Recently, the California Walnut Board talked with walnut grower Georgia Crain of Crain Ranch about her career evolution in the industry, how she used technology to modernize the logistics department, who her female role models are in the male-dominated industry, and more. Georgia is part of the third Crain generation to work on the ranch since her grandfather planted his …

To provide the California Avocado Commission (CAC) and the growers it serves with a better perspective on the health of the California avocado industry, CAC retained the Tootelian Company to conduct a member survey. Summary findings from the report are now available on the California avocado grower website. The survey was sent to all CAC members in August 2021. The 77-page …

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has extended the deadline for agricultural producers who are certified organic, or transitioning to organic, to apply for the Organic and Transitional Education and Certification Program (OTECP). This program provides pandemic assistance to cover certification and education expenses. The deadline to apply for 2020 and 2021 eligible expenses is now Feb. 4, 2022, rather than the original deadline of Jan. 7, 2022. “We …

USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) developed a unique approach to using satellite imagery to predict cattle weight gain on rangelands. By fusing multiple images over a period of time, scientists were able to monitor how forage quality changes over space and time in rangelands within the shortgrass steppe, and how this relates to the weight gain of free-ranging cattle throughout …

In comments submitted to the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), The North American Meat Institute (NAMI) said, despite modification to proposed rules for Proposition 12 (Prop 12 or the law), the proposed rules remain flawed and more time is needed for compliance. “Until CDFA publishes final rules, no one can adequately prepare to comply with a law with …

USDA ARS — Adding cooked black beans to a high-fat diet improved sensitivity to insulin and other measures often related to diabetes and restored gut bacteria balance in obese mice, according to a USDA Agricultural Research Service study. As little as the mouse-size equivalent of a single serving a day of black beans—about a half cup for a human—lowered insulin …

We have all felt the seismic shift from the pandemic and its impact on our lives and livelihoods. Throughout the pandemic farmers and farm workers have worked diligently and continually to deliver healthy and safe fruits and vegetables to consumers. But the pandemic further exposed the tight margins of farming and the intense cost pressures being faced in agriculture today. The Grower …