The California Almond Objective Measurement Report, published today by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service – Pacific Regional Office (NASS/PRO), estimates that the 2019 crop will be 2.20 billion pounds, down 3.5% from the 2018 crop production of 2.28 billion pounds. The California Almond Objective Measurement Report is the official industry crop estimate. This year’s Objective …

WEATHER Temperature highs ranged from the high 50s to mid 80s in the mountains, mid 60s to mid 90s along the coast, mid 70s to high 90s in the valley, and mid 80s to low 110s in the desert.  Temperature lows ranged from the mid 30s to high 50s in the mountains, mid 40s to high 50s along the coast, …

SANTA ROSA, Calif. (July 2, 2019) – As Sonoma County Winegrape Growers close in on its goal of reaching 100% sustainability this year, there is an awful lot to celebrate. Foremost, despite record rainfall amounts, early reports indicate the fruit set was good throughout Sonoma County though harvest will be running two to three weeks later than last year. Next, …

The California Association of Winegrape Growers (CAWG) requested state support for critical wine and viticulture research during today’s joint hearing of the Senate Select Committee on California’s Wine Industry and the Assembly Select Committee on Wine. The hearing – titled “Cultivating the Next Generation of Wine Industry Leaders and Emerging Markets in California” – covered the state of wine education and research, as well as emerging …

SACRAMENTO – Starting in July, USDA will be asking goat producers to participate in the 2019 National Animal Health Monitoring System (NAHMS) Study. Throughout California and the U.S., goat producers that take part in the study will identify practices and health measures that promote efficient production and improve product quality. Gary Keough, USDA NASS Director for the Pacific Region, explained, “The Goat 2019 Study …

The PD/GWSS Board voted during its June 17 meeting to reduce the winegrape assessment from $1.50 to $1.00 per $1,000 of value for the 2019 harvest. The Board’s recommendation was approved by CDFA Secretary Karen Ross. The annual rate has averaged $1.42 per $1,000 of value since it was established in 2001. Assessment funds are used for research and outreach on Pierce’s …

California Walnut Board: We recently received final clarification that the Indian government announcement regarding implementation of the 20% retaliatory tariff that went into effect Sunday, June 16, does, in fact, include walnuts. Please let us know whether or not you have shipments currently in transit as the US Embassy in India wants to be aware of the magnitude of the tariff …

Women involved in agriculture from throughout the U.S. met in Washington, D.C., recently for the 26th annual American Agri-Women (AAW) Fly-In & Symposium. The group met with elected officials and policymakers to discuss key issues, including agricultural labor; rural infrastructure; rural broadband and telecommunications; trade and the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement; Electronic Logging Device regulations; and agricultural technology innovations. This year’s Symposium, “Federal Land …

American Farmland Trust, the organization behind the national movement No Farms No Food®, has hired Dr. Gabrielle Roesch-McNally as the Director of its Women for the Land initiative. Dr. Roesch-McNally will provide overall leadership for Women for the Land and collaborate with regional offices to ensure that AFT’s programming is strategic, synergistic across regions, well-received and impactful. The goal of AFT’s …

USDA announced it is offering $75 million in funding for the eradication and control of feral swine through the Feral Swine Eradication and Control Pilot Program (FSCP) in a joint effort with USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). The 2018 Farm Bill included this new pilot program to help address the threat that …