flocks.”

    The survey data will be confidential and only summaries will be made publicly available in research reports and peer-reviewed publications.

    By analyzing biosecurity and management practices on poultry operations and backyard flocks, Martínez López and visiting professor Sharmin Chowdhury will be able to identify high-risk locations and time periods for avian flu outbreaks. The information will be used to develop biosecurity education programs for poultry farmers, backyard producers and poultry veterinarians.

    The survey takes about 15-20 minutes to complete. To participate, visit http://bit.ly/2kkMycf by March 1.

    This study is funded by Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Competitive Grant no. 2015–09118 from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

     

  • California’s Commitment To Reducing Food Waste

    Sacramento, Calif., (February 8, 2017) – This month the Planting Seeds blog is featuring stories on food security, nutrition, and efforts to reduce food waste. CDFA’s Office of Farm to Fork is committed to helping all Californians access healthy and nutritious California-grown food by connecting consumers, school districts, and others directly with California’s farmers and ranchers. This story is about CalRecycle’s program to enlist Californians in limiting food waste.

    Californians throw away nearly 6 million tons of food scraps or food waste each year. This represents about 18 percent of all the material that goes to landfills. In order for California to reach its goal of 75% source reduction, recycling and composting, food waste must be addressed.

    California’s Mandatory Commercial Organics Recycling law requires businesses to recycle their organic waste. The links below provide more information on food waste management as well as examples of how various business groups and public entities are managing food waste.

    Everyone has a role in saving resources and wasting less food. Creative food rescue projects like the UglyFruitAndVeg Campaign work to save healthy fruits and vegetables from becoming waste. Rather than throwing away excess food, find ways to manage it more thoughtfully, such as working with groups to ensure that it goes to disadvantaged people, and composting for soil restoration. To further educate the public about food waste, the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Ad Council have initiated a food waste reduction campaign known as Savethefood.com. Their web site offers a complete media kit with posters, videos, social media postings, and more.

    CalRecycle conducted two workshops in support of a proposed Food Waste Prevention and Rescue grant program; follow the progress of that program.

    CalRecycle has been working to reduce food waste since at least 2002, when its predecessor agency conducted a Food Diversion Summit.

    Hotels/Restaurants

    Information for restaurants on managing food scraps.

     

    Households

    Information for households on managing food scraps.

     

    Schools

    Information for colleges/universities and K-12 on managing food scraps.

     

    US EPA’s Food Recovery Hierarchy

    Ranks food donations to feed hungry people as a top priority to help reduce wasted food.

     

    Stadiums/Special Events

    Information for stadiums, fairs, festivals, and catered events on managing food scraps.

     

    Health Care Industry

    Information for the health care industry on managing food scraps.

     

    Grocery Stores

    Information for grocery stores on donating edible food to disadvantaged communities.

     

  • Fresno County Department of Agriculture Crop Report

    Fresno, Calif., (February 8, 2017) – Heavy rains continued in January promoting vigorous growth in barley, triticale, wheat and winter forage. Fields have been fertilized, and herbicides applied. Dry-land barley have been planted and showing good growth.

    The rains have put much of the fieldwork on hold, waiting for drier conditions. Between storms, growers reshaped beds, and added soil amendments for the next round of field crops. Sheep continue to graze in some alfalfa fields when other fields received areal herbicide treatments to control weeds in wet fields. First cuttings of alfalfa are rapidly approaching in Sanger district.

    Working around storms, growers continued to prune, disc, and apply herbicides to orchards. Around the County dormant sprays were being applied between storm systems. In the Sanger and Selma Districts, early varieties of nectarines and peaches started to bloom. Almond buds are swelling in Sanger and Huron, loads of beehives were moved in. Work continues in the vineyards with pruning, tying, and herbicide applications. Around the County orchards and vineyards continue to be taken out, replaced with almonds and pistachios. Almonds, Asian pears, dry apricots, dry cranberry, dry figs, dry prunes, pecans, raisins, and walnuts were exported to; Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Egypt, El Salvador, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Guyana, Hong Kong, Iceland, India, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Republic of Korea, Kuwait, Lebanon, Macedonia, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Pakistan, Panama, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Spain, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Trinidad & Tobago, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, and Viet Nam. Kiwi were exported to Guatemala, Japan, and Taiwan. Peruvian and Chilean grapes were re-exported to Canada

    Preparation for spring planting has started in a few fields with weeding, discing, irrigation repair, and formation of rows taking place. Field fumigations for eggplant, strawberries, and tomatoes had started in some districts but most were on hold due to ground saturation from recent rains. Garlic and onion planting have all emerged and show good growth. Broccoli is growing steadily in Firebaugh, while asparagus fields were topped and shredded for spring harvest. Harvesting of carrots and daikon continued. Broccoli, cilantro, kale, mustard, and leaf lettuce was planted for seed production. Onion and lettuce seed were exported to Germany, Japan, and republic of Korea. Blueberries started showing signs of swelling buds in Selma district, when other areas remain dormant.

    January had a few nights with below freezing temperatures but so far, no significant freeze damage has been reported in the districts. Rain also delayed citrus harvest in many districts but exports are steady. Around the storms, fungicide applications took place in many citrus orchards. Grapefruit, lemons, mandarins, Navel oranges, pummelos, tangelos, and tangerines were exported to; Chile, China, Ecuador, Fiji, Guatemala, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Peru, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and Tonga. Olive groves underwent discing, and herbicide applications to control weeds.

    The rain has had a huge impact on the rangeland, creating favorable conditions for grazing livestock. Sheep continue to graze on dormant alfalfa and fallow fields. In Huron district, cattle are being shipped out for processing. With the almonds and stone fruit starting to bud, beehives were brought in from out of state to be placed in orchards for pollination.

  • Oregon Hazelnut Harvest Review & 2017 Resolutions

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    2016 Oregon hazelnut harvest started off promising and successful, but back to back rainstorms turned harvest into a nightmare for many growers with crop still in the field. Watch this video interview with Matt Schuster and Austin Chapin for more details on the harvest and what growers can do looking ahead for a better 2017. Read more in your monthly issue of Pacific Nut Producer Magazine.

  • Winter Pruning at Zenith Vineyards in Oregon

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    In the hills of Salem, Oregon, Tim Ramey and his employees are pruning the vineyard and getting ready for the 2017 crop. Preparing for frost protection is also a priority at Zenith Vineyard. Watch his brief interview, and read more in your monthly issue of American Vineyard Magazine.