Santa Rosa, Calif., (July 5, 2017) – A new survey of more than 295 winegrape growers in Sonoma County confirms that the local winegrape industry provides a number of valuable contributions to the community. As one of the largest employers, winegrape growers pay top wages to their workers and serve as generous philanthropists contributing to non-profit organizations and groups in …

Santa Rosa, Calif., (July 5, 2017) – Lee Walker, 86, is a sixth generation apple farmer in Graton whose 50 acre apple farm epitomizes the term family business. Walker manages the farm alongside his son Lee Walker III, but around the property you will always find a handful of family members putting in their best effort on top of their …

SACRAMENTO, June 20, 2017 – The California Association of Winegrape Growers (CAWG) has requested the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) exempt winegrapes from its produce safety rule under the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) and place them on a list of produce commodities rarely consumed raw. The action would exempt growers and wineries from having to comply with unnecessary …

Davis, Calif., (June 30, 2017) – When the UC Davis Fire Department trained with campus experts this spring on how to corral loose animals and load horses into trailers, the firefighters likely had no idea they’d be putting their new skills to use so soon. On June 19, they did just that, evacuating a barn full of goats, chickens and a …

Davis, Calif., (June 30, 2017) – California land managers and wildlife experts are increasingly tasked with managing the return of long-suppressed predators to the landscape, including wolves, mountain lions, badgers, foxes, coyotes, bobcats, and bears. As a result, California is poised to see growing numbers of complex human-wildlife interactions, said Justin Brashares, UC Berkeley professor and UC ANR researcher. State and federal policies once …

Mountain View, Calif., (June 29, 2017) – More than 300 people gathered in Mountain View for the fourth annual FOOD IT: Fork to Farm on June 27 to discuss the role of information technology in the food system – from managing crops in the field to dealing with consumer food waste. The event, hosted by The Mixing Bowl, attracted professionals …

Exeter, Calif., (June 29, 2017) – Two more trees infected with huanglongbing (HLB) disease were identified and destroyed in the days before UC Cooperative Extension and the Citrus Research Board kicked off their spring Citrus Growers Education Seminar in Exeter June 27. The new infections raise the total number of HLB-infected trees in Los Angeles and Orange counties to 73. The latest statistic …

Sacramento, Calif., (June 29, 2017) –  The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) is now accepting public comments on Requests for Grant Applications (RGA) for the $6.75 million Healthy Soils Program (HSP), authorized by the Budget Act of 2016, and funded through California’s cap-and-trade program. The Healthy Soils Program offers grants to farmers who take action to capture greenhouse …

Sacramento, Calif., (June 28, 2017) – The impacts of such an unusually wet winter and prolonged spring rain events on insect and mite activity are still developing. This article summarizes some notable observations thus far and specific pest management considerations as we move into summer. The first codling moth biofix generally ranged from early- to mid-April in 2017 in the …

Washington, D. C., (June 28, 2017) – A modernized North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) must build upon market gains for U.S. agriculture and settle remaining challenges for our nation’s farmers and ranchers in our neighboring markets, Don Shawcroft, Colorado Farm Bureau president, stated in a hearing before the U.S. Trade Representative today. “NAFTA has been overwhelmingly beneficial for the …