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 …

WASHINGTON, D.C – The Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance (SCFBA), representing over 120 specialty crop organizations across the United States, has released the following statement after the passage of the farm bill in the U.S. Senate by a vote of 86 to 11: The Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance applauds the bipartisan efforts of Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Minority Leader …

Washington, D.C (June 28, 2018)—Independent Community Bankers of America® (ICBA) President and CEO Rebeca Romero Rainey issued the following statement on the Senate’s passage of the Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018 (H.R. 2). “ICBA applauds today’s strong, bipartisan vote by the full Senate to enact a new farm bill, H.R. 2. Today’s passage by the full Senate comes a …

Read the latest news in the Dairy Industry with California Dairy Magazine! In this Issue: From Utter Chaos to Udder Comfort At Vander Eyk Dairy New Carousel Makes Life Easier for Cows & Staff June is Dairy Month Recognizing Dairy Families & Their Products It’s Official–California Has a Federal Milk Marketing Order Western United Dairymen Providing a Voice for the …

On May 31, the United States Department of Agriculture, Farm Service Agency (USDA-FSA) State Committee approved pistachio Bushy Top Syndrome as a natural disaster, thereby allowing pistachios to be included in USDA’s Tree Assistance Program (TAP).This means that eligible growers affected by the Bushy Top Syndrome could receive government assistance for the replacement of their affected trees. The program will be …

Central Valley Farmland Trust & Brentwood Agricultural Land Trust Merge to Conserve more Farms Together The Central Valley Farmland Trust (CVFT) and the Brentwood Agricultural Land Trust (BALT) have merged to form one outstanding organization dedicated to serving more California farmers. BALT was formed in 2002 and CVFT in 2004, both land trusts’ missions focused on farmland protection and they each …

Spring is in full swing and summer is right around the corner. If you work in agricultural, turf, landscape, or structural settings, you are probably at your busiest. If you handle pesticides as part of your work, you most likely wear some sort of personal protective equipment (PPE). However, do you know if you are wearing the right type for …

Fresno State senior Alexis Ford was named the 2018 Alpha Zeta McClure Outstanding Chronicler of the Year by the national agricultural honorary leadership student organization. An agricultural communications major from Pine Mountain, Ford is a member of the Alpha Zeta Cal Epsilon organization and coordinates all of the club’s public relations efforts. The award was based on her publicity efforts …

Investment Announced at Barnett Elementary School, as Part of a Salad Bar Donation Ceremony & Melon Variety Taste Test Bayer has committed $40,000 to the United Fresh Start Foundation, in support of their mission to increase children’s access to fresh fruits and vegetables. As part of the partnership, Bayer is funding salad bars for eight schools in California and Idaho. …

Delivering improved varieties and crop protection through high quality seed is a vital component of modern agricultural production systems. It is critical that seed producers and marketers have an understanding of the biological factors that contribute to the development and maintenance of seed health, vigor and viability, and how those qualities are measured. This course presents the scientific background and …