…bug can create a host of challenges for California almond growers and the particular species creating problems in orchards has shifted over the past 30 years. The coalition of 28…
USDA Making $1 Billion Available for Renewable Energy and Efficiency Improvements
…and rural small businesses with clean energy access. Grants are being made available through the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) with funding from the Inflation Reduction Act. “Supporting renewable…
USDA Announces Additional Help for Distressed Farmers
…22006 of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). The announcement builds on financial assistance offered to borrowers through the same program in October 2022. The IRA directed USDA to expedite assistance…
Senate Passes Congressional Review of WOTUS, Biden Expected to Veto
The U.S. Senate passed the Congressional Review Act joint resolution of disapproval to overturn the Biden Administration’s Waters of the United States Rule. It passed by a 53-43 vote with…
Substantial Increase for Central Valley Project Water Allocations
…water service and repayment contractors north-of-Delta will now receive 80 percent of their contract total. South-of-Delta contractors have also received the same 80 percent allocation. Initial allocations had been more…
Almond Matters: Taking Care of Perennial Grasses in Orchards
…Todd Burkdoll said it might be a tough year for grasses. Weather conditions this season may have prevented some preemergent activities or caused a breakdown in their efficacy. “Having ample…
Shift in Leaffooted Bug Species Impacting California Almonds
…the past 30 years. “We had a species called Leptoglossus clypealis that was the most important one. It’s a native species to this area. Very rarely, but occasionally, we’d get…
State AGs Encourage Congressional Action on Right to Repair Legislation
…Repair Act would require manufacturers to make certain tools and documents available to independent repair providers and owners. The SMART Act would allow repair shops to use alternative or off-brand…
AgNet Weekly: Court Ruling on WOTUS, Black Vulture Relief Act Introduced
…Johannes, Director of Government Affairs for NCBA and the Public Lands Council, about the Black Vulture Relief Act. Each week we highlight essential legislative and policy conversations affecting agriculture…
Federal Judge Raises Constitutional Questions About WOTUS Rule
…this court should—if any other reasonable interpretation of the Act exists—avoid,” U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Vincent Brown said in his opinion. At the same time, Judge Brown also denied a…
Farm Operations Support Act Aims to Suspend H-2A Wage Increases
…Operations Support Act to address increasing wages for the H-2A program. The legislation would set the AEWR to the December 2022 level for the remainder of the year. For the…
Vidalia Onion Season Date Announced
…Onion Advisory Panel voted April 17 as the 2023 pack date. For more than 80 years, Vidalia onions have been hand-planted, harvested, and cured by growers. The Vidalia Onion Act…
Bill Introduced to Provide Clean Drinking Water for Rural Americans
…introduced the bipartisan Healthy Drinking Water Affordability Act, or The Healthy H2O Act. Baldwin, a Wisconsin Democrat and Collins, a Maine Republican, say the bill will provide water testing and…
Week in Review: Groundwater Recharging Made Easier & Biden Budget Highlights Conservation
Governor Gavin Newsom is taking action to put the abundance of floodwater in California to better use through an executive order. President Joe Biden has released the President’s Budget for…