…effects of the fire, there is already some California fruit being picked and packaged. “We are very, very confident that we’re going to still have a very high level of…
U.S. Ethanol Production Near Capacity but Constraints Limit Growth
…As of last year, the USDA report says plants have been operating at 97 percent capacity. That translates into more than 15 billion gallons of ethanol production. Such a high…
Perdue Presents Agriculture and Rural Prosperity Task Force Report to Trump
…rural America a high priority. On the day he swore me in to office, he tasked me with chairing the Interagency Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity. With the…
“Connect Americans Now” Formed to Improve Rural Broadband Access
…Connect Americans Now, says all Americans deserve access to high-speed internet, regardless of where they live. “Without a broadband connection, students struggle to keep up on their assignments,” he says,…
Dairy Farming Desperate for Immigration Reform
…article says labor costs will rise in the new year. As of January first, farmers in some of the largest dairy-producing states now face government-mandated higher minimum wages. California farmers…
Report: Vertical Farming Happening Now
…controlled environment to grow crops, with high-data monitoring. Stanford says vertical farms offer year-round growing capacities, less water consumption, and improved crop predictability. For example, AeroFarms, a 70,000-square-foot vertical farm…
Snow Survey Significantly Below Average
…California typically receives approximately half of its annual precipitation during the months of December, January, and February. The majority of precipitation comes from atmospheric rivers (ARs). An atmospheric high-pressure zone…
2018 Crop Prices Outlook
A University of Illinois economist expects 2018 crop prices to remain below high levels seen earlier this decade due to global inventories. Economist Todd Hubbs explains that global economic growth…
Thomas Fire: First Estimate of Agricultural Losses Tops $171 Million
…at nearly $171.3 million, with avocados and citrus crops suffering the highest losses. The estimates do not include wage losses of farm employees, the report said, and “nothing can measure…
Support for Organic Agriculture Research, Extension, and Education
…enhance the ability of producers and processors who have already adopted organic standards to grow and market high quality organic agricultural products. Priority areas include biological, physical, and social science…
Beef and Pork Production Hit Record High Numbers
…three percent higher than last year. Beef production was at 2.29 billion pounds in November, two percent higher than November of 2016. A three percent increase in November slaughter to…
Farmland Values Still High Despite Low Commodity Prices
Industry experts are scratching their heads over the relatively high price of farmland while commodity prices are still low. The two factors often have a strong correlation between each other….
Citrus Avoids Damage with Short Periods of Freeze
Temperatures throughout most of the Central Valley citrus belt failed to reach predicted lows Thursday night and Friday morning. In the coldest of areas, temperatures dipped to 26 degrees, although…
Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture Reflects on Year of Progress
…conditions. Agency personnel focused on areas with communities, areas of high fire potential, and areas where risk could most effectively be alleviated; Increased wildfire mitigation efforts in high-risk communities through…