Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today signed legislation to strengthen California’s ability to prevent and recover from catastrophic wildfires, including Senate Bill 901 – authored by Senator Bill Dodd (D-Napa) – which boosts the state’s forest management activities, updates requirements for the maintenance and operation of utility infrastructure to reflect changing climate conditions, and protects ratepayers and utility workers. “Wildfires …

The Almond Alliance of California appreciates the efforts by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to establish the procedures required to provide direct payments to almond growers to help offset some of the damage being incurred due to the retaliatory tariffs imposed by China and Turkey. As announced today by Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue, growers of California almonds are now …

By Anna Genasci, QAL, Assistant Director of Education, AgSafe Don’t be fooled by end of the summer cooler temperatures.  Harvest is still underway for many ag commodities, and heat stress is still a major concern for our farm employees.  It is important to understand not only the precautions to take to keep employees safe while working in the heat, but also the elements …

Hanford, Calif. —The Kings County Farm Bureau’s board of directors voted last week to endorse Hanford’s Justin Mendes in the 32nddistrict State Assembly race. The son of a Kings County dairy farmer, a Hanford city council member and the longtime district director for Congressman David Valadao, Mendes’ unique blend of experience, along with his no-nonsense approach to government, earned him …

Griswold LaSalle Law Firm is hosting an informational event about drones in the agriculture industry on August 1, at 6:00 p.m. The law firm is located at 111 E 7th Street, Hanford, CA, 93230. The event will cover drone technology; regulations and municipal ordinances; visual line of sight aircraft operation; and the permit process. For any questions or to RSVP, contact …

WUD applauds USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue’s actions announced today to try to mitigate the impact international trade disputes are having on California’s dairy farm families. The Department announced a three-prong plan to mitigate the impact of retaliatory tariffs on various agricultural commodities including payments to producers, product purchase and donation and assistance with developing new export markets. The combination of …

When it comes to groundwater in the Central Valley, there have been many articles lately telling part of the story but very few telling the whole story. Those articles criticize communities and farmers for pumping groundwater to supply water to their residents and to irrigate their farms. Most of the articles place the blame for groundwater pumping squarely on the …