The U.S. Department of Agriculture is hosting a listening session for initial input on the 2018 Farm Bill. USDA is seeking public input on the changes to existing programs implemented by the Farm Service Agency, Natural Resources Conservation Service and Risk Management Agency. Each agency will take into account stakeholder input when making discretionary decisions on program implementation. Deadline for …

FRESNO, CA – Yesterday, the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) announced a 35% initial water allocation for south-of-Delta Central Valley Project (CVP) agricultural water service contractors. Westlands appreciates that this initial allocation is higher than it otherwise would have been but for the diligent work by Reclamation staff to make the initial allocation as high as practicable. However, given the current …

By Laurie Fischer, CEO, American Dairy Coalition Mexico imports nearly a quarter of the U.S. dairy industry’s exports annually. It’s a critical $1.4 billion marketplace. And it’s one that President Trump continues to risk damaging permanently — and unnecessarily. Locked in a trade war since May, Mexican leaders are setting aside American business connections that took decades to build as our …

Exeter, CA, February 11, 2019 – Temperatures once again fell below freezing across the Central Valley citrus belt last night with overnight lows around 28 in the coldest areas. Growers report running wind machines in order to raise grove temperatures as much as 3-5 degrees to prevent freeze damage. While the temperatureswere within manageable ranges, there is some concern that …

In her role, Lewis will leverage more than 20 years of government, academic, nonprofit and corporate experience in agriculture research and policy. The Almond Board of California (ABC) welcomes Josette Lewis, PhD, to the organization as new director of Agricultural Affairs. In her position, Lewis will focus on the development, funding and strategy of ABC’s research program. Lewis most recently …