Washington, D. C., (November 30, 2017) – Excerpted from  executive summary: Farmers over the age of 65 now outnumber farmers under 35 by a margin of six to one, and U.S. farmland is overwhelmingly concentrated in the hands of older farmers. Nearly two-thirds of farmland is currently managed by someone over 55. The National Agricultural Statistics Service estimates that over …

San Juan, Puerto Rico, (November 28, 2017) – USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is providing $10.9 million in technical and financial assistance to help farmers in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands repair damage and rebuild following hurricanes Irma and María. This investment through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, is one more option available through USDA to aid …

Davis, Calif., (November 21, 2017) – The Trump Administration recently appointed Aubrey Bettencourt as the new State Executive Director (SED) for the USDA California Farm Service Agency (FSA). Bettencourt joined the California FSA team on Monday, Nov. 13. Bettencourt most recently held the position of executive director of the California Water Alliance, a position she assumed in 2009. In this …

American Vineyard Magazine is pleased to invite grape growers and vineyard consultants to attend the Sonoma Grape Expo coming on November 10th.  This FREE bi-ennial Expo will feature an industry trade show, educational grower seminars, and state of wine grape industry addresses by Jeff Bitter from Allied Grape Growers and Todd Azevedo from the Ciatti Company.  The USDA-Farm Service Agency and NRCS will …

Davis, Calif., (October 26, 2017) – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is targeting $4 million to help farmers, ranchers, and forest land owners in California recover from the recent wildfires. USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) will issue waivers for those interested in the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) to enable recovery work to begin immediately. This is one of several disaster assistance …

Sacramento, Calif., (October 24, 2017) – Parts of the State saw rainfall for the first time in a couple of weeks, with reports of almost two inches of rain near the California/Oregon border. The south coast had reports of little to no rain. Temperature highs were in the 60s to 70s in the mountains, 70s to 100s along the coast, 80s to 90s in the valley, …

Sacramento, Calif., (October 12, 2017) – The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced funding for the 2017 Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP). California received $19.2 million out of approximately $60.6 million awarded nationwide. The SCBGP provides grants to state departments of agriculture to fund projects that enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops, defined as fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, dried …

Washington, D. C., (October 11, 2017) – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) plans to invest in 48 new, multi-year projects that aim to build vital infrastructure while conserving natural resources in 20 states or territories through the Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Program. USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) works with local groups to help prevent floods, protect watersheds, improve agricultural …

Sacramento, Calif., (October 9, 2017) – A quarantine has been declared due to a Mediterranean fruit fly (Medfly) infestation n Solano County. A total of four adult males and one unmated female have been detected. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Solano County Agricultural Commissioner, and the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) are working collaboratively on this …

Sacramento, Calif., (October 3, 2017) – A warmer and drier pattern returned last week. A dry week prevailed across the State with no sites reporting widespread measurable precipitation.  A few isolated sprinkles were associated with localized marine stratus events between Los Angeles and San Francisco. Warm afternoon highs resulted in near total snowmelt at elevations below 10,000 feet. Local snowfields, …