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By Audrey Hill, Feature Contributor, Valley Ag Voice
On July 26th, 2022 the Water Association of Kern County held a Water Legislation Update at Bakersfield College. At the luncheon, Senators Shannon Grove, Melissa Hurtado, and assemblyman Vince Fong spoke to farmers, resource specialists, journalists, and interested citizens about the ways water has been and will be moving in Kern County.
The...
By Greg Cluff, LeAnn Riley, & Julie Beechinor, Bakersfield College Agriculture Faculty
The Bakersfield College Agriculture Farm Laboratory has been undergoing extensive modernization for the last five years with funding from Strong Workforce, and large donations from local agriculture industries and organizations. Many of the projects are either completed or nearing completion and will be used as teaching tools this...
Christine Souza
Assistant Editor, Ag Alert
By Christine Souza, Assistant Editor, Ag Alert
Gov. Gavin Newsom sounded an alarm last week as he announced a strategy to capture and store more water while investing in infrastructure to avert catastrophic impacts of an anticipated loss of another 10% in California water supplies by 2040.
Newsom’s water plan seeks to create storage space for up...
By Patty Poire, President, Kern County Farm Bureau
Over the weekend, I was thinking about the movie Chinatown and how most people don’t realize that the movie was really about water and Los Angeles! It was set in time prior to the construction of the California Aqueduct; however, the famous line from the movie, “Either you bring the water to...
Timothy Collins
Chair, Kern County Young Farmers & Ranchers
By Timothy Collins, Chair, Kern County Young Farmers & Ranchers
The Young Farmers & Ranchers kept busy over the summer holding our 7th annual Charity Farmers Market and attending the YF&R State Leaders Meeting. Our Charity Farmers Market is one of the major events we hold each year. Produce is donated to us...
By Andrea Wright, Valley Ag Voice
When loss affects a local farm family, the community tends to come together through their trust and faith in God to honor and remember those who have passed on. The story of the Del Papa Family is one from the heart and is prompted by the losses of the farmer’s daughter, Deborah (Debi) Lynn,...
By Melissa Nagel, Feature Contributor, Valley Ag Voice
On August 16th, 2022, the California Cotton Ginners and Growers Association hosted their 28th episode of Cotton & Coffee via Zoom. This month’s edition welcomed Cotton Incorporated’s President and CEO Berrye Worsham on to discuss the company’s strategic budget and planning for the upcoming year. Other members of Cotton Incorporated were also...
By Vicky Boyd, Reporter
Reprinted with Permission from California Farm Bureau Federation
Faced with pressure from grocery retailers and increasing labor costs, the California cantaloupe industry has transitioned from familiar Western shipper varieties to ones with a longer shelf life.
The newer varieties—referred to as extended shelf life and long shelf life, or ESL and LSL, respectively—also offer a potential to reduce...
Press Release Provided by U.S. Department of Agriculture
The Crop Production report issued August 12th by USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) forecasted corn production down from 2021 and soybean production up from last year. Corn production is down 5% from last year, forecast at 14.4 billion bushels; soybean growers are expected to increase their production 2% from 2021, forecast...
By Austin Snedden, Ranching Contributor, Valley Ag Voice
In every Breeding 101 or genetics class in almost every animal agriculture college, academia says, “The next generation is always better.” Clearly, this statement was made before the origination of the millennial generation (I am allowed to say this because I am a millennial). From the perspective of a cattle breeder, we...
Christine Souza
Assistant Editor, Ag Alert
By Christine Souza, Assistant Editor, Ag Alert
Reprinted with Permission from California Farm Bureau Federation
California farmers and ranchers affected by a third consecutive year of drought and related emergency curtailments of water deliveries have planted fewer acres, fallowed fields or reduced livestock herds to make it through the season.
Siskiyou County rancher Ryan Walker, president of the...
Press Release Provided by U.S. Department of Agriculture
In July, during a visit to the Yolo County Food Bank in Woodland, Calif., Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) has signed a cooperative agreement with California under the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program (LFPA). The LFPA is a program authorized...
Press Release Provided by California Department of Water Resources
On July 27th the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) released the Draft Environment Impact Report (Draft EIR) for the Delta Conveyance Project, marking an important step in evaluating a key strategy to adapt to a changing climate and provide clean, reliable water for future generations.
The release of the Draft...
Press Release Provided by U.S. Department of Agriculture
On August 5th, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) previewed the Organic Livestock and Poultry Standards (OLPS) proposed rule in the Federal Register. With this publication, USDA proposes requirements for organic poultry and livestock living conditions, care, transport, and slaughter.
This new proposed OLPS rule would change the USDA organic regulations to promote...
Press Release Provided by CA Dept. of Water Resources
A new web-based tool developed by the Department of Water Resources (DWR) will allow the public to explore thousands of groundwater projects across California to get a better understanding of one of the state’s most critical water supply resources. The virtual mapping tool is part of the State’s ongoing commitment...
Press Release by California Department of Pesticide Regulation
On August 11th, the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) announced $1.78 million in Alliance Grants for five projects that aim to increase the speed and the scale at which safer, more sustainable pest management practices are adopted across the state. Each project will promote innovative Integrated Pest Management (IPM) systems and...
Press Release by California Department of Food and Agriculture
Registration is now open for the 30th annual Nutrient Management Conference, hosted by the California Department of Food and Agriculture’s (CDFA) Fertilizer Research and Education Program (FREP) and Western Plant Health (WPH). This year’s conference will be held at the Wyndham Visalia, in Visalia, CA, October 26-27, 2022, and includes a...
Press Release by CA Association of Winegrape Growers
On July 27th, California Association of Winegrape Growers (CAWG) Chairman Tom Slater announced the appointment of Natalie Collins as interim president. She replaces John Aguirre who retired after twelve years of service.
“CAWG is very happy to have Natalie in this role,” Slater said. “She has been a part of the CAWG family...
Press Release by California Association of Winegrape Growers
In July the Pierce’s Disease / Glassy Winged Sharpshooter Board (PD/GWSS Board) voted to set the grower assessment rate in support of the Pierce’s Disease Control Program (Program) at $1.25 per $1,000 of crop value for the 2022 harvest. This assessment provides vital funding for research on GWSS and other designated vineyard...
Source: National Grain and Feed Association
On July 28th, the National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA) commended the Senate for passing by 93-1 the Waterways Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2022, which includes important provisions for modernizing the U.S. waterways infrastructure.
Building on the progress of WRDA 2020, Section 103 of the Senate’s WRDA 2022 amends the cost-share for inland waterway...
Press Release by California Department of Food and Agriculture
The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) is announcing vacancies on the California Citrus Advisory Committee (CCAC).
The committee advises the CDFA secretary on all matters pertaining to the California Citrus Program, which includes the implementation of an annual maturity inspection program, as well as a freeze inspection program should it...
Press Release by California Department of Food and Agriculture
The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) is announcing vacancies on the Standardization Advisory Committee (STDZ).
STDZ advises the CDFA secretary on all matters pertaining to the Standardization Program, as well as reviewing proposed regulations and making recommendations concerning assessment rates, fees to provide adequate inspection services and the annual budget.
The...
Press Release Provided by Almond Board of California
The Almond Board of California congratulates Sir David Attenborough and BBC’s The Green Planet team for a vibrant, beautifully produced docuseries about the complexities and surprisingly dramatic lives of plants. We appreciate their striking depictions of the interwoven nature of plant life, and all life on Earth, and their message that all...
Source: National Grain and Feed Association
On August 2nd, the National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA) commended House Transportation and Infrastructure Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials Subcommittee Chairman Donald Payne Jr., D-N.J., for introducing a bill to reauthorize the federal Surface Transportation Board (STB) and help address insufficient, unreliable freight rail service for the U.S. agricultural value chain.
NGFA also thanked...
Press Release Provided by International Fresh Produce Association
Recently the International Fresh Produce Association submitted an 8-point plan of recommendations illustrating how fresh fruits and vegetables must be an integral part of the U.S. nutrition security blueprint to be unveiled at the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health in September.
“IFPA and its Board of Directors believe our nation’s...
Press Release Provided by Monarch Tractor
Hon Hai Technology Group (“Foxconn”)(TWSE:2317) today announced the signing of a contract manufacturing agreement (CMA) with Zimeno Inc. DBA Monarch Tractor (“Monarch Tractor”) to build next-generation agricultural equipment and battery packs at the Foxconn Ohio facility.
“Leveraging Foxconn’s manufacturing strengths, worldwide network of industry leaders and supply partners, and our new partnership with Monarch Tractor,...
Press Release Provided by State Water Contractors
On July 27th, the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) released a Draft Environmental Impact Report (Draft EIR) for the Delta Conveyance project – a single-tunnel proposal to modernize the existing State Water Project (SWP) infrastructure in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and a crucial part of the state’s Water Resilience Portfolio. The proposed...
Press Release Provided by State Water Contractors
On August 11th, the Governor announced a water supply plan to adapt to California’s hotter and drier weather, which focuses on the modernization of the state’s water infrastructure. With the state projected to lose 10% of its water supplies over the next 20 years, today’s plan outlines strategies to advance water infrastructure, expand...
Press Release Provided by Western Growers
In response to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s Water Supply Strategy that was announced on August 11th, Western Growers President & CEO Dave Puglia issued the following statement:
“We applaud Governor Newsom’s bold and comprehensive water infrastructure and management strategy. Our farms are in distress due to water insecurity, increasingly placing millions of Californians in our agricultural...
By Joshua Stevens, Faith Contributor, Valley Ag Voice
To give a testimony is to provide a witness or evidence.¹ We often see the word testimony surrounding stories of peoples’ paths to Christ or the story of Christ’s impact on their lives. While testimony provides a wonderful opportunity to rejoice with fellow believers, it can also be an impactful tool for...
