For anyone wanting to build a garden, one of the first lessons is building the soil. An easy, cost-effective way of doing it, while also conserving water, is sheet mulching….
Agri View: Dining Out
…manufacturers added all last year, according to the Labor Department. Shifting demographics and a 6 1/2-year economic recovery are fueling the industry’s growth. American consumers have paid down debts since…
Butterfly and Pollinator Garden
…time to germinate. Seeds can also be best if you are doing a very large garden as they tend to cost less. Remember to water your seeds even before you…
Still Testing Walnut Pruning Method
…showing early production and reduced labor cost for growers. Cooperative Extension Contra Costa Farm Advisor Janet Caprielle says the Extension is still monitoring the research though before recommending it to…
Lower Cost for Refinancing Rural Housing
USDA Rural Housing Service Administrator Tony Hernandez announced a series of changes that will make it faster and cheaper for homeowners to refinance USDA mortgages. “These changes reaffirm the Obama…
Honey Bee Colony Health Survey Results
…a non-invasive method of monitoring bee colony health; and ARS has launched a project to determine colony survival, population size, cost and the return on investment of two overwintering strategies…
Pilot Program to Protect Children from Fumigants
Agricultural Commissioner Eric Lauritzen, Cesar Lara, Director of the Monterey Bay Central Labor Council and Juan Uranga, the Executive Director of the Center for Community Advocacy (CCA) announced the initiation…
California Raisin Grape Mechanical Harvest Report
…production of dried-on-the-vine raisins, increased machine harvesting, and decreased hand labor use. PROCEDURES The Pacific Regional Office of USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, in cooperation with the California Department of…
Conservation Reserve Program Results
…the program’s 49th sign up period. Through CRP, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) helps farmers offset the costs of restoring, enhancing and protecting certain grasses, shrubs and trees that…
Almond Board: Upcoming Workshops
…in-the-field workshops present a unique opportunity to refine your weed identification skills, match the latest management strategies and tactics with weed species present and resistance concerns, and review cost-effective practices…
Two Sides of TPP
…the solution. “In its current form, the TPP stands to hurt our rural economies by pitting American jobs against foreign labor that is paid mere pennies per hour. Beyond the…
New Cost Studies for Growing Almonds
…costs, the costs and returns per acre, hourly equipment costs, and the whole farm annual equipment, investment and business overhead costs. The new studies are titled as follows: Sample Costs…
USDA Unveils New ‘Urban Agriculture Toolkit’
…development, production strategies, and applying for federal, state or private foundation grants. University extension service partners in Chicago and Indianapolis helped develop cost estimates for starting urban farms and the…
Farmers Check Impact of Spring Storms
…are really on the fence about harvesting, based on the cost of getting the equipment in the field and hiring the crew and potential returns, so this is really bad.”…