California Ag Network

Tag: Tomatoes

  • UC Agricultural Issues Center Releases Cost Estimates For Growing Processing Tomatoes

    Davis, Calif., (April 2, 2018) – A new study on the costs and returns of producing processing tomatoes in Fresno County and the central San Joaquin Valley has been released by the UC ANR Agricultural Issues Center. Growers contemplating crops to grow may use the estimates to help decide whether to plant processing tomatoes.

    The cost study for processing tomatoes can be downloaded for free at http://coststudies.ucdavis.edu.

    The report estimates costs and returns and provides an overview of common production practices related to irrigation, fertility and pest management of processing tomatoes. In this report, some specifics are assigned and calculations are based on a hypothetical well-managed farming operation, which is described in detail.

    Net profits are calculated relative to a range of yields and prices. Monthly cash costs, hourly equipment costs, operational annual equipment, investment and business overhead costs are included. The authors received input and reviews from UC Cooperative Extension vegetable crops advisors and other agricultural associates.

    Processing tomato harvest. A new report estimates costs and returns for of processing tomatoes in Fresno County and provides an overview of common production practices related to irrigation, fertility and pest management.

    The new study, “Sample Costs to Produce Processing Tomatoes in the San Joaquin Valley South, Fresno County – 2018,” can be downloaded for free from the UC Davis Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics website at http://coststudies.ucdavis.edu. Sample cost of production studies for many other commodities are also available.

    For additional information or an explanation of the calculations used in the study, contact Jeremy Murdock at the Agricultural Issues Center at (530) 752-4651 or jmmurdock@ucdavis.edu, or Tom Turini, UCCE farm advisor for Fresno County, at taturini@ucanr.edu.

  • Entomologist Frank Zalom Delivers 2017 ARS B. Y. Morrison Memorial Lecture at ASHS Conference

    Waikoloa, Hawaii, (September 26, 2017) – “Significance of Integrated Pest Management to Sustainable Horticultural Production—Observations and Experiences” is the title of entomologist Frank G. Zalom’s 2017 ARS Benjamin Y. Morrison Memorial Lecture, which he delivered today at the American Society for Horticultural Science annual conference in Waikoloa, Hawaii.

    2017 ARS B. Y. Morrison Memorial Lecturer Frank G. Zalom

    Zalom is nationally and internationally renowned for his leadership developing research-based integrated pest management (IPM) programs. He is also recognized for his adeptness in mobilizing and coordinating different and often divergent scientific, stakeholder and governmental groups to achieve a common goal of industrywide improvements in pest and pesticide management for individual crops such as almonds, tomatoes, strawberries, grapes and olives.

    IPM benefits most from a transdisciplinary approach to developing a control program, especially one that places the plant at the center as the “unifier of knowledge,” so that the plant’s own particular biology and its special defenses can be brought into play, Zalom explained.

    Under Zalom’s guidance, the University of California Integrated Pest Management Program became recognized as the premier program of its type as he reinforced the need for sustainability in the pursuit of managing pests. Today, he serves as distinguished professor and extension specialist in the Department of Entomology and Nematology at UC Davis.

    For example, Zalom first helped develop and then implemented a pest management program for the navel orangeworm—a key almond pest—that has been widely adopted by California growers. As a result, damage from this pest dropped from 8.8 percent annually to less than 1.5 percent while industrywide insecticide use for navel orangeworm control decreased by more than 40 percent.

    He also led a multidisciplinary research and extension effort in the 1990s that reduced organophosphate dormant spray use in almonds by more than 50 percent and ultimately by 90 percent across California orchard crops. Organophosphates had been running off into the Sacramento River after winter rainfalls, and cuts in their use helped bring the river back into compliance with the Clean Water Act.

    The Agricultural Research Service (ARS) established this memorial lectureship in 1968 to honor the memory of Benjamin Y. Morrison (1891-1966) and to recognize scientists who have made outstanding contributions to horticulture and other environmental sciences and to encourage the use of these sciences. Morrison was a pioneer in horticulture and the first director of ARS’s U.S. National Arboretum in Washington, D.C. A scientist, landscape architect, plant explorer and breeder, author and lecturer, Morrison advanced the science of botany in the United States and fostered broad international exchange of ornamental plants.

    For more information about the B.Y. Morrison Memorial Lecture, see https://www.ars.usda.gov/oc/lectures/morrison/

    For more information contact Kim Kaplan, ARS Office of Communications.

  • 2017 California Processing Tomato Report

    Sacramento, Calif., (September 6, 2017) – Contracted production for California processing tomatoes is forecast at 11.5 million tons, averaging 50.0 tons per acre. The current forecasted production is 8 percent below the 2016 crop, and 2.5 percent below the May forecast.

    Spring rains brought relief from the drought but delayed planting. Harvest began in early July in the southern growing areas, which is about two weeks later than in 2016. The 2017 crop has experienced lower disease and pest pressures compared to last year. The overall crop has developed well so far with the early harvest reported to be of good quality. Potential concerns reported by the tomato growers

    were the delayed harvest and stress from triple digit heat waves. The projected harvested acreage of tomatoes is 230,000 acres, a decrease of 10 percent from 2016 and the lowest acreage since 1988.

    The shipping reports published by the Processing Tomato Advisory Board showed that shipments through August 19, 2017 were running 22 percent below those of 2016.

    This processing tomato estimate is funded by the California League of Food Processors, in cooperation with the California Department of Food and Agriculture.

    To view the report go to: https://www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics_by_State/California/Publications/Vegetables/Processing_Tomato/2017/201708ptom.pdf

  • USDA California Crop/Weather Report

    Sacramento, Calif., (August 1, 2017) – The weather last week was hot and dry across the State. The summer monsoon across the southwest desert helped trigger some showers across the deserts last week, while additional pockets of moisture found their way into the Sierras and managed to produce a few scattered showers throughout the week. Rainfall was limited to Monday through Thursday across the interior deserts and parts of the central and northern Sierras. A few monsoon showers and thunderstorms dropped up to half an inch of rain in places across the desert, with most areas receiving around a tenth of an inch. A stray thunderstorm near Alturas in the northeastern corner of the State dropped nearly half an inch of rain. Snow cover continued to dissipate across the State; however, some areas of the Lassen Volcanic National Park still had nearly ten feet of snow in some areas.

    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 80s in the desert.

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

    Mid-season peach, nectarine, pluot, and plum harvest continued.  Some harvested stone fruit orchards were pruned and topped. Table grapes were harvested and vineyards irrigated. Wine grapes were maturing well.  Valencia orange harvest continued but was winding down due to high temperatures and fruit availability.

    Walnut, almond, and pistachio orchards continued to be irrigated. Mechanical and chemical weed control continued in orchards.  Harvest preparation was underway in almond orchards. Almond harvest began in the warmer regions of Kern County. Pistachios were beginning to split. Navel Orange Worm sprays and fertilizers were applied to pistachios. Walnuts were sizing well.

    In Colusa County, triple digit heat impacted the harvest of vegetables, including processing tomatoes and honeydew melons.  The processing tomato harvest was somewhat erratic, interrupting the smooth flow of ripe tomatoes to the canneries.    The melon packing sheds were affected by the inconsistent flow of fruit.  In San Joaquin County, harvest was ongoing for honeydew melons, watermelons, cantaloupes, onions, and fresh vegetable crops.  Farmers’ Market vegetables continued to be harvested and offered for sale.   In Monterey County, mid-year harvest and production slowed for two weeks.  It was expected to pick back up with more harvesting and preparation for the third or last rotation of the year.  All commodities, lettuces, brassicas, and spinach were in production.  Asparagus was finished and artichokes will pick up again in August.  In Fresno County, harvest continued for both organic and conventional tomatoes with lower yields than expected.  Quality was reported as very good.  Onions, carrots, and lettuce seed were harvested.  Soil was prepared for yellow peppers.  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.  In Kings County, the tomato harvest continued with a decent harvest reported.  Tomatoes were sprayed with fungicide and pesticide.

    The decline in nutritional quality of rangeland grasses and forbs continued. Range and dryland pasture conditions across the state were reported as fair to very poor. Wildland fires burned some north state pastures and ranges.  Elevated temperatures continued to impact milk production. Bees were active in melon and sunflower fields.

  • 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.

  • UC Updates Costs and Returns of Growing Processing Tomatoes

    Davis, Calif., (April 14, 2017) – UC Agricultural Issues Center has released an updated study on

    UC Agricultural Issues Center has updated its estimated costs of producing transplanted processing tomatoes under subsurface drip irrigation in the Sacramento Valley.

    the costs and returns of producing transplanted processing tomatoes under subsurface drip irrigation in the Sacramento Valley and northern Delta region.

    The analysis is based upon a hypothetical well-managed farming operation using practices common to the region. The costs, materials and practices shown in this study will not apply to all farms. Growers, UC Cooperative Extension farm advisors and other agricultural associates provided input and reviewed the methods and findings of the study.

    The hypothetical 3,500-acre farm, focuses on production costs for growing transplanted processing tomatoes under subsurface drip irrigation on 60-inch beds in San Joaquin County and the lower Sacramento Valley.

    The authors describe the assumptions used to identify current costs for production, material inputs, cash and non-cash overhead. Ranging analysis tables show profits over a range of prices and yields. Other tables show the monthly cash costs, the costs and returns per acre, hourly equipment costs, and the whole farm annual equipment, investment and business overhead costs.

    Gene Miyao examines a transplanted tomato plant. Photo courtesy of Davis Enterprise

    The new study, “Sample Costs to Produce Processing Tomatoes, Sub-Surface Drip Irrigated (SDI) in the Sacramento Valley & Northern Delta – 2017,” and sample cost-of-production studies for many other commodities are available for free. To download the cost studies, visit the UC Davis Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics website at http://coststudies.ucdavis.edu.

    For additional information or an explanation of the calculations used in the studies, contact the Agricultural Issues Center’s Donald Stewart at (530) 752-4651 or destewart@ucdavis.edu, Brenna Aegerter, UC Cooperative Extension farm advisor for San Joaquin County at bjaegerter@ucanr.edu, or Gene Miyao, UC Cooperative Extension farm advisor for Yolo, Solano and Sacramento counties at emmiyao@ucanr.edu.

    The cost and returns program is funded by the UC Agricultural Issues Center, which is part of UC Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources, and the UC Davis Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics.

     

  • 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?”

     

     

  • Full statistics now available for crop year 2015

    Sacramento, Calif., (February 2, 2017) – In 2015 California’s farms and ranches received approximately $47 billion for their output. This represents a decrease of nearly 17 percent compared to 2014. California remains the leading US state in cash farm receipts.

    California’s agricultural abundance includes more than 400 commodities. Over a third of the country’s vegetables and two-thirds of the country’s fruits and nuts are grown in California. California’s top-10 valued commodities for 2015 are:

    • Milk and Cream— $6.29 billion
    • Almonds — $5.33 billion
    • Grapes — $4.95 billion
    • Cattle and Calves — $3.40 billion
    • Lettuce — $2.26 billion
    • Strawberries — $1.86 billion
    • Tomatoes — $1.71 billion
    • Flowers and Foliage — $1.08 billion
    • Walnuts — $977 million
    • Hay — $945 million

    Agricultural Exports: In 2015, California exported approximately 26 percent of its agricultural production by volume, accounting for $20.69 billion in value. California’s leading agricultural export products by value are almonds ($5.14 billion), dairy products ($1.63 billion), walnuts ($1.49 billion), wine ($1.48 billion), and pistachios ($848 million).

    Statistics: California agricultural statistics derive primarily from the United States Department of Agriculture/National Agricultural Statistics Services (USDA/NASS) reports. The California Department of Food and Agriculture also publishes statistics related to California dairy production and, in cooperation with the University of California at Davis, statistics for California agricultural exports. For most timely research into California dairy statistics, please see our dairy pages under Division of Marketing Services. Please see also links in the right hand column for USDA National Agricultural Statistics and Economic Research Service reporting. For county-level reporting please see the CDFA County Liaison site.

    Annual crop year reports have been reproduced below for your convenience. Export reports are typically published within the corresponding crop year report. While data is made available throughout the year, crop year and export reports are published typically about one year following the given crop year.

    Link to report