Each year, a special group of young women are selected to represent the state’s more than 1,300 dairy farm families who contribute to making California number one for milk production in the U.S. These Dairy Princess ambassadors and alternates are selected during events at Districts throughout the state, where they showcase speaking skills, knowledge of dairy and plans to represent …

(Week Ending on March 9) SMALL GRAINS AND OTHER FIELD CROPS: Recent rains have benefited wheat and alfalfa crops. Dairy forage crops are still flourishing from the additional rain. Some fields are beginning to be planted for spring silage as weather permits. DECIDUOUS TREE FRUITS, NUTS, AND GRAPES: Bee hives are still being placed in almond orchards. Petal-fall on almonds …

Much can happen in a year, as a major collective effort underway by the organic community is proving. Scores of organic companies and stakeholders have enthusiastically stepped up to invest almost $1.5 million in programs to advance organic food and farming — initiatives to promote organic, educate consumers about organic’s benefits, assist organic farmers and foster critical organic research. And …

The University of California Kern County Cooperative Extension is holding a spring citrus meeting on Friday, March 8 from 8:30 a.m. to noon at the Kern County Cooperative Extension auditorium. Meeting topics include the latest Asian citrus psyllid treatment strategies, the 2019 Kern County ACP coordinated treatment plan and more. The meeting is open to all citrus growers and affiliates. …

In 2018 California table grape growers produced just under 117.1 million box units of grapes which translates to 115.6 million 19-pound boxes. The 2018 total marks the second largest volume shipped in industry history, behind only the 2013 total of 117.4 million box units. The original estimate for the 2018 season was 114.6 million 19-pound boxes. The top varieties produced in …

As part of the company’s commitment to growth and efficiencies, Sun-Maid Growers of California announced it will move its corporate offices from Kingsburg and satellite offices from northern California to a new consolidated headquarters in Fresno this summer. Sun-Maid’s Kingsburg location will be transformed into a center for operational excellence and product development to further incite innovation and encourage a strong focus on new products for the brand. To ensure …

To explore and discover solutions to plant diseases impacting the global citrus industry, the 21st Conference of the International Organization of Citrus Virologists (IOCV) and the 6th International Research Conference on Huanglongbing (IRCHLB) are taking place at the Riverside Convention Center in Riverside from March 10-15, 2019. Co-organized by Citrus Research Board, the conferences will bring more than 500 attendees – from leading …

California Farm Service Agency Stands Ready to Assist Agricultural Producers Slammed by Recent Heavy Rains  California Farm Service Agency (FSA) reminds farmers and ranchers across the state of federal farm program benefits that may be available to help eligible producers recover from recent heavy rains and flooding. FSA offers disaster assistance and low-interest loan programs to assist agricultural producers in …

SMALL GRAINS AND OTHER FIELD CROPS: Field crops that have already been planted are benefitting from the recent rainfall. Field activities have picked up due to warmer weather conditions, but stall a bit due to this week’s rain. Forage crops are still flourishing from the additional water. Some fields are beginning to be planted for spring silage. DECIDUOUS TREE FRUITS, …

Consumers want strawberries to be red, sweet, ripe and juicy, like those fresh picked from a garden. Suppliers want them to be easy to handle and ship, without getting squished. Commercial strawberry growers need their crops to be high-yielding and disease-resistant. An international team of scientists led by the University of California, Davis, and Michigan State University has taken a …