Food production in California—always risky business—has become increasingly complex and unpredictable. Farmers say recent meager irrigation water-supply announcements for some of the state’s growing regions have further complicated planting and…
Agri View: Pig Out
…cosmetics and other and medical use. The activities on a pig farm depend on the husbandry style of the farmer, and range from very little intervention (as when pigs are…
$4.7 Million Available in Grants
…food safety education, training, and technical assistance projects that address the needs of owners and operators of small to mid-sized farms, beginning farmers, socially-disadvantaged farmers, small processors, small fresh fruit…
The Western View: Goodbye to Merle Haggard
Merle Haggard passed into history on April 9. He was one of us – a California farmer, a country boy who excelled in his field of work. The Western View:…
Farm Credit Top 100 Honorees
…was awarded under Financial Stewardship. Michael O’Goreman out of Davis, California was awarded under Agriculture Education and Community Impact Carly Olufs out of Petaluma, California was awarded under Beginning Farmer…
Grants to Help Ag Producers Increase Value of Their Products
…to farmers, ranchers and businesses to develop new bio-based products and expand markets through the Value-Added Producer Grant program. “America’s farmers, ranchers and rural business owners are innovative entrepreneurs and…
Fresh Citrus for California Food Banks
…a fun opportunity for legislators to meet citrus growers and their families while supporting communities in need. Participants will enjoy music, a photo booth, free swag, and a “citrus farmer’s…
Groups of Farmers May Now Join Together for Good Ag. Practices Certification
If you are a farmer wanting to be certified in USDA’s Good Agricultural Practices program, you may be able to join with your fellow producers in your area in getting…
New GroupGAP Program for the Produce
…that helps small and mid-sized growers and cooperatives meet retailers’ on-farm food safety requirements. “We know that GAP certification can sometimes be cost-prohibitive for smaller farmers,” said AMS Administrator Elanor…
The Western View: Fake Science
In the current issue of Modern Farmer magazine, there’s an article that addresses GMO issues. Yes, one more discussion of applying science to our dinner. We all know that nearly…
NFU to Survey on 2014 Farm Bill Policies
With the 2014 Agricultural Act in full effect and a new Farm Bill debate on the horizon, the National Farmers Union (NFU) is conducting a survey of family farmers and…
Food Price Survey
…dropped. “Through the mid-1970s, farmers received about one-third of consumer retail food expenditures for food eaten at home and away from home, on average. Since then, that figure has decreased…
Toolkit to Assess Economic Impact of Local Foods
…Festival and Conference in Chicago. “Strong local and regional food systems are helping to revitalize rural and urban communities across the country, and more than 160,000 farmers and ranchers nationwide…
Agri View: Inventions and Agriculture
…Later improvements resulted in machines that extracted virtually all the grain from the straw and thoroughly cleaned it. 4. Steam Engine: Until the end of the 18th century, American farmers…