California Ag Network

Tag: USDA

  • USDA California Crop/Weather Report

    Sacramento, Calif., (September 6, 2017) – Hot and dry weather continued across most of the State under the influence of stubborn high pressure over the interior western United States. Rain only fell in parts of the Sierras, as well as a couple areas of the desert, which were driven by a monsoon. Some locations experienced record high temperatures; San Francisco recorded its highest temperature ever recorded. Patchy snow existed at elevated, sheltered areas in the Lassen Volcanic Park, with a maximum depth of one foot in places. In addition, there are still one to three feet of snow on the peak of Shasta.

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

    Alfalfa fields continued to be irrigated and baled. Sorghum for silage was in various stages of development. Corn silage continued to be harvested. Cotton was being irrigated and bolls continued to develop. Black-eyed beans were drying and nearing harvest.

    Peach, nectarine, pear, fig, and plum harvest continued. Harvested stone fruit orchards were pruned and topped. Table grape harvest continued as wine grape harvest began. Valencia orange and finger lime harvest were ongoing. Irrigation and repair of irrigation systems continued. Olives were developing well. Pomegranate harvest was now underway.

    Almond harvest was underway. Pistachio harvest began.  Walnut orchards continued to be irrigated.  Both mechanical and chemical weed control continued in orchards.

    In San Joaquin County, harvest continued processing tomatoes, onions, honeydew melons, watermelons, cantaloupes, and sweet corn.  Farmer’s Market vegetables continued to be harvested and offered for sale.   In Monterey County, the weather was moderate and allowed for continuous harvest and fieldwork. All fall season commodities were in production.  In Fresno County, harvest continued for tomatoes and 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.  Fall vegetables were planted and developing well.

    Low elevation, non-irrigated pasture and rangeland quality continued to deteriorate. Range conditions were reported to be fair to very poor. Cattle were being moved to higher elevations. The higher elevations provide more grass than previous years. Feed costs for cattle remained high. As the nutritional quality of range grasses diminished, supplemental feeding increased. Some cattle were moved to higher elevations.  Sheep grazed retired pasture and dormant alfalfa.

  • Dairy Producers Can Enroll or Elect to Opt-Out for 2018 MPP Coverage

    Washington, D. C., (September 8, 2017) – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) announced that starting Sept. 1, 2017, dairy producers can enroll for 2018 coverage in the Margin Protection Program (MPP-Dairy). Secretary Sonny Perdue has utilized additional flexibility this year by providing dairy producers the option of opting out of the program for 2018.

    “Secretary Perdue is using his authority to allow producers to withdraw from the MPP Dairy Program and not pay the annual administrative fee for 2018,” said Acting Deputy Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation Rob Johansson. “The decision is in response to requests by the dairy industry and a number of MPP-Dairy program participants.”

    To opt out, a producer should not sign up during the annual registration period. By opting out, a producer would not receive any MPP-Dairy benefits if payments are triggered for 2018. Full details will be included in a subsequent Federal Register Notice. The decision would be for 2018 only and is not retroactive.

    The voluntary program, established by the 2014 Farm Bill, provides financial assistance to participating dairy producers when the margin – the difference between the price of milk and feed costs – falls below the coverage level selected by the producer.

    MPP-Dairy gives participating dairy producers the flexibility to select coverage levels best suited for their operation. Enrollment ends on Dec. 15, 2017, for coverage in calendar year 2018. Participating farmers will remain in the program through Dec. 31, 2018, and pay a minimum $100 administrative fee for 2018 coverage. Producers have the option of selecting a different coverage level from the previous coverage year during open enrollment.

    Dairy operations enrolling in the program must meet conservation compliance provisions and cannot participate in the Livestock Gross Margin Dairy Insurance Program. Producers can mail the appropriate form to the producer’s administrative county FSA office, along with applicable fees, without necessitating a trip to the local FSA office. If electing higher coverage for 2018, dairy producers can either pay the premium in full at the time of enrollment or pay 100 percent of the premium by Sept. 1, 2018. Premium fees may be paid directly to FSA or producers can work with their milk handlers to remit premiums on their behalf.

    USDA has a web tool to help producers determine the level of coverage under the MPP-Dairy that will provide them with the strongest safety net under a variety of conditions. The online resource, available at www.fsa.usda.gov/mpptool, allows dairy farmers to quickly and easily combine unique operation data and other key variables to calculate their coverage needs based on price projections. Producers can also review historical data or estimate future coverage based on data projections. The secure site can be accessed via computer, Smartphone, tablet or any other platform, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

    For more information, visit FSA online at www.fsa.usda.gov/dairy or stop by a local FSA office to learn more about the MPP-Dairy. To find a local FSA office in your area, visit http:// offices.usda.gov.

  • USDA California Crop/Weather Report

    Sacramento, Calif., (August 29, 2017) – Another relatively uneventful week across the State, with mostly dry conditions and increasing temperatures at the end of the week. This was primarily due to a strengthening mid-level ridge over the western United States.

    A mostly dry week with only very localized scattered showers across parts of the Sierras Monday and Tuesday. These showers were generally very light, with most areas receiving less than a quarter inch of rainfall. Shower coverage was approximately 30 percent in the Sierras, with all other reliable locations reporting no measurable precipitation this week. Patchy snow continued at elevated, sheltered areas in the Lassen Volcanic Park, with a maximum depth of two feet in places. In addition, there were still two to four feet of snow on the peak of Shasta.

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

    Alfalfa continued to be cut and baled. Safflower was drying in the field. Sorghum for silage was cultivated and irrigated. Cotton was blooming and forming bolls, and continued to be irrigated. Corn for silage was harvested. Black-eyed beans were maturing and nearing harvest. Rice was heading ahead of schedule.

    Peach, nectarine, pear, fig, and plum harvest continued. Harvested stone fruit orchards were pruned and toped. Table grape harvest continued as wine grape harvest began. Valencia orange and finger lime harvest were ongoing. Irrigation and repair of irrigation systems continued. Olives were developing well.

    Almond harvest was underway. Walnut and pistachio orchards continued to be irrigated. Both mechanical and chemical weed control continued in orchards.

    In San Mateo County, acres of beans and peas were in full bloom ready to set pods. In Colusa, Sacramento, Solano, and Yolo Counties, processing tomatoes were being harvested. In Tulare County, certified producers were picking tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, and peppers for sale at local Farmer’s Markets. Yellow squash, zucchini, eggplant, Bell peppers, green chili peppers, and cucumbers continued to be harvested, packed, and shipped domestically. Sweet corn harvest continued and was available for sale at roadside stands and local Farmer’s Markets.

    Low elevation non-irrigated pasture and rangeland quality continued to deteriorate. Range conditions were reported to be fair to very poor. As the nutritional quality of range grasses diminished supplemental feeding increased. Some cattle were moved to higher elevations. Sheep grazed retired pasture and dormant alfalfa.

  • USDA California Crop Weather Report

    Sacramento, Calif., (August 15, 2017) – The weather last week was hot and dry week across the state. The monsoon was not as active across the deserts. Rainfall was confined to the Sierras and northern mountains, with light showers dotting these areas every day Monday through Thursday. Most areas remained dry or received less than a quarter inch of rain, but a stray thunderstorm on Thursday near I-5 at the Oregon border dropped over an inch of rain. Snow cover was confined to the peak of Mount Shasta as well as sheltered, high-elevation locations around Lassen National Park. Packs were broken in these areas but may still exceed 4 feet in spots.

    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 40s to 50s in the mountains, 50s to 60s along the coast, 60s to 70s in the valley, and 60s to 80s in the desert.

    Alfalfa fields were being irrigated, cut, and baled. Black-eyed beans continued to be irrigated and cultivated. Corn was being harvested for silage. Cotton was blooming and forming bolls, and continued to be irrigated. Sorghum for silage continued to be cultivated and irrigated.

    The mid-season peach, nectarine, and plum harvests continued. Harvested stone fruit orchards were pruned and toped.  Asian pears were harvested.  Wine grape harvest began, and table grape harvest was in full swing. Olives were developing well. The Valencia orange harvest continued. Regreening continued to be a problem due to high temperatures. Finger limeswere being harvested.

    Almond shaking began in some early varieties. As hull split was under way, almond orchard ground preparation continued for the upcoming harvest.  Walnuts continued to be irrigated and were sizing well. Pistachios continued to be irrigated. Mechanical and chemical weed control continued in many orchards.

    In San Mateo County, acres of beans and peas were in full bloom ready to set pods.  In Colusa, Sacramento, Solano, and Yolo Counties, there were reports of 45 to 55 tons of processing tomatoes per acre being harvested.  In Tulare County, certified producers were picking tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, and peppers for sale at local Farmers Markets.  Yellow squash, zucchini, eggplant, Bell peppers, green chili peppers, and cucumbers continued to be harvested, packed, and shipped domestically.  Sweet corn harvest continued and was available for sale at roadside stands and local Farmers Markets.

    Non-irrigated pasture and rangeland quality continued to decline. Supplemental feeding increased as the nutritional quality of grasses diminished. Some cattle were moved to high elevation pasture. Sheep grazed on retired pasture and dormant alfalfa. Bees worked melon and sunflower fields.

  • USDA California Crop/Weather Report

    Sacramento, Calif., (August 8, 2017) – Summer heat continued to prevail across the State last week, with a few isolated reports of rain. Monday thru Friday brought scattered showers and thunderstorms across the deserts, with most areas receiving up to a quarter of an inch of rain in one day. A few heavier thunderstorms just east of San Diego dropped nearly 2 inches of rain through the end of the week. Elsewhere, moisture advection combined with orographic lifting led to scattered light showers in the Sierras on multiple days. On Sunday, a southern-track system managed to clip the northern tier of California, dropping about a quarter of an inch of rain from Redding northward. Most areas in the State were finally devoid of snowcover, but sheltered areas at higher elevations in the Lassen National Park area still contained patchy snow, along with the peak of Shasta.

    Temperature highs were in the 60s to 70s 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 40s to 60s in the mountains, 50s to 60s along the coast, 60s to 70s in the valley, and 60s to 80s in the desert.

    Corn and sorghum for silage was being cultivated and irrigated. The corn silage crop was in various stages of development from tassels 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 peaches, nectarines, and plums continued to be harvested and packed. Summer pruning and topping of harvested stone fruit groves occurred.  Asian pears were being packed and exported.  The table grape harvest continued with grapes packed and shipped to foreign markets.  Valencia orange harvest continued, primarily for the domestic market.  Regreening continued to be a problem, due to high temperatures.  Valencia oranges, Meyer lemons, variegated lemons, and finger limes were being harvested, packed, and shipped for foreign markets.  Olives continued to develop.

    In San Joaquin County, almond orchard ground prep continued for upcoming harvest.  Almond hull split was underway.  In Tulare County, last season’s almonds and pistachios were being packed and exported.  Walnut, almond, and pistachioorchards continued to be irrigated.

    In Colusa County, temperatures came down to the mid-to-high 90s, which provided a break from the triple digit heat recorded previously.  Processing tomato harvest continued and quality was reported as good.   In Yolo County, the processing tomato harvest was underway.  In San Joaquin County, harvest continued for cucumbers, honeydew melons, watermelons, cantaloupes, Bell peppers, and sweet corn. In Monterey County, the Salinas Valley was in a flurry with harvesting and shipping trucks.  All commodities were in production and market prices were holding steady at baseline cost.  Warm weather promoted seed-stem and decay in iceberg lettuce negatively affecting quality.  In Fresno County, harvest continued foronions and tomatoes.  The carrot harvest was about half completed.  Quality was reported as good, though yields were lower than expected.  Additional carrot planting was expected to start soon.  Yellow peppers were prepared for harvest.  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.

    Non-irrigated pasture and rangeland quality continued to decline as condition reports across the state shifted into more poor and very poor categories. Supplemental feeding increased as the nutritional quality of grasses diminished. Sheep grazed on retired pasture and dormant alfalfa. 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.

  • 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.

  • USDA Program Helps Nonprofits Innovate New Certification for Bee-Friendly Farms

    Washington, D. C., (June 20, 2017) – A new certification program enables agricultural producers to let consumers know they are farming in ways that benefit bees. Funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation partnered with Oregon Tilth to develop and launch the Bee Better Certified program.

    “Bee Better Certified is working with conservation-minded farmers to meet a growing interest from consumers to know how their food choices impact bees,” said Xerces Executive Director Scott Hoffman Black. “Many species of bees have suffered declines over the years, but by creating habitat and reducing pesticide use, Bee Better is generating meaningful change on working farms, helping to preserve crop pollinators and the valuable services they provide to farmers.”

    After piloting the program with 13 farmers over the past few months, Xerces and Oregon Tilth are now opening it to farmers nationwide. The program focuses on integrating flower-rich habitat on farms in order to provide food and nesting sites for native bees, honey bees and other pollinators. It also helps farmers reduce or eliminate use of pesticides known to cause harm to bees.

    Oregon Tilth assesses and certifies farms based on the amount and quality of habitat created as well as the incorporation of pest management strategies aimed at protecting crop pollinators.

    “When Xerces approached us as a possible partner, it seemed like a great fit,” said Oregon Tilth Certification Director Connie Karr. “We knew our missions were aligned, and we could bring our certification expertise alongside their technical expertise in invertebrates to develop this standard together. It’s important to make sure a new set of standards is credible, valuable and achievable. By working together, we could achieve all those things.”

    The project received a $350,000 Conservation Innovation Grant in 2016 from USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) which Xerces matched to develop and test the first-of-its-kind program. The Conservation Innovation Grant program aims to drive public-private innovation to support next-generation conservation efforts.

    On the grounds of the Vice President’s residence last week, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue declared June 19-25 National Pollinator Week to draw attention to the plight of pollinators whose numbers are in decline.

    As part of USDA’s commitment, NRCS works with conservation partners like Xerces to help farmers plan and implement conservation practices that benefit bees and other pollinators. NRCS offers more than three dozen conservation activities that farmers can use to integrate bee habitat amid working lands and to use pesticides wisely. Several of the farmers who piloted Bee Better Certified have worked with NRCS to make conservation improvements on their land.

  • 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.

  • USDA Invests $17.7 Million in Plant Health and Production Workforce

    Washington, D. C., (June 1, 2017) – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) today announced 54 grants totaling more than $17.7 million for plant research that helps optimize crop production, mitigate disease, and increase yield. The funding is made possible through NIFA’s Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) program, authorized by the 2014 Farm Bill.

    “Plants are the foundation of diet for both humans and animals,” said NIFA Director Sonny Ramaswamy. “It is imperative to invest in research to stay ahead of the biological and environmental constraints, and develop new technologies to produce a secure, nutritious food supply for a growing population.”

    AFRI is USDA’s flagship competitive grants program for foundational and translational research, education, and extension projects in the food and agricultural sciences. The AFRI program area of Plant Health and Production and Plant Products (PHPPP) supports projects on foundational knowledge of agricultural production systems, pests, and beneficial species in agricultural production systems, physiology of agricultural plants, and plant breeding for agricultural production.

    FY16 Plant Health and Production and Plant Products grants include:

    Foundational Knowledge of Agricultural Production Systems

    • University of California, Berkeley, California, $500,000
    • Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, $400,000
    • Iowa State University of Science and Technology, Ames, Iowa, $500,000
    • University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, $500,000
    • Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, $400,000
    • Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, $500,000
    • Michigan Technological University, Houghton, Michigan, $500,000
    • Alcorn State University, Lorman, Mississippi, $400,000
    • University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska, $461,187
    • Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, $461,187
    • University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, $500,000

    Plant Breeding for Agricultural Production

    • University of California, Davis, California, $490,000
    • University of California, Davis, California, $490,000
    • University of California, Davis, California, $25,000
    • University of California, Davis, California, $25,000
    • USDA Agricultural Research Service, Midwest Area, Peoria, Illinois, $490,000
    • Iowa State University of Science and Technology, Ames, Iowa, $490,000
    • Iowa State University of Science and Technology, Ames, Iowa, $490,000
    • Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, Mississippi, $150,000
    • University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, $20,000
    • Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, $244,618
    • Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey, $456,727
    • Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, New York, $25,000
    • University of North Carolina Wilmington, Wilmington, North Carolina, $490,000
    • Gordon Research Conferences, West Kingston, Rhode Island, $25,000
    • South Dakota State University, Brookings, South Dakota, $244,618
    • Texas A&M AgriLife Research, College Station, Texas, $490,000
    • University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, $490,000
    • University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, $25,000

    Physiology of Agricultural Plants

    • Chapman University, Orange, California, $149,980
    • University of California, Davis, California, $499,995
    • University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, $150,000
    • University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, $24,950
    • Florida International University, Miami, Florida, $116,830
    • University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, $455,000
    • University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, $451,747
    • University of Illinois, Champaign, Illinois, $410,000
    • USDA Agricultural Research Service, Midwest Area, Peoria, Illinois, $410,000
    • Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, $470,000
    • Louisiana State University and A&M College, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, $499,627
    • American Society of Plant Biologists, Rockville, Maryland, $25,000
    • University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, Mississippi, $499,032
    • University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, $425,200
    • Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, $135,578
    • Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, $470,000
    • Gordon Research Conferences, West Kingston, Rhode Island, $20,740
    • Gordon Research Conferences, West Kingston, Rhode Island, $18,500
    • University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, $410,000
    • University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, $17,500
    • Texas A&M AgriLife Research, College Station, Texas, $455,000
    • Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia, $470,000
    • Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, $410,000
    • Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, $494,390
    • University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, $25,000

    Among these FY16 projects, NIFA and a multistate consortium led by the Iowa Corn Promotion Board, in response to the commodity board provision in the 2014 Farm Bill, are co-funding Iowa State University researchers to study the use of soil nitrate sensors and genotyping to improve yield prediction models for next generation breeders. Among other projects, Michigan Technological University researchers will investigate novel timber production systems to protect productivity and sustainability of northern hardwoods in the North-Central region. Rutgers University researchers will target cranberry fruit chemistry to develop cultivars for use in healthier, low-sugar products.

    More information on these projects is available on the NIFA website.

    To date, NIFA has awarded more than $68 million through the PHPPP program. Past projects include a University of Pennsylvania effort to aid plant pollination by producing improved honeybees. A University of Florida project sought to develop drought-resistant peanut cultivars and developed an irrigation-scheduling tool.