As we approach the Stop QIP v CDFA court hearing date rescheduled for July 31, we received a lot of questions on the topic and if this proceeding is different than the Chapter 3.5 hearing we went through in June. Below you will find a list of commonly asked questions as well as a few others of interest regarding quota. If 
QIP …

The Napa Valley Farmworker Foundation (FWF) and Napa Valley Grapegrowers (NVG) announce a partnership with St. Helena Hospital Foundation (SHHF) to increase access to COVID- 19 screening for farmworkers. NVG and FWF have jointly funded supplying and staffing a mobile health unit, capable of traveling to vineyard sites and testing up to 100 vineyard workers per day. These funds have …

On July 17th, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer announced the appointment of 25 new members to serve on seven agricultural trade advisory committees, including some of our friends in California. This will bring a greater voice and trade opportunities for specialty crop growers in California. The Agricultural Policy Advisory Committee is comprised of …

The U.S. House of Representatives Appropriations Committee recently released an appropriations bill that included $8 million for the facility in Phoenix, AZ that is currently being used to rear sterile navel orangeworm (NOW) for aerial release in California. The facility is part of an area-wide pilot program that the pistachio and almond industries have been interested in developing. For 2020, …

As we hit the final stretch of the growing season, effective management of strategic deficit irrigation can make all the difference between a stressful or successful harvest. Maintaining optimal tree stress for your current growing conditions as we approach harvest is critical, as too much stress can negatively impact kernel size and not enough stress can make it difficult to achieve a uniform shake.With that …

The implementation of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) and and other anticipated water restrictions pose major challenges for California agriculture. Without effective solutions, economists have estimated that up to one million acres of farmland will be fallowed, resulting in a revenue loss of $7.2 billion per year. As the state’s top agricultural commodity, dairy farming is an important part …

Due to concerns about COVID-19, organizers of the 2021 Unified Wine & Grape Symposium announced the event will be presented online as a virtual conference on January 26-28, 2021. In addition, the Unified will host a virtual trade show throughout the three days, with an additional half day on Friday, January 29, 2021, from 8 to 11 a.m. The Unified …

The Animal Agriculture Alliance is excited to announce the launch of the Animal Ag Allies program to empower farmers, ranchers and practicing veterinarians to be outspoken advocates for agriculture online and within their communities. The Alliance is currently seeking participants to enroll by August 7. The Animal Ag Allies program provides opportunities for networking, training, and continuous development of issue …

To address nitrate pollution of groundwater, the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board has initiated a regulatory program requiring growers to utilize nitrogen management practices that mitigate nitrate loading. Because nitrogen plays such a critical role in in the growth and development of avocado trees — and because it can be difficult to ensure trees are receiving the optimal amount …

Erosion damage caused by the 2018 – 2020 California wildfires can result in discharges of sediment, metals, nutrients and other pollutants that threaten streams, aquatic life and public health. In an effort to mitigate the effects of erosion caused by the fires in Ventura and Los Angeles Counties, the Post Fire Recovery Project will allocate $320,000 worth of reimbursable supplies …