…all: human perception and behavior. He points to historic missteps, like the over-planting of Zinfandel following a major industry study. Ironically, it was White Zinfandel—and sweet wine drinkers often dismissed…
The Origins of the Deere & Mansur Corn Planter
…technology—the creation of the Deere & Mansur corn planter. As agriculture expanded across the United States, so did the need for more accurate and efficient planting equipment. This growing demand…
Navigating California’s Agricultural Regulations: Insights from Bryan Little of the California Farm Bureau
…for production, but it is the workers who drive the day-to-day operations—from planting and harvesting to operating machinery—who make it all possible. Little stresses that public discourse often overlooks this…
California Agave Farming: Stuart Woolf’s Vision for Sustainable Agriculture
…plans a rotational planting and harvesting schedule to maintain continuous production. Water Management and Land Optimization Agave cultivation is part of a larger strategy to optimize water-limited farmland: Installing solar…
Organic Farming, Regulation & Innovation in California
…Jacobs and the hosts discuss: Rising labor costs and shifting labor laws Regulatory obstacles that complicate planting, harvesting, and processing Water restrictions and the loss of high-quality farmland to development…
Organic Growers Summit 2025 in Monterey: Technology, Education, and Sustainable Farming Innovations
…faced by growers in the Golden State. While Illinois farmers primarily manage seasonal planting and harvest cycles, California’s farmers contend with year-round demands, stringent regulations, water limitations, and labor constraints….
Early American Farmers and the Lost Art of Soil Stewardship
…practiced poor soil management. They rarely rotated crops or replaced nutrients lost through continuous planting. Instead, they depended on the natural fertility of virgin land to produce their harvests. Once…
From Barley to Cotton: How America’s Early Crops Shaped Agriculture
…challenges unlike anything they had known in England. According to Mark Oppold in American Agriculture History Minute, these settlers initially relied on the seeds they brought from their homeland—planting barley…
How Early Farmers Learned to Protect Their Soil
…of diseases and harmful insects while replenishing the soil with diverse nutrients. Unlike continuous planting of a single crop, rotation balanced soil composition naturally. Corn used one set of nutrients,…
Kings River Packing: Eight Generations of Citrus Leadership
…is that the Hazelton family began planting orange trees in Fresno County back in the 1860s. Today, that legacy continues through Kings River Packing, officially formed in 1977 when the…
Westward Expansion Transforms 1850s American Farming
…of agricultural knowledge gained from their home regions. Farmers from New England and New York introduced seeds for plum, apple, and pear trees, planting the first large-scale orchards across the…
Building the Future of Ag Education at Merced College
…crops and livestock pastures. “Students will experience the full farm-to-fork process — planting, nurturing, harvesting, processing, and even marketing their products,” he said. “It’s a complete educational ecosystem.” Connecting Students…
Post–Civil War Wheat Crash: How Farmers Turned to Corn and Livestock
…crops in the United States. With soldiers and civilians alike needing bread and other staples, demand soared—and so did prices. Farmers across the Midwest and East quickly responded, planting more…
Van Groningen & Sons: A Century of California Farming
…while we’re still harvesting this year’s crops.” For the Van Groningen family, farming is an ongoing cycle of planning, planting, harvesting, and improvement. “You always have to think one, two,…