California Ag Network

Category: Row Crops

  • Tulare County Reports on Current Crop Status

    Visalia, Calif., (July 28, 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 are making excellent progress; and being irrigated, cut, and baled. Corn and sorghum for silage is still being cultivated and irrigated. The corn silage crop is in various stages of development, from already producing tassels to developing ears. Cotton continues to be irrigated, cultivated, and growing well. Cotton is blooming and forming bolls. Black-eyed beans continue to be irrigated and cultivated.

    Mid-season peaches, nectarines, and plums continue to be picked and shipped to both domestic and export markets. Domestic demand is strong enough to cause the number of export shipments to continue to be significantly less than that of previous years. Stone fruit is being exported to Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, and Taiwan. Summer pruning and topping of harvest stone fruit groves is occurring. Last season’s almonds and pistachios are being exported to the Belgium, Hong Kong, India, Israel, Japan, Korea, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. Walnut, almond, and pistachio orchards continue being irrigated. Both mechanical and chemical weed control continues in orchards. Asian pears are being exported to Mexico. Table grape harvest continues throughout the county, and grapes are being exported to Australia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, New Zealand, Panama, and Vietnam. As with all permanent crops grapevines are being irrigated.

    Valencia orange harvest continues primarily for the domestic market. Regreening continues to become more common due to the higher temperatures. Valencia oranges are being exported to Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, and Thailand. Harvest is nearing an end due to the high temperatures and overall fruit availability. Olives continue to develop.

    Certified producers are picking tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, and peppers for sale at the local Farmer’s Markets. Yellow squash, Zucchini, eggplant, Bell peppers, green Chili peppers, and cucumbers are being harvested and shipped domestically. Sweet corn harvest is continuing and available at roadside stands and the local Farmer’s Markets. Melons are being irrigated and prepared for the upcoming harvest.

    Low elevation rangeland continues to dry and conditions are fair to good, but quality is continuing to decrease. Cattle are still being moved to higher elevations. The higher elevations are providing more grass than previous years. Feed costs for cattle remains high. Harvested grain fields are being sheeped-off in the southern portions of the county.

    Nursery shipments are slowing overall. Wholesale nursery shipments to Canada and domestic markets have decreased due to the hot summer temperatures. Small amounts of citrus nursery stock continue to be sold. New wells continue to be drilled, with many existing wells showing higher levels due to increases in the water table.

  • USDA California Crop/Weather Report

    Sacramento, Calif., (July 25, 2017) – Another hot and mostly dry week across the State as a typical summertime weather pattern set up with mid-level ridging over the Great Basin brought dry air into most of the State.  The summer monsoon began to ramp up last week, bringing some much-needed rainfall to parts of the southern and interior deserts. Scattered showers fell on parts of the desert on Tuesday and Wednesday, with most places receiving less than a quarter of an inch. A few isolated sprinkles fell in the central and southern Sierras on Sunday, along with more widespread showers in the southern deserts that dropped an additional quarter inch of rain in most places.

    Hot temperatures continued to melt the snow in the mountains. Mt. Whitney was devoid of snow, while snow still blanketed parts of the Shasta Peak. A few isolated patchy snow fields still existed at elevations over 11,500 feet in the region of the Stanislaus National Forest.

    Temperature highs were in the 60s to 80s along the coast, 70s to 90s in the mountains, 90s to 100s in the valley, and 90s to 110s in the desert. Temperature lows were in the 30s to 50s in the mountains, 50s to 60s along the coast, 60s to 70s in the valley, and 60s to 90s in the desert.

    Barley harvest was completed. Alfalfa fields were being irrigated, cut, and baled. Corn and sorghum for silage were still being cultivated and irrigated. The corn silage crop was in various stages of development, from already tasseling to developing ears. Wheat harvest for grain was completed. Cotton continued to be irrigated, cultivated, and was growing well. Cotton was forming squares and blooming. Black-eyed beans continued to be irrigated and cultivated.

    Mid-season peaches, nectarines, and plums continued to be picked and shipped to both domestic and foreign markets. Stone fruit continued to be exported.  Summer pruning and topping of harvested stone fruit groves were occurring.  Valencia orange harvest continued primarily for the domestic market. Regreening was becoming more common due to the higher temperatures.  Olives continued to develop. Table grape were harvested.  Wine grapes were maturing well and irrigation continued.

    Walnut, almond, and pistachio orchards continued to be irrigated.  Both mechanical and chemical weed control continued in orchards.  New almond orchards were planted. Pistachios were fertilized.  Walnuts were sizing well.

    In Colusa County, the processing tomato harvest continued.  In San Joaquin County, harvest was ongoing for cantaloupes, honeydew melons, watermelons, and fresh vegetable crops.  The second planting of cantaloupe was underway for late summer and fall harvest.   In Fresno County, harvest continued for tomatoes with lower yields than expected. Onions and garlic were harvested.  Onion seed was dried.  In Tulare County, tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, and peppers were picked by certified producers and sold at the local Farmers’ Markets.  Yellow squash, zucchini, eggplant, Bell peppers, green chili peppers, and cucumbers were harvested and shipped domestically.  Sweet corn harvest continued and was sold at roadside stands and local Farmers’ Markets.  Melons were irrigated and prepared for the upcoming harvest.

    Low elevation rangeland continued as dry with conditions as fair to good, but quality continued to decrease.  Cattle were moved to higher elevations; where higher elevations were providing more grass than in previous years.  Feed cost for cattle remained high.  Nursery shipments were slowing overall.  Wholesale nursery shipments to Canada and domestic markets decreased due to the hot summer temperatures.  Small amounts of citrus nursery stock continued to be sold.

  • USDA California Crop/Weather Report

    Sacramento, Calif., (July 6, 2017) – A ridge of high pressure sat over the western United States, which resulted in another hot and dry week across the State. The only rain for the week was along the northern coast, where Eureka reported four hundredths of an inch for the week. A broken band of snow approximately 40 miles wide between Lake Tahoe and Sequoia National Forest still existed above 9,000 feet. Snow depths in this band were two to four feet at most. The peaks of Mt. Whitney, Mt. Lassen, and Mt. Shasta remained snow-capped.

    Temperature highs were in the 50s to 80s along the coast, 70s to 90s in the mountains, 80s to 100s in the valley, and 90s to 110s in the desert. The temperature lows were in the 30s to 50s in the mountains, 50s to 60s along the coast and the valley, and 60s to 80s in the desert.

    Alfalfa fields were making excellent progress and being irrigated. Corn and sorghum planting for silage were almost complete, but still being cultivated and irrigated. The corn silage crop was in various stages, from newly planted to already producing tassels, and the earliest planted corn was developing ears. Cotton continued to be irrigated, cultivated, and was growing well. Black-eyed beans continued to be irrigated and cultivated.

    Peach, nectarine, apricot, and plum harvests continued. Fruit orchards and vineyards were irrigated. Some apple orchards used overhead cooling systems to mitigate the impact of the heat. Late Navel orange harvest was complete for the season.  Valencia orange harvest continued.  With high temperatures, regreening in citrus has become more common, and packers were color sorting to compensate.  Ruby Red grapefruit were harvested.

    Walnut, almond, and pistachio orchards were irrigated. Mechanical and chemical weed control continued in nut orchards. Pistachios were fertilized. In some locations walnut growers applied sunburn preventive materials.

    In Tulare County certified producers were picking tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, and peppers for sale at the local Farmers’ Markets.  Italian squash, eggplant, and cucumbers continued to be harvested.  Blueberry and strawberry harvests slowed down and were expected to come to a close with hot weather.  Sweet corn harvest began with a few roadside stands opening and sales at the local Farmers’ markets.  Carrot harvest had slowed down.  In Fresno County, carrots harvest was reaching its end.  Pepper harvest was completed with good yields. Dehydrated onion left to dry.  Fresh onions harvest was half completed. Roughly one-third of the onion harvest had been completed. Onion seed drying out. In Monterey County, celery harvest began and was picking up.  In Imperial County, spring melons and sweet corn were harvested.  Some growers reported exceptional yields.  Many farmers were finished with melon harvest and were plowing fields.   In Colusa, Sacramento, Solano, and Yolo Counties, tomato crops were progressing, even though the recent heat wave slowed crop development.

    Non-irrigated grasses and forbs continued to dry out as the dry days of summer continued. Rangeland was reported to be in good to very poor condition depending on elevation, aspect and soil moisture. Foothill watering holes were drying up. Cattle continued to be moved to higher elevation range. Milk production was impacted by the high heat.  Livestock deaths increased due to the extended elevated temperatures. Sheep grazed on retired pasture and dormant alfalfa. Bees were active in melon and vegetable fields.

  • NAFTA Renegotiations Must Prioritize Ag, Farm Bureau Says

    Washington, D. C., (June 28, 2017) – A modernized North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) must build upon market gains for U.S. agriculture and settle remaining challenges for our nation’s farmers and ranchers in our neighboring markets, Don Shawcroft, Colorado Farm Bureau president, stated in a hearing before the U.S. Trade Representative today.

    “NAFTA has been overwhelmingly beneficial for the vast majority of farmers and ranchers across the U.S. for decades,” said Shawcroft in testimony on behalf of the American Farm Bureau Federation. U.S. agricultural exports to Canada and Mexico have quadrupled, from $8.9 billion in 1993 to $38.1 billion in 2016. Although the benefits from NAFTA are clear and many, there are reasons to reform and update the agreement, Shawcroft said.

    NAFTA renegotiations present a prime opportunity to address challenges fruit and vegetable farmers have faced with Mexico, as well as a chance for dairy, row crop and wheat farmers to settle issues with Canada.

    “A modernized NAFTA should at best eliminate, at worst reduce, barriers to trade that keep our farmers and ranchers from having a level playing field with our neighbors,” Shawcroft said.

    Farm Bureau priorities for a modernized NAFTA include:

    • Updated, science-based sanitary and phytosanitary rules;
    • Improved dispute settlement procedures for fresh fruits, vegetables and horticultural products;
    • Eliminated or reduced Canadian tariff barriers to dairy, poultry eggs and wine, as well as the recently implemented barriers to ultra-filtered milk;
    • Addressing the misuse of geographical indicators; and
    • Developing a consistent, science-based approach to biotechnology.

    “A modernized NAFTA will not only help expand market opportunities for U.S. farmers and ranchers in the near term,” said Shawcroft. “It would also set a foundation for future trade agreements by establishing market-driven and science-based terms of trade and dispute resolution that will directly benefit the U.S. food and agriculture industry.”

    Source: AFBF, Newsroom, June 27, 2017

  • USDA California Crop/Weather Report

    Sacramento, Calif., (June 26, 2017) – Another hot and dry week occurred across the State. Rainfall was limited to Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday, which brought very light isolated showers to parts of the Sierras, dropping less than a tenth of an inch of rain; and again on Sunday, which had some light showers across the far northern part of the State as a Pacific moisture surge entered southern Oregon. These areas along the northern tier received about a tenth of an inch of rain, with an isolated quarter of an inch in places.

    Temperatures accelerated snowmelt in the mountains, with the snowline retreating to over 9,000 feet in elevation. Above this altitude, extensive snowfields in a band about 30 to 40 miles wide still existed between Tahoe and Sequoia National Forest. Snowdepths in these areas were two to four feet, approaching five feet in areas. Mt. Whitney and Mt. Shasta remained snow-covered at their peaks.

    Temperature highs were in the 60s to 70s along the coast, 70s to 90s in the mountains, 100s to 110s in the valley, and 100s to 120s in the desert. The temperature lows were in the 40s to 60s in the mountains, 50s to 60s along the coast, 60s to 70s in the valley, and 70s to 90s in the desert.

    Alfalfa fields were making excellent progress. Corn and sorghum for silage continued being planted, cultivated, and irrigated. The corn silage crop was in various stages, from newly planted to already producing tassels. Cotton continued to be irrigated, cultivated, and was growing well.

    Peaches, nectarines, apricots, and plums continued to be harvested. Grapevines continued to have leaves removed to allow for improved air circulation and light around the developing bunches to improve color. Late Navel orange harvest was completed. Valencia orange harvest continued. Regreening has become more common due to the higher temperatures. Ruby Red grapefruit were harvested.

    Walnut, almond, and pistachio orchards were irrigated. Mechanical and chemical weed control continued in nut orchards. In Sutter and Yuba Counties, walnut growers applied sunburn preventive materials.

    In Tulare County certified producers were picking tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, and peppers for sale at the local Farmers’ Markets. Italian squash, eggplant, and cucumbers continued to be harvested. Blueberry and strawberry harvests slowed down and were expected to come to a close with this week’s hot weather. Sweet corn harvest began with a few roadside stands opening and sales at the local Farmers’ markets. Carrot harvest had slowed down. Extreme hot weather had sunburned some tomatoes. In Fresno County, carrots continued to be irrigated. Weeding of lettuce seed fields continued. Roughly one-third of the onion harvest had been completed. Onion seed was drying out. In Monterey County, celery harvest began and was picking up. In Imperial County, spring melons and sweet corn were harvested. Many farmers were finished with melon harvest and were plowing fields.   In Colusa, Sacramento, Solano, and Yolo Counties, tomato crops were progressing, even though the recent heat wave slowed crop development.

    Hot temperatures contributed to the drying out of non-irrigated grasses and forbs. Non-irrigated rangeland was reported to be in good to very poor condition depending on elevation, aspect and soil moisture. The extended period of extreme temperatures and dry winds prompted Red Flag fire warnings across much of the state. Early fire season rangeland fires were impacting the western states, including Idaho and Oregon. California has had more acres burned this year since January 1st than the comparable period last year. Cattle continued to be moved to higher elevation range. Sheep grazed on retired pasture and dormant alfalfa. Bees were active in melon and vegetable fields.

     

  • Tulare County Reports on Current Crop Status

    Visalia, Calif., (June 23, 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 are making excellent progress; and being irrigated, cut, and baled. Corn and sorghum for silage continues being planted, cultivated, and irrigated. The corn silage crop is in various stages, from newly planted to already producing tassels. Cotton continues to be irrigated, cultivated, and growing well.

    Peaches, nectarines, apricots, and plums continue to be picked and shipped to domestic markets, with exports to Australia, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, and Taiwan. Demand for stone fruit remains strong in the domestic market. Last year’s almonds and pistachios are being exported to the European Union, Hong Kong, and India. Walnut, almond, and pistachio orchards continue being irrigated. Both mechanical and chemical weed control continues in orchards. Grapevines continue to have leaves removed to allow for improved air circulation and light around the developing bunches to improve color.

    Late navel orange harvest has finished. Valencia orange harvest continues, with exports to China, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, and the Philippines. Regreening is becoming more common due to the higher temperatures. Packers are color sorting to compensate. Ruby Red grapefruit are being harvested for the domestic market.

    Certified producers are picking tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, and peppers for sale at the local Farmer’s Markets. Italian squash, eggplant, and cucumbers are being harvested. Blueberry harvest is slowing down in most parts of Tulare County. Blueberry and strawberry harvest should be coming to an end with this week’s hot weather. Sweet corn harvest is beginning with a few roadside stands opening and sales at the local Farmer’s Markets.

    Low elevation rangeland continues to dry, and cattle are being moved to higher elevations. The higher elevations are providing more grass than previous years. Fed cattle prices dropped $5.00 to $132.00 per hundredweight.

    Surface water is flowing in many of the irrigation canals as the hot weather accelerates the snow melt. Many farmers across Tulare County are able to use surface water to irrigate crops this year instead of relying solely on pumping ground water. Wholesale nursery shipments to Canada and domestic markets continue.

  • USDA California Crop/Weather Report

    Sacramento, Calif., (June 20, 2017) – A departing upper-level trough early in the week left cooler air across parts of the State with a few lingering showers on Monday. Rainfall was mostly limited to Monday across the far northeastern corner of the State near Alturas, which received just over half an inch of rain on Monday.  A few isolated sprinkles moistened parts of the central and northern Sierras on Monday, as well. This quickly gave way to a building mid-level ridge over the southwestern United States, which brought dry air and hot conditions to much of the State.

    Temperatures rose dramatically last week, with very hot temperatures across nearly all parts of the State except perhaps the coastal northern areas. Very warm temperatures helped accelerate snowmelt in the mountains. Both Mt. Whitney in the south and Mt. Shasta in the north were still snowcapped on their peaks, with Mt. Shasta expected to remain so for some time. Snowcover elsewhere is now limited to a band about 40 miles wide between Tahoe and the Sequoia National Forest, at elevations above 8,000 feet. There was still eight feet of snowcover at these locations, with the area just north of Yosemite still estimated at six feet of snowcover.

    Temperature highs were in the 50s to 60s along the coast, 60s to 80s in the mountains, 90s to 100s in the valley, and 90s to 110s in the desert. The temperature lows were in the 40s to 50s in the mountains, 50s to 60s along the coast, 50s to 70s in the valley, and 60s to 80s in the desert.

    Silage corn planting was completed. Fields were being prepared and planted with summer beans, Sudan grass, and silage sorghum. Wheat harvest for grain was approaching completion. Small grains such as oats and barley were being cut and baled, or harvested for grain. Alfalfa fields were making excellent progress and being irrigated, cut, and baled. Corn planting continued and earlier planted fields were growing well, with some developing tassels. Cotton was being irrigated and growing well.

    Peaches, nectarines, apricots, and plums continue to be harvested. Some orchard floors were lined with reflective plastic to improve color prior to harvest. Grapevines continued to have leaves removed to allow for improved air circulation and light around the developing bunches to improve color. Kiwi fruit were thinned. Cherry harvest was wrapping up for the season. Navel orange harvest was nearly complete. Valencia orange harvest continued.  Grapefruit harvest was drawing to a close. Old citrus trees were being pulled to make way for new citrus varieties. Since bloom was complete for seedless tangerines, removal of the protective netting began.

    Weed control in almond orchards was ongoing. Pistachio, walnut, and almond orchards were irrigated and fertilized. Mechanical and chemical weed control operations continued in nut orchards.

    In Colusa County, row crops such as tomatoes were growing at a fast pace.  In San Joaquin County, tomatoes and sweet corn were growing well.  Summer vegetables were harvested and offered for sale at local Farmer’s markets.  Field ground preparation and planting of crops continued.  In Fresno County, tomatoes were kept fresh by continual irrigation.  Red onions, carrots, and peppers were harvested.  Onions for seed were irrigated.  In Tulare County, summer vegetables were harvested and shipped domestically.  Italian squash, peppers, and cucumbers were harvested.  Eggplant and tomatoes continued to grow and mature.  In Imperial County, spring melons and sweet corn were harvested.  Some growers reported exceptional yields.  Dehydrated onions were harvested and shipped out of the valley for processing.  Large insect activity was reported in onion fields.

    As the summer heat dries out the grasses and forbs, range and dryland pasture forage quality began to deteriorate. Foothill range and valley dryland pasture was in fair to very poor condition. Some cattle were moved to higher elevation range. Sheep grazed on retired pasture and dormant alfalfa. Bees were active in vegetable fields.

  • Downy Mildew Devastates Vegetable Crops in Southern California

    [wpdevart_youtube]DYy0vXI-YUk[/wpdevart_youtube]

    At the CAPCA Spring Summit in Temecula, growers and crop consultants gathered to discuss issues with pest & disease management, and how to resolve them. This year was especially rough on southern desert vegetable growers for downy mildew, as many were not prepared for all the rain we received earlier this year. Watch this brief video with UC Plant Pathologist Alexander Putnam as he explains the situation this year and how to go about managing downy mildew in the field moving forward. Read more about it in Vegetables West Magazine.

  • Tulare County Reports on Current Crop Status

    Visalia, Calif., (June 9, 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 with wheat silage harvest almost completed most fields are being planted with summer beans, silage corn, Sudan grass, and silage sorghum. Wheat harvest for grain has begun, and the left over wheat straw is being baled. Alfalfa fields are making excellent progress; and being irrigated, cut, and baled. Corn continues being planted, and earlier planted fields are growing well, with some are developing tassels. Cotton is emerging and being irrigated and growing well.

    Harvest of early season varieties of peaches, nectarines, and plums is tapering off. Mid-season stone fruit varieties are getting close to maturity. Stone fruit are being exported to Australia, Canada, Mexico, and New Zealand. White flesh nectarines and peaches are being shipped to Brazil and Taiwan. Cherries are being picked and packed for domestic markets, and exported to Mexico. Last year’s almonds and pistachios are being exported to the European Union, Israel, Japan, and the United Arab Emirates. Walnut, almond, and pistachio orchards are being irrigated. Both mechanical and chemical weed control continues in orchards. Grapevines continue to have leaves removed to allow for improved air circulation and light around the developing bunches to improve color.

    Some navel oranges continue to be picked and packed for the domestic market. Valencia oranges continue to be harvested and exported to China, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, and the Philippines. Grapefruit harvest is finishing up, with Star Ruby grapefruit being shipped domestically and exported to Korea and Mexico. Seedless tangerines are having the netting removed now that the bloom is over.

    Summer vegetables are being planted and harvested and shipped domestically. Blueberries are being harvested, with exports to the European Union, Japan, and Taiwan. Strawberry harvest is nearing an end with increasing seasonal temperatures. Berries are still being harvested and sold at roadside stands.

    Low elevation rangeland continues to dry, and cattle are being moved to higher elevations. The higher elevations are providing more grass than previous years. Fed cattle prices are at $136.00 per hundredweight.

    Surface water is flowing in many of the irrigation canals. Many farmers across Tulare County are able to use surface water to irrigate crops this year instead of relying solely on pumping ground water. Wholesale nursery shipments to Canada and domestic markets continue.

  • USDA California Crop/Weather Report

    Sacramento, Calif., (June 6, 2017) – Last week started with warm temperatures, followed by cooler temperatures as a surge of Pacific moisture brought light rain to many areas in the State. Dry and warm conditions were felt during the weekend.

    Precipitation fell in parts of the state on Monday through Wednesday, with Thursday through Sunday seeing no measurable rainfall. The heaviest rains fell over the northern valley and windward slopes of the Sierras north of Kings Canyon, where areas received around one inch of rainfall. All other parts of the valley received up to half an inch. Additional isolated showers and thunderstorms just inland from the San Diego area dropped up to half an inch on Wednesday. No new snowfall occurred last week. Snowcover was limited to the highest peaks of the southern Sierras, including Whitney, where one to two feet of snowcover still existed. The most extensive snowpacks continued to lie above 7,500 feet in the central Sierras, where one to three feet of snowcover still existed. The northern mountains were devoid of snowcover except for the peak of Shasta, which had up to six feet of snowcover.

    Temperature highs were in the 60s to 70s along the coast, 60s to 80s in the mountains, 80s to 90s in the valley, and 80s to 110s in the desert. The temperature lows were in the 30s to 50s in the mountains, 40s to 50s along the coast, 50s to 60s in the valley, and 60s to 80s in the desert.

    Alfalfa fields were making excellent progress being cut, dried, and baled. Corn planting continued with earlier planted fields growing well. Corn fields were being injected with nitrogen to promote growth. Cotton was emerging and being irrigated.

    Peaches, nectarines, and apricots were being exported to foreign markets. Summer pruning of stone fruit orchards began. Both mechanical and chemical weed control continued in orchards. Orchard floors continued to be lined with reflective plastic to improve color prior to harvest. Grape vines continued to have leaves removed to allow for improved air circulation and light around the developing bunches to improve color. Cherry harvest continued, while the peak of cherry season has passed. Valencia oranges continued to be harvested and exported. Grapefruit harvest was finishing up, with Star Ruby grapefruit being exported to foreign markets. Old citrus trees were being pulled to make way for new citrus varieties. Seedless tangerines continued to be netted. Olives were still blooming.

    New orchards of almonds continued to be planted or ground prepped. Pistachio, walnut and almond orchards were irrigated and fertilized. Last year’s stored almonds and pistachios continued to be exported to foreign market places. Some orchard floors were sprayed with herbicides and fungicides.

    In San Joaquin County, processing tomatoes were growing well. Summer vegetables were harvested and offered for sale at local Farmers’ markets. The asparagus harvest was over. In Monterey County, the price for lettuce and other commodities had improved from the previous week. Production and weather were good. In San Mateo County Brussels sprouts were planted and the fields were fumigated. Fava beans and peas were harvested. In Fresno County, tomatoes were cultivated. Carrots, broccoli, and spring lettuce were harvested. Onions were irrigated and prepared for harvest. In Tulare County, summer vegetables were harvested and shipped domestically. Melons were irrigated and cantaloupes were picked. Zucchini was harvested.

    Foothill range and valley dryland pasture forage quality was primarily in fair to good condition. Drying out of grasses continued in the Sierra foothills. Sheep grazed on retired pasture and dormant alfalfa. Bees were active in vegetable fields.