California Ag Network

Category: Technology

  • Trends We’re Watching In 2018: Experts Weigh In On Water, GM, Science Communication And More

    Sacramento, Calif., (January 10, 2018) – As we settle into 2018, it’s natural to wonder what the New Year may bring. There have been dozens of “trend pieces” discussing what’s in store. In this wrap, we consider possible 2018 trends in water, the GM debate, science communication, and food and nutrition.

    Water: After one of the driest Decembers on record, many Californians continue to worry about water supply. I turned to UC ANR water expert Faith Kearns. Faith is a scientist and communicator at the California Institute for Water Resources, a UC ANR-based “think-tank” that integrates California’s research, extension, and education programs to develop research-based solutions to water resource challenges. Faith writes about water issues for a number of publications, including UC’s Confluence blog. She was recently quoted in a Rolling Stone article about California’s “climate emergency,” penned by meteorologist/writer Eric Holthaus.

    Faith told me this: “Water quantity and human use tend to be the dominant lenses that we use to talk about water in California, but they’re not the only thing we need to be paying attention to. For example, water quality issues loom equally as large, and are of course related. But, even beyond that, there are also many non-use oriented ways that water impacts our lives – through recreation, aesthetics, and culture, just to name a few. A trend that I hope to see in 2018 is a broadening of the conversation on water, and an expansion of the kinds of knowledge that are brought to bear on water issues.”

    Editor’s note: The quality of American drinking water continues to be a point of local and national concern; it will undoubtedly be an important topic in the 2018 midterm elections in certain congressional districts. Learn more about this vital public health and social justice issue by visiting the National Drinking Water Alliance website (NDWA). NDWA is funded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and coordinated by UC ANR’s Nutrition Policy Institute.

    The debate over genetically modified food: Entering a new era?

    UC Davis associate professor and plant pathologist Neil McRoberts – who was recently named co-leader of UC ANR’s Strategic Initiative in Sustainable Food Systems – shared his ideas about where we might be headed in terms of framing the GM discussion.
    “…The GM debate is entering a new era with the growing use of gene editing – CRSPR-Cas9 – technology. Interestingly, this time around the ethics and socio-economics debate seems to be keeping pace with the science, as witnessed by the latest issue of the Journal of Responsible Innovation, which focuses on gene drive technologies and their uses. The special issue grew out of a workshop hosted at NCSU last year. The use of CRSPR has re-opened debates about how genetic modification should be regulated and labeled.”

    Editor’s note: You can learn more about Neil’s work here. He recently wrote a guest blog post for UC Food Observer about the importance of cash crops to smallholder farmers in Uganda and Malaysia. For more about the GM debate, read the text of Mark Lynas’ speech to the Oxford Farming Conference, in which he tries to “map out the contours of a potential peace treaty” between GM proponents and the technology’s opponents. h/t Nathanael Johnson.

    Will 2018 usher in an era of more civil communication around science-based topics?

    *It depends on us.

    Across the board, our public discourse took a dive in 2017 … and that’s a shame. Here’s to a New Year … and resolving to do a better job at communicating with clarity, integrity and with less judgment. The advancement of science (and perhaps the preservation of our sanity) depend upon it.

    I loved this piece by Tamar Haspel, which recently appeared in the Washington Post and specifically addresses science communication and agriculture/food issues. Shorter: If we want to persuade people, we have to be respectful. She writes:

    “Rudeness can increase polarization and entrench disagreements even further. Nasty begets nasty; it’s regression toward the mean …”

    As both a scientist and a communicator, UC ANR’s Faith Kearns also informed my thinking on where the communications trend line ought to go for 2018, telling me that:

    “One of the bigger challenges, and opportunities, facing the science communication community is how to really push ourselves to better incorporate more perspectives from the social sciences and humanities. This is particularly true on issues like food, agriculture, and the environment where so much of what is truly challenging is related to human behavior, decision-making, and psychology. It’s not just a matter of using research on science communication to inform practice, but also of responsibly integrating different forms of knowledge into communication efforts.”

    Food and nutrition trends

    There are an overwhelming number of food trend pieces out right now. The Hartman Group is a good account to follow to stay apprised of food trends throughout the year. Their Year in Review blog post is definitely worth a read. It identifies some trends from last year that will likely carry forward, including consumer demands for transparency, “conscious” consumerism, customized health and wellness, and the ways in which snacking is disrupting food culture. Bonus: you can access some of Hartman’s industry reports via links included in the blog post.

    For a largely culinary perspective of 2018 trends, check out the BBC’s Good Food piece. Nationally-known dietitian Christy Brissette has written an interesting piece about nutrition trends (think algae, Stevia, chicory root fiber and eating for “Diabetes 3” – aka Alzheimer’s).

    And if you’re having trouble keeping that New Year’s resolution to exercise more, consider reading this piece, which reports on a study indicating that exercise alters our microbiome – which could improve our health and metabolism. Gretchen Reynolds for the New York Times.

     

  • Sonoma County Farm Bureau Launches New Website

    Santa Rosa, Calif., (December 18, 2017) – Sonoma County Farm Bureau is excited to share with you our new website launching in December.

    Website Highlights Who We Are, Membership, Advocacy, Education, Events and News with Emphasis on Local Agriculture

    Alongside our website, you’ll notice changes to other Farm Bureau materials all of which we see coming together to modernize our organization as we continue to support our members over the next 100 years.

    Our new website highlights local agriculture and the diversity we see throughout our county. It also highlights the work Farm Bureau does.

    Throughout our site you’ll find different header photos on the pages representing the crops and livestock found in Sonoma County. Our intent with these photos is to rotate them out – always be showcasing local agriculture.

    At the top our website, you’ll find an easier way to navigate through six tabs that highlight who we are and what we do.

    Under the About tab, you’ll find information about Farm Bureau and our affiliated organizations.

    Membership is core to Farm Bureau’s mission, and we have made it easy to find this information and join.

    As the voice of agriculture, Advocacy is a huge part of what we do. In this tab, you’ll find what we’ve worked on over the last year, current issues in Sonoma County and information about your elected officials and how to contact them.

    Education is core focus of Farm Bureau throughout the country, and in this tab you’ll find information about the programs we administer to educate youth, our ag community and the general public.
    In the fifth tab, you’ll find easy access to Farm Bureau Events.

    And lastly, in our News tab you’ll find Sonoma-Marin Farm News content and media information.

    Our home page highlights what we’ve been working on and who we are as an organization.

    One feature we’re particularly excited to share about this website is our new business member directory. We have built this into a searchable database and hope that this will be a go to webpage if you need to find an agricultural friendly service in the county. To be included in our directory, we encourage you to upgrade from an agricultural to a business membership.

    We hope you’ll take an opportunity to visit our new website at sonomafb.org. For questions or comments on the website, please contact SCFB at rachel@sonomafb.org or 707-544-5575.

  • Bringing Space Technology to Water Needs in California Vineyards

    Beltsville, Maryland, (December 18, 2017) – ARS scientists are saving water in California’s vineyards by using satellite data and computer models to better manage water resources.

    Bill Kustas and Martha Anderson are fine-tuning computer models at the ARS Hydrology and Remote Sensing Laboratory in Beltsville, Maryland, to help vineyard managers determine how much water to apply and when to apply it. The models tap into satellite data that measure land surface temperature providing information about soil and vine moisture levels and rates of water use or “evapotranspiration.”

    ARS hydrologist Bill Kustas measures grapevine canopy width at a California vineyard to help evaluate satellite data used in models of vine water use.

    Winemakers want grapes of uniform quality, and that can be a challenge with vineyards that have different soils and climatic conditions across thousands of acres. Even a single vineyard can have a variety of irrigation needs, according to Kustas, an ARS hydrologist.

    The ARS model uses satellite measurements of land surface temperature in a unique way by separating out the vine canopy from the soil surface temperatures. This gives the model greater precision and enables researchers to better evaluate vine stress, says Kustas.

    Known as precision agriculture, the approach is helping the E. & J. Gallo Winery cut water use by allowing the grower to identify specific vineyard areas that are under stress and need irrigation. Gallo owns and operates 25,000 acres of vineyards in California and contracts with grape producers operating another 200,000 acres. The results also will be shared with other vineyard operators, offering the potential to save water across more than a million acres of vineyards in California.

    With water supplies critical in California, the state’s nut and fruit orchard operators are also likely to benefit from these efforts, Kustas says.

    Over the next two years, the ARS researchers plan to develop a daily digital map of evapotranspiration in California’s Central Valley, which includes some of the world’s most productive agricultural lands, at a resolution that will give growers a firm grasp of conditions in specific areas within their fields.

    You can read more about this research in the December 2017 issue of AgResearch magazine.

    For more information contact Dennis O’Brien, ARS Office of Communications.

  • Cultivating Students & Garbanzo Beans at Reedley College

    Now is the time of year Central Valley growers are planting field crops like garbanzo beans.  Professor at Reedley college Tim Smith wanted to teach this first-hand to his plant science students at the community college.

    Reedley College professor Tim Smith instructs students on preparing planting equipment.

    Students filed out of the classroom and into the on-campus farm to really learn how it is done, and participate in the process.  Students learned the value of mechanized agriculture and learned how to operate planting equipment, and troubleshoot when something is wrong, like when seeds or fertilizer gets clogged up in the tubes.

    Smith teaches many of the agricultural courses at Reedley College.  He has taught over 200 students this fall, and about a third of them are progressing towards getting a PCA license and plan on working in California’s agricultural industry. “In this particular lab exercise, we really wanted to bring home the value of legumes in the industry and their relationship with rhizobium nitrogen-fixing bacteria,” Smith shared.

    This field has been planted in forage oats for the past 20 years, but will soon be covered in garbanzo bean plants.

     

    This legume crop with either be harvested with a combine later or be used as a green manure crop.  The important part is that it was a great hands-on learning experience for the Ag students at Reedley college.

  • 2018 Top-10 New Product Winners Announced


    Tulare, Calif., (December 11, 2017) –     Results are in for World Ag Expo’s Top-10 New Products Competition, sponsored by Bank of America. The winners will be showcased February 13-15, 2018, during the World Ag Expo in Tulare, California.

    An impressive field of cutting-edge, cost-saving, and resource-managing products were submitted for the contest by exhibitors of the largest annual agricultural show of its kind. The contest judges were made up of farmers, ranchers and industry professionals. The Top-10 New Products competition is once again sponsored by Bank of America, which has an industry leading agribusiness group that delivers end-to-end banking and finance solutions to ag producers and related businesses.

    The competition is conducted annually by the International Agri-Center in conjunction with World Ag Expo, which draws more than 1,400 exhibitors and an estimated annual average of 100,000 individuals from 70 countries. Exhibitors must nominate their products for judging by the October 31 deadline to be eligible. For more information on the contest and winners, including contacts, please email media@farmshow.org.

    GUSS – GUSS (Global Unmanned Spray System) – Kingsburg, CA.

    GUSS (Global Unmanned Spray System) is the world’s first fully autonomous, driverless orchard sprayer. GUSS can be used to spray almond, pistachio, walnut, citrus, and stone fruit trees. It utilizes GPS, lasers, and other vehicle sensors to guide itself through orchard rows. GUSS helps alleviate the ever-growing labor challenges faced by the agricultural industry. A single operator in a control van can monitor four to eight GUSS sprayers at a time. GUSS is inherently more efficient than manned equipment being that it doesn’t get tired, need to stop for meal breaks, or call in sick. Precision is maximized by setting exact speeds and application rates into the machine that are maintained across the entire field. A data file depicting coverage, speed, products applied, and application rate is provided to the grower upon completion of the spray job. GUSS is a revolutionary new technology that will help usher in the future of agriculture!

    Exhibit Space: Ride & Drive 5 – Website: www.gussag.com

    ANDROS – MEGABINDER LRV – Paso Robles, CA

    The ANDROS MegaBinder LRV is the fastest and most efficient Ag Film recycling system on the market.  The MegaBinder retrieves and compacts Drip-tape and Mulch film into dense, uniform rolls for easy handling.  Extremely efficient film retrieval results in less operator fatigue and lower operational costs. The MegaBinder is offered in 4 models, 3pt. tractor-powered, Pull-behind tractor powered, Pull behind w/self-contained power supply, and Goose-neck or bumper pull models w/self-contained power supply, and hydraulic multi-roll dumping platform. The MegaBinder is equipped with the “ANDROS PCG 3D” retrieval head that allows growers to add multiple lines of film or drip-tape on-the-fly. This feature allows the operator to feed new lines into the retrieval head without having to stop the retrieval process or tie ends together. The Dual Trapezoidal Discharge Spool, ensures smooth ejection of full rolls out of the MegaBinder for future transport or storage.  The MegaBinder’s ergonomic platform includes operator safety features such as, a remote hydraulic dump control valve, torque and speed controls, and an emergency stop safety fence that quickly stops the retrieval process when activated by the operator

    Exhibit Space: N46, N48, N50 – Website: www.andros-engineering.com

    Metalcraft of Ga, Inc. – Metalcraft 2614 TILT – Louisville, GA
    Come to the World Ag Expo and experience the latest innovation in scraper controls on the new Metalcraft TILT scraper! The Metalcraft TILT scraper will save you time and money by utilizing tilt sensors and GPS controls to create precision slopes without the extra expense of bulldozers and motor graders. The in-cab touch screen operators have the ability to select from three modes of operation: Manual, Auto Slope, or Auto GPS. The Metalcraft system utilizes the tractors solenoid switches to operate all scraper functions and will work with any brand of GPS controller. This system comes installed on the 2614WT and 2814WT ejector scrapers when the TILT option is purchased. These scrapers with their walking beam axles and large capacities have proven to be reliable and increase production.  Now with the new tilt feature, they are guaranteed to be the most efficient way to move the earth.

    Exhibit Space: SS15, SS17 – Website: www.metalcraftscrapers.com

    Lindsay Corporation – Pivot Control Lite – Omaha, NE

    Pivot Control Lite from FieldNET® by Lindsay is a simple, cost-effective add-on option for remote monitoring and control of almost any brand of electric center pivot. Utilizing FieldNET® by Lindsay technology, this easy-to-use, low cost solution delivers many advanced irrigation management capabilities that previously were only available with more expensive and complex solutions. It is an especially great solution for growers who are operating multiple brands of pivots or pivots on leased land, where they have no ownership of the pivot but want the benefits of remote monitoring and control. Pivot Control Lite includes an integrated cellular modem and on-board GPS, giving growers the ability to precisely control the amount of water that is applied – avoiding over-watering and decreasing unnecessary pumping costs. Pivot Control Lite comes with an optional cable theft detection package, so even when the pivot is powered off, it is actively monitoring the span cable. It also is fully compatible with FieldNET Advisor™, the industry’s first, fully integrated irrigation management solution to help growers decide when, where and how much to irrigate.

    Exhibit Space: L40 – Website: www.myfieldnet.com

    Cargill Animal Nutrition – Reveal® Analysis – Elk River, MN

    Reveal® Analysis service from Cargill is the first to offer instant, lab quality forage analysis via a convenient handheld device and smartphone app. By combining Cargill’s global forage database with SCiO, the world’s first pocket-sized connected micro-spectrometer, dairy producers now have the power of our lab in the palm of their hands. Industry experts have identified improved dry matter management as a top area of opportunity for improving feed efficiency. Dairy producers can now quickly determine the dry matter of their forage to make ration adjustments in real-time. The service empowers users to analyze an unlimited number of forage samples. Forage can be analyzed by anyone on the farm, at any time. The app saves an electronic record of each analysis that can be conveniently labeled and shared via text or email. In addition, Reveal® will be showcasing an exciting new milk analysis capability at World Ag Expo, giving dairy producers the ability to also instantly analyze raw milk for fat, protein and total solids. Visit our World Ag Expo booth 6408 in the Farm Credit Dairy Center to see a live demonstration and experience the game changing power of a lab analysis in the palm of your hand!

    Exhibit Space: Farm Credit Dairy Center 6408 – Website: www.cargill.com

    Hydrox Technologies – Solar Shrink™ Mulch Film – Sumner Park, Queensland, Australia
    Solar Shrink™ plastic mulch film, developed by Hydrox Technologies in Australia, is manufactured to have shrinking forces trapped into the plastic so that, after laying sunlight heats the plastic and causes it to shrink tightly to the growing bed, preventing the sheet from flapping in the wind. A tight sheet transmits more heat to the soil allowing for an earlier start to the season and prevents the sheet from billowing in the wind, which pumps out heat and moisture from beneath the sheet. The friction caused by a loosely laid, flapping sheet rubbing against the plant causes damage allowing disease to gain hold. In addition, Hydrox’s unique manufacturing process makes Solar Shrink™ up to 200% stronger, 35% thinner, and 25% more cost effective and environmentally friendlier compared to any other mulch film available. Being stronger and containing extra UV light protection, Solar Shrink™ can be easily picked up by machine at the end of the season, with minimal loose debris, saving time and money. A thinner film results in up to 35% more film on the roll, efficiently reducing the number of stoppages for roll changes and makes for less weight of plastic to dispose of to landfill – all of which reduce costs of labor, fuel and initial outlay and reduces the amount of plastic contamination in the environment.”

    Exhibit Space: Pavilion B 2113 – Website: www.hydroxtech.com

    Sweco Products Inc. – Sweco Orchard Master – Sutter, CA

    The Sweco Orchard Master is a brand new product from Sweco Products Inc. This implement is a 3 point mounted product that can be pulled behind a minimum 80+hp orchard tractor. The Orchard Master is designed to incorporate any weeds or harvesting debris into the soil using a newly designed ground driven incorporating roller. This ground driven incorporating roller follows a series of rippers that open the ground for it to break up the soil and incorporate the debris. Following the ground driven incorporating roller is our shaper bucket that levels the soil and leaves a nice flat surface for the rear roller drum to compact the soil. The Sweco Orchard Master leaves a final product that has been tilled, leveled and rolled. This machine is designed to eliminate the growers need to use a mower, disc, land plane and roller. With the Sweco Orchard Master you get a better final result with the need for only one machine. Current practices using all four implements that are typically pulled at around 2-4 mph takes more than four times the labor to perform, considering that the Sweco Orchard Master is designed to be pulled at a minimum of 6 mph. This allows the Grower to complete his work in as little as one quarter the time with only one machine.

    Exhibit Space: Q38 – Website: www.swecoproducts.com

    Truck Claws – TruckClaws™ /TruckClawsII™ / TruckClaws™ Quick Connect
    Harrisonburg, VA
    TruckClaws™ are a patent-pending, all-season truck traction aid to help drivers get unstuck, saving them time and the expense of tow truck services. Simple to use and easy to install, TruckClaws™ feature a traction cleat that attaches to a drive tire on the rear of a vehicle with a customized reinforced strap and heavy-duty ratchet. It takes less than 60 seconds to install each claw. The devices can free a truck stuck in mud, snow, ice and sand and may be installed over tire chains but also work great without them. You can even add multiple TruckClaws™ to each tire for even more traction! Other traction aid products are made of plastic or rubber and often only good for one or two uses. TruckClaws™ commercial is made of high grade steel to move large trucks from big rigs to commercial farm equipment and more. TruckClaws II™ is made of aircraft grade aluminum to move lighter trucks, Pickups, SUVs and RVs. TruckClaws™ high quality rugged construction makes them one of the most effective and reusable traction aids on the market allowing you to get your truck unstuck and help others in need time and time again.

    Exhibit Space: Pavilion A 1501 – Website: www.truckclaws.com

    Environmental Technologies Inc – Thymox Footbath 1p – Selah, WA

    Thymox is a highly concentrated liquid footbath effective at controlling hairy heel warts (digital dermatitis). Hairy heel warts (Digital Dermatitis, a highly contagious infection) have been plaguing the life of dairy farmers for over 30 years, and the disease is now the second most costly infectious disease found in dairies, after mastitis. Unlike mastitis, hairy heel warts do not have an easy treatment. To control the disease multiple measures must be used, among which are footbaths. The conventional footbath treatments, Copper Sulfate and Formalin, are becoming more and more difficult to tolerate: Copper Sulfate is not biodegradable, and will slowly make crop land sterile and less productive, while Formalin is biodegradable, it is also carcinogenic, and presents a major health hazard when shipped and handled. Both chemicals are becoming scrutinized at the state level. Thymox Footbath 1P is a replacement solution for dairy farmers who want to protect their health and their land. Unlike Copper Sulfate and Formalin, Thymox Footbath 1P has the advantage of not burning the skin. It instead allows the wounds to heal naturally. Natural healing helps prevents future infection on the hoof, which in turn reduces the risk of infection of other cows. The active ingredient in Thymox, thymol, is found in thyme oil. It is a highly potent antimicrobial compound, yet is safe enough to put in food. The product has also been registered in Canada as the only drug to control Hairy Heel Warts.

    Exhibit Space: DX40, DX41 – Website: www.etidairy.com

    Eno Scientific LLC – Well Watch 700 – Hillsborough, NC

    The Well Watch 700 is an intelligent water well management system for agricultural applications. The sensor monitors water levels using sound waves, providing real time level data down to 7000 ft. The controller allows for easy integration into any telemetry/SCADA system along with data logging, resource management and pump control capabilities. One of the many reasons this product is so groundbreaking is that it is all non-contact. The hardware is easy to install, external to the well and built to last. There is no risk of well contamination, no well decommissioning during installation and no equipment to risk being sucked into the pump. This product will provide the user with the knowledge to make intelligent water usage decisions. To know which fields to farm or which crops to plant you need to know you will have the water to do it. Smart irrigation is key, but the key to smart irrigation is the water supply. We have connected every farmer to that data with this sensor.

    Exhibit Space: Pavilion B 2316 – Website: www.enoscientific.com

    The 2018 Top-10 New Products Competition is sponsored by Bank of America.

  • Mechanized Agriculture Lab Renovations Made Possible By Moller Family Gift

    Fresno, Calif., (November 22, 2017) – The Jordan College of Agricultural Sciences and Technology at Fresno State showcased initial renovations to its mechanized agriculture laboratory on Tuesday, Nov. 14 that were made possible by a $250,000 gift by Dr. James Moller and his wife, Carol Moller.

    The event was attended by University President Joseph I. Castro, Jordan College Dean Sandra Witte, faculty, staff, students, alumni of the mechanized agriculture program and James Moller.

    The donation was made in memory of Moller’s father, Leonard Moller, who owned and operated the Acme Machine Shop in Fresno until 1973. The shop was originally started by Herman Moller in the 1920s, and he later co-owned it with his son, Leonard.

    James Moller, a University of Minnesota professor emeritus of pediatrics and medicine, grew up in Fresno near the original Fresno State campus. On a visit in September 2016, he saw the laboratory’s traditional but outdated welding and mechanical equipment during a tour led by mechanized agriculture faculty member Ken Heupel.

    “Educational institutions, especially state universities and colleges, have pressing financial concerns, and Ken quietly expressed the program’s obvious needs,” Moller said. “The surroundings reminded me so much of my father’s machine shop that I could visualize him there, and it really touched me. Even though I moved away 60 years ago, I wanted to express my appreciation for the educational opportunities that I was afforded as a third-generation Fresnan while helping to create better opportunities for future students, many of whom are training to be educators and key members of the Central Valley ag industry.”

    The gift has already provided for a revamped welding area this fall with new multi-processing booths, racks, gas line manifolds, work tables, a computer numerical control (CNC) plasma cutting table and a freshly-painted interior.

    Future planned improvements will include new tungsten inert gas (TIG) welders, a hydraulic shear, hydraulic brake, drill press, iron worker, band saw and chop saw equipment, engine stands and metal material storage units.

    The mechanized agriculture program in the Plant Science Department is overseen by John Williams, a 2008 Fresno State agricultural education graduate and former student of Heupel’s. Williams has served as a part-time faculty member since January 2015, and he was elevated to full-time faculty after Heupel’s retirement in August.

    Heupel had directed the program since 1997, and his 51-year vocational teaching career also included 25 years at Merced College and six years at Manteca High School.

    “Thanks to Ken’s hard work and vision, our curriculum is essential in preparing students to safely operate and maintain a wide variety of modern production agriculture equipment,” Williams said. “Students from ag education, plant science, viticulture, industrial technology, ag business and our campus farm develop skills from the hands-on labs that will be essential for the rest of their careers.”

    Fresno State is the only California State University campus that offers a mechanized agriculture emphasis for agriculture education majors. Its curriculum includes six classes in small gas and diesel engines, power equipment safety, advanced farm machinery, tractor topics, mechanized agriculture skills and basic agricultural machinery. A permanent fabrication class is also planned so students will get experience building and designing equipment and projects.

    The laboratory also provides students with applied learning experience by helping conduct Future Farmers of America high school state judging contests in farm power and machinery, small gas engines and mechanized agriculture.

    To discuss potential partnership opportunities to fund further research or academic programs, contact Alcidia Freitas Gomes at alcidia@csufresno.edu or 559.278.4266.

  • Attend the Sonoma Grape Expo on Nov. 10

    American Vineyard Magazine is pleased to invite grape growers and vineyard consultants to attend the Sonoma Grape Expo coming on November 10th.  This FREE bi-ennial Expo will feature an industry trade show, educational grower seminars, and state of wine grape industry addresses by Jeff Bitter from Allied Grape Growers and Todd Azevedo from the Ciatti Company.  The USDA-Farm Service Agency and NRCS will also be onsite to answer questions and accept applications for Wildfire Disaster A complimentary breakfast and Tri-Tip lunch will be served.  3 hours of Continuing Education Credits for Private Applicators & PCAs, and 4.5 hours for CCAs have been approved.  The Sonoma Grape Expo will be held at the Cloverdale Citrus Fairgrounds from 7:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.   Learn more about the Sonoma Grape Expo and pre-register here.

  • Tree & Vine Expo, Nov. 7th

    November has come and growers & PCAs are anticipating the annual Tree & Vine Expo on November 7th at the Stanislaus County Fairgrounds, held by American Vineyard, California Fresh Fruit, and Pacific Nut Producer Magazines.  The Expo will feature educational grower seminars, and state of the grape, nut, and tree fruit industry addresses by Jennifer Williams from the California Walnut Board, Kelly Covello from the Almond Alliance of California, Amy Uber for the California Department of Food & Agriculture, and Erica Moyer from Turrentine Brokerage.  A complimentary breakfast and lunch will be provided.  The expo provides a great environment for the industry to get together, celebrate the harvest, enjoy some good food, gain continuing education credits and network at an industry trade show with over 130 vendors. DPR has approved 4 hours of PCA credits for the expo, including 1 hr of Laws & Regs. Five hours of CCA credits have also been approved (1.5 hr Soil & Water Management, 1.5 hr IPM, 1.5 hr Crop Management, 1 hr Professional Development).  Registration is FREE and will begin at 7:00 a.m., and the meeting will conclude at 2 p.m.  Learn more about the Tree & Vine Expo and pre-register here.

  • Ag Students Learn to Bottle Wine

    Ag Students at Reedley College Learn how to bottle wine for the first time.

    The Plant and Soil Science program at Reedley College offers a wide variety of courses that lead to an Associates of Science Degree or Certification. Students enrolled in a plant and soil science course have the opportunity to engage in numerous industry experiences, including: wine making, field trips to local packing facilities and hearing from Ag industry speakers throughout the school year. The Plant & Soil Science program also provides job opportunities during the school year and the summer. Students in the Program run and operate equipment on the campus farm.

    Photo by Matthew Malcolm, American Vineyard Magazine

  • Almond Yield Monitoring Field Day, Oct. 13

    Join AGERpoint for an almond yield monitoring field day on Friday, October 13, 2017.  Growers are invited to view a live demonstration of how the combination of yield monitoring, mapping, geospatial technology can enable more accurate management decisions.  The event is free and will begin at 10 a.m. just off of Lerdo Hyw, 1 mile east of I-5 Buttonwillow, California.  For more information, email sales@agerpoint.com.