On July 27th, the Raisin Bargaining Association’s Board of Directors offered their Signatory Packers a sliding scale fixed price of $1500-$1900/ton (depending on crop size) for the 2020 Natural Seedless Raisin Crop. The Raisin Bargaining Board of Directors has also offered our Signatory Packers a fixed price of $2500/ton for the 2020 Zante Currant crop. The Board of Directors is …

Ciatti Global Market Report —Activity on California’s bulk market has slowed since the initial March and April uptick but is still moving forward at a better pace than this time last year, assisted by the continued increase in consumer demand for wine in the US off-trade. Nielsen data shows wine’s off-trade dollar sales growth – year-on-year – at 18-24% each …

United Dairy Families of California —Today, the industry-generated petition to implement a sunset plan to the QIP was qualified by the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA). The petition qualified with 28% of the number of Market Milk producers operating in California in May 2020. CDFA anticipates holding a Producer Review Board meeting in August followed by a public hearing to …

Although they graduated more than a decade apart, Fresno State alumni Nathan Cardella and Joseph Maldonado fondly shared the same memories as many current enology students. “The smell that would radiate during crush, bottling or racking,” Cardella said. “The best part was being able to still smell it during classes. It brought back memories of working in our family vineyards …

Italian ryegrass is a major weed in orchards, vineyards, field crops, and fallow fields of California (Figure 1). Several different herbicides are used to control ryegrass and had been effective in reducing infestations until resistance evolved in many populations following repeated use of the herbicides. To date, resistance to glyphosate, paraquat, and some ACCase and ALS inhibitors has been confirmed …

Wine lovers looking for creative ways to celebrate National White Wine Day on August 3 can steal ideas from a new–and free–California Wine Cocktails eBook. The digital book, which includes several California white wine based cocktails, can be downloaded here for instant gratification!Luscious recipes featured in the eBook include Cucumber Herb Spritzer, Fresh Berry Moscato Mule and Strawberry Lemon Smash. While the white …

When Glenn McGourty arrived in Lake County in the 1970s, he was immediately smitten. “I was blown away at how special it is,” he recalled recently. “It’s just a beautiful place—unusual geology and native plants in this striking mountainous landscape.” More than three decades later, Glenn’s love for Lake County is as strong as ever. The region is part of …

Almond Alliance of the California — Today, Governor Newsom announced that the State has issued a new Employer Playbook for a Safe Reopening, which contains guidance regarding all of the following: Requirements employers must satisfy to provide safe and clean work environments. This guidance expands on the existing industry specific guidance and checklists, the most current versions of which can be viewed …

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 …