…near and dear to me,” said Montgomery. “I feel very fortunate to be able to return to the Central Valley and give back to the program that first fostered my…
Foreign Investment in U.S. Farmland Rising
A Chinese firm made big news in 2013 by spending $4.7 billion to acquire U.S. processor Smithfield Foods. In that same deal, the company also acquired over 146,000 acres of…
Dairy Producers Needed for Sorghum Research
The University of California is currently conducting sorghum research that is aimed at finding the most effective methods of growing sorghum as an alternative food source for dairy cows. The…
Western View: Teosinte and GMO Foods
…for consumption by humans is genetically modified food. There are no wild, seedless watermelons.” Since early times, people have systematically improved all of the foods we eat. Everything tastes better,…
Five First Aid Herbs to Grow Indoors
…Houseleek, Catnip, and Valerian. Fresh green sage herb plant Sage plant and essential oil used for seasoning food, aromatherapy, cosmetics etc. Pieces of aloe vera. Houseleeks plants Houseleeks growing in…
Agri View: Who Started Farming?
…since the first settlers arrived. They had to produce their own food or starve. But, agriculture was a big thing in America even further back than that. Our entire population…
Labor Shortages Continue to Plague California
…is the current state of the immigration system and how policies like the H-2A program is administered. “The problem with H-2A is there’s timelines and some requirements that just don’t…
Easy Fruits and Veggies to Grow in Pots
…face it, we all want to be green thumbs. And why wouldn’t we want to grow our own food? It really is a lot easier than we think. Container gardening…
Agri View: Reducing Food Waste
Everett Griner talks about the shocking food waste figures in today’s Agri View. Reducing Food Waste I mention this frequently because it is in the news quite often. Food waste….
Funding to Encourage SNAP Participants to Purchase Healthy Foods
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced 32 grants totaling $16.8 million to help Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants increase their purchases of fruits and vegetables. The program is…
Egg Shell Uses
…to dog food as a supreme calcium supplement. Egg shells can be used as a fun art project. Crush and add to paint for decorative walls or furniture. I’m Cathy…
Global Food Prices Hit Three-year High
Global food prices reached a three-year high in July, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization. The FAO Food Price Index in July averaged 179.1 points in July…
Agri View: Hobby Farming
…acreage. Just enough land to grow food crops and raise animals. Some farms are as small as 20 acres. Some larger. Now, these are people who want to stay busy…
Tomato Harvest Slowly Gains Momentum
…California Department of Food and Agriculture revised upward the amount of tomatoes under processor contract, from 11.6 million tons to 11.8 million. Acreage remains the same, at 235,000. The California…