…in the industry At the Produce Marketing Association’s Tech Knowledge Conference, Harvest Automation was displaying it’s potted-plant moving robot. The vehicle is about the size of a small suitcase and…
Appropriations Bill Falls Short for Farmers While Tax Bill Offers Hope
…Program. For a summary of the changes made through ag appropriations in this bill, click here. Among the more positive developments, America’s farmers did receive important support from Congress in…
The Western View: Red Combines
…art. The Western View: Red Combines This new book chronicles the history of one of the most important mechanical devices ever invented. The book is about combine harvesters built by…
Freezing Temperatures not Bad for Valley Citrus
…the season. In some cases, growers used wind machines in the early morning hours to keep the fruit dry and prevent delays in harvest. Typically, growers will also run water…
Water Cuts Inevitable for Valley Future
…The Department of Water Resources (DWR) has developed a Strategic Plan for its Sustainable Groundwater Management (SGM) Program. DWR’s SGM Program will implement the new and expanded responsibilities identified in…
California Leads Nation in Horticultural Sales
…the program’s inception in 1889. “Because horticulture production is becoming more diverse in the United States, NASS worked with key stakeholders to ensure the 2014 Census of Horticultural Specialties would…
UC Davis Cracks the Walnut Genome
…been sequenced. This represents the first reference genome sequence for a nut crop. UC Davis has the only walnut breeding program in California. The Walnut Improvement Program, under the direction…
Push for Local Food in Schools
…the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives have urged Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to strengthen enforcement of the “Buy American” provision for participants in the National School Lunch Program and…
Donation by Disney
…distribute grants to 60 member food banks to support programs for their local communities such as: School Pantry Program, BackPack Program, Kids Cafe Program and the Mobile Food Pantry Program….
U.S. Cotton Sector Facing Difficult Economic Conditions
…Coverage programs. They stated providing a safety net for cottonseed “is desperately needed to provide stability in the cotton industry.” Wannamaker’s testimony noted that for producer’s of multiple crops, the…
The Western View: Vocational Education
…schools. But students outside of agriculture programs don’t have that advantage, and are not taught the basic job skills associated with manual labor. Those students are on a college program,…
Almond Industry Effort for Innovation and Sustainability
…pushed ahead to improve best practices and develop new technologies. The Almond Board’s research programs have driven this innovation since their inception in 1973 and through this new program, we…
2015 California Leopold Conservation Award Winner Recognized
…biodiversity was taking an unusual approach to managing wild rice fields. After harvest, they began tilling the stubble into the soil and keeping their fields covered in water year-round. The…
New Pig Breed Resistant to Deadly Disease
…is being published in Nature Biotechnology this month. Genus plc, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and University of Missouri’s Food for the 21st Century Program provided funds for the…