Winter sanitation, mating disruption and proper pesticide application — all critical strategies in managing the number one pest of tree nuts: Navel Orangeworm. No one wants this pest on their farms, but are growers really doing their due diligence in managing this pest with tools that are now widely available to the industry? Watch this interview with Bob Klein from the California Pistachio Research Board as he shares the rough statistics and read about how you can do better in Pacific Nut Producer Magazine.
Many growers have probably heard of the newer Golden Hills pistachio variety by now, but it is now being more widely planted in the industry. Likewise, growers and researchers are learning more about the unique characteristics of this variety that growers should consider before planting it. Watch this brief interview with UCCE Kern County Farm Advisor Craig Kallsen, as he explains and read more about it in Pacific Nut Producer Magazine.
Pistachio growers have more options today when it comes to varieties and rootstocks to plant with. Watch this brief interview with UCCE Farm Advisor Elizabeth Fichtner as she shares some of the characteristics of rootstocks currently available to growers and some of the pros and cons to planting on a seedling vs. clone. Read more in Pacific Nut Producer Magazine.
So how bad can Navel Orangeworm damage get in our tree nut orchards? Hopefully we won’t have to find out this season, as growers are equipped with more tools and practices to control the pest. Watch this brief interview with Research Entomologist Joel Siegel as he shares some evolving trends in pest pressure across the state, and read more about it in Pacific Nut Producer Magazine.
On National Ag Day (March 24th), AgGrad announced winners of this year’s AgGrad 30 Under 30 Awards, a program that shows the future of agriculture is bright and aims at rewarding those making the extra effort to move this industry forward. Our very own managing editor, Matthew Malcolm was honored among the top young agricultural professionals and influencers in the nation. Matthew Malcolm has worked full-time for the Malcolm Media team since 2013, and has been doing a great job covering the news of California’s rich and diverse industry through Malcolm Media’s five agricultural publications, six digital news channels, and four grape, nut and tree fruit industry expositions.
Eighteen judges were asked to select winners from peer and self-nominations based on contributions to agriculture, community, strength of innovation and significance of accomplishments. “These 30 individuals are at the forefront of agriculture and will one day be the leaders in agribusiness, innovation and technology, education and advocacy, entrepreneurship, sustainability and production,” says AgGrad Founder Tim Hammerich.
Renée Vassilos, Director of Agriculture Innovation at The Nature Conservancy, and AgGrad 30 Under 30 Judge added, “From driving change within their local U.S.-based communities to supporting farmers and educators across the globe, the future is now with these incredible nominees!”
Matthew Malcolm teaches local elementary school students about the importance of farming in California and how they can grow fruits and vegetables too in their yards. This is something he does voluntarily on the side in addition to managing editorial content in five agricultural publications.
AgGrad 30 Under 30 2020 Winners by Category Include:
Production
Brooke Beam, Agriculture, Natural Resources and Community Development Extension Educator in Ohio
Casey Call, Head Grower at Plenty in California
Jesse Wiggins, Sales at Wiggins Farms LLP in Texas
Tony Lopes, Operations Team Leader at Tony L. Lopes Dairy, L.P. in California
Innovation & Technology
Alacyn Cox, Product Support Rep at John Deere in Iowa
Alexander Chuck, Chief Financial Officer at Pharm Robotics in California
Ellie Symes, Founder and CEO at the Bee Corp in Indiana
Tyler McGee, Founder and CEO at Tycom, Inc. in North Carolina
Entrepreneurship
David Chan, COO and Founding Team Member at FarmTogether in New York
Delaney Howell, Host of Market to Market and Founder of Ag News Daily and the Global Ag Network
Matt Foley, Program Director at Invest Nebraska in Nebraska
Mitchell Hora, Founder of Continuum Ag in Iowa
Tyler Nuss, Purchasing Manager at Rivian in California and Co-Founder of The Modern Acre
Zane Peterson, Owner and Manager of Peterson Timber, Inc in California
Education & Advocacy
Benjamin Brown Assistant Professor of Professional Practice in Agriculture in Ohio
Hannah Thompson-Weeman Vice President of Communications at Animal Agriculture Alliance in Maryland
Matthew Malcolm, Managing Editor at Malcolm Media Ag Publishing in California
Peter Bachmann, Vice President of International Trade Policy at USA Rice Federation in Washington D.C.
Sarah Mock Freelance Writer Focused on Rural and Agricultural Issues in Washington D.C.
Agribusiness
Cain Thurmond Senior Account Manager at CSX Transportation in Illinois
Garrett Lister Risk Management of Cattle at Innovative Livestock Services in Kansas
Jordan Bonham Rasmussen Farm Marketer at Cargill in Nebraska
Lorryn Bolte Global Marketing Communications Specialist at Novus International, Inc. in Missouri
Pedee Ewing Research Associate at Bayer in Idaho
Rosie Thoni U.S. Public Relations Lead at AdFarm in Kansas
Tristan Hudak Vice President of Ag Biotech, Inc. in California
Sustainability/Food Security
Andrea Zinn Smallholder Farmer Finance & Agri Data Consultant in Costa Rica
Anna Glenn Agriculture Instructor with Hope in Harvest Missions International in Liberia
Keith Heidecorn VP Sustainability at Locus Agricultural Solutions in Ohio
Sarah Hulick Grower Innovation at Full Harvest in California
AgGrad was established in 2015 with the mission of “helping young professionals find their place in modern agriculture.” The company accomplishes this mission by providing blog posts, career profiles, job postings, “AgGrad Live” (a video program), and a weekly podcast called the “Future of Agriculture.” All is provided at zero cost to students and young professionals and supported by participating agribusinesses. For more information or to receive the AgGrad 30 Under 30 publication, visit 30under30.ag.
The journey to year-round mechanization in the vineyard can be a rough one, but it is worthwhile, according to Greg Gonzalez, Director of Vineyard Operations and Scheid Family Wines.. One may wonder where to start or how to maintain the same or better quality compared to traditional methods. Watch this brief interview with Greg as he shares his journey to mechanization as well as some key considerations. Read more about vineyard mechanization in American Vineyard Magazine.
The global wine market is constantly evolving along with the demands of today’s consumers, as growers and wine industry stakeholders were clearly reminded at the recent Unified Wine & Grape Symposium in Sacramento. Obviously, growers can’t change their vineyards/varietals as quickly as the markets changes; however, watch this brief interview for some considerations from Steve Fredricks from Turrentine Brokerage, and read more about the current state of the grape and wine industry in the March Crush Report issue of American Vineyard Magazine.
With Groundwater Sustainability Plans (GSPs) now required for critically overdrafted basins, the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act is gradually taking effect across the state of California; but how will this impact farmers? Watch this brief interview with Duncan MacEwan from ERA Economics as he shares his insights, as addressed at a recent meeting held by the California Tomato Growers Association.
With the panic of an international pandemic, citizens are flocking the grocery stores stockpiling essential food and supplies. Recent studies suggest that pistachios should be on that list of groceries to stock up on too. In addition to their known health properties, recent published research shows that pistachio extract can thwart and even kill certain bacteria and viruses. Watch this brief video with Judy Hirigoyen from American Pistachio Growers and read more about it in the coming issue of Pacific Nut Producer Magazine.
Dr Oz shared some breaking news in the health and nutrition industry at American Pistachio Growers recent Annual Conference in Monterey, CA. In addition to talking about how much he enjoys incorporating nuts in his daily diet, he shared the results of recent research suggesting that eating pistachios will not only help consumers sleep better at night, but is also one of the only plant-based foods available that offer “complete protein.” Watch this brief video with Judy Hirigoyen from American Pistachio Growers and read more about it in the coming issue of Pacific Nut Producer Magazine.
