Monthly Archives: August 2016

The USDA’s Economic Research Service  (ERS) has compiled and released preliminary agricultural production statistics for 2015 in California.  This first set of data indicates that production value fell by $9.5 billion, or nearly 17 percent compared to 2014, to a … Continue reading →

By Scott Smith A drone whirred to life in a cloud of dust, then shot hundreds of feet skyward for a bird’s-eye view of a vast tomato field in California’s Central Valley, the nation’s most productive farming region. Equipped with … Continue reading →

  By Amy Wu Israel Ramirez considers himself an anomaly, at least for now. At 21 he is one of the youngest farm workers in an industry that known for its aging workforce. But as agriculture companies find ways to … Continue reading →

By John Holland Dust rises as machines harvest almonds up and down the Central Valley. Except on 10 acres southwest of Modesto, where a new method is getting a look. Billy Lyons created a test plot that is not harvested … Continue reading →

Note – The California Department of Food and Agriculture’s (CDFA) Division of Measurement Standards plays an important role in the ongoing development of hydrogen fueling stations by certifying hydrogen fuel meters; and regulating fuel quality, advertising and labeling in the consumer … Continue reading →

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced plans to purchase approximately 11 million pounds of cheese from private inventories to assist food banks and pantries across the nation, while reducing a cheese surplus that is at its highest level … Continue reading →

From KBAK and KBFX Eyewitness News, Bakersfield: External video – link no longer available ——————————– From Bakersfield Now: Science Non Fiction: Parasitic Wasps Releases to Go After Psyllids  By Christine Bedell Thousands of tiny, parasitic wasps originating from Pakistan are … Continue reading →

By Esther Mobley California’s 2016 wine grape harvest is under way, and after a freakishly early and low-yielding 2015 vintage, things seem to be back to normal — sort of. The bump in yields promises some financial relief for the … Continue reading →

Last week CDFA announced the lifting of a long-running quarantine in California for the European Grapevine Moth, dating back to 2009. In the midst of the program, in 2012, CDFA produced a video featuring Napa County Agriculture Commissioner (then asst.) … Continue reading →

The USDA has announced a new investment of $17.8 million for 37 projects to help educate, mentor, and enhance the sustainability of the next generation of farmers, including $600,000 for the Agriculture and Land-Based Training Association, or ALBA, in Salinas. ALBA generates … Continue reading →