California began a new water year Oct. 1 with significantly more water in storage than the previous year thanks to above-average snow and precipitation.
California’s 2019-20 waterfowl hunting season opens Oct. 19 throughout much of the state and waterfowl hunters are encouraged to stock up on their favorite duck and goose loads sooner rather than later so as not to miss out on any hunting opportunities.
The Western Growers Board of Directors has unanimously selected Dave Puglia as the organization’s next President and Chief Executive Officer. Puglia will succeed current President and CEO Tom Nassif, who is retiring after 18 years as a forceful and effective leader in the nation’s agriculture industry, on February 1, 2020.
A faith that demonstrates the very presence of God is a transforming faith. It is moving, alive, and active in God’s people. In Second Timothy, the author writes a history of the faith in Timothy’s family, beginning with his grandmother and then passed on to his mother and then to himself.
You don’t want to be a second late to this year’s Kern County Cattlemen’s Association Annual Shotgun Shoot on November 2nd, 2019. This annual event is a must attend for all shooters and hunters alike.
Benjamin Franklin once commented that, “when the well is dry, they know the worth of water.” But Californians have long contradicted our founding father’s wise words; we always recognize the importance of water and have fought over it for decades. Occasionally these water wars become enflamed as a result of drought, but just as often they erupt because of differences over public policy. Time and time again the same tired rhetoric between farmers and environmentalists is deployed leaving the public confused, the lawyers rich, and policymakers perplexed. Enough is enough!
Let’s be clear. One of the most significant efforts for environmental protection to emerge in California will come with the completion of the Voluntary Agreements. However, if Senate Bill 1 (SB 1) becomes law, it threatens the Voluntary Agreements and all the hope they bring for new environmental protections and water supply reliability.
Press Release provided by the Berkeley Lab
The National Alliance for Water Innovation, which is led by the Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab), has been awarded a five-year, $100-million Energy-Water Desalination Hub by DOE (pending appropriations) to address water security issues in the United States. The Hub will focus on early-stage research and development for energy-efficient...
Join Mt. Poso Cogeneration, DTE, MacPherson, & Independence High School on October 23rd in recognition of the Seventh Annual Bioenergy Day.
Mt. Poso Cogeneration will be marking the occasion, along with dozens of other groups across the country, by hosting a lunch at Independence High School.
“Bioenergy” refers to the generation of electricity and heat from wood and other organic materials....
Press Release Provided by the USDA
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced a final rule to modernize swine slaughter inspection and bring it into the 21st century. For the first time in more than five decades, the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is modernizing inspection at market hog slaughter establishments with a goal of protecting public health...
He may have stepped away from the national stage, but fiery former congressman Trey Gowdy is still a voice to be reckoned with on matters he believes are important to his fellow Americans.
Now retired from Congress after four terms and happily practicing law back home in South Carolina, Gowdy will be in Bakersfield on Thursday, November 7 to headline...
Ag Alert September 18, 2019. Rreprinted with permission from the California Farm Bureau Federation
By Kevin Hecteman, Assistant Editor Ag Alert
A hectic week for the state Legislature ended with welcome news for California farmers and ranchers—Gov. Gavin Newsom announced he intends to veto Senate Bill 1, which sought to preserve existing California environmental and labor standards from federal changes initiated...
Ag Alert Issue Date September 18, 2019 reprinted with permission from the California Farm Bureau Federation
When the question arises of how we are going to feed the world’s 9 billion people in a climate that seems increasingly volatile and extreme, all eyes turn to U.S. agriculture, and rightfully so. Important lessons can be gleaned from the longtime efforts of...
Press Release Provided by the USDA
On September 19, 2019 all former U.S. Secretaries of Agriculture since President Reagan’s Administration announced support for the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). In a letter to Congressional leaders, former Secretaries John Block (Reagan), Mike Espy (Clinton), Dan Glickman (Clinton), Ann Veneman (W. Bush), Mike Johanns (W. Bush), Ed Shafer (W. Bush), and Tom Vilsack...
Press Release provided by the California Department of Food and Agriculture Office of Public Affairs
Projects that use floodwaters for recharging and storage of water into an aquifer play an important role in sustainable water management in California, and also provide many environmental benefits. Flood-MAR, which stands for Floodwater for Managed Aquifer Recharge, is a voluntary resource management strategy for...
Press Release Provided by The Kern County Farm Bureau
Kern County farmers and ranchers produced a value of nearly $7.5 billion in agricultural crops and commodities in 2018 – representing a three percent increase from the 2017 value, according to the annual crop report from the Kern County Agricultural Commissioner.
“It is always incredible to see what our farmers are able...
Billy Graham once said, “Do you want to know what God’s will is for you? It is for you to become more and more like Christ. This is spiritual maturity, and if you make this your goal, it will change your life.” The problem is how to become more mature in Christ. This article provides seven steps that will...
You know, I wasn’t born and raised in Bakersfield, but I have lived here since 1985; so, it’s been a while I’ve been living here. I have been in my current home for about 21 years. That’s long enough to begin to recognize certain patterns of things, e.g. weather, at least in general, traffic going to work is always...
CONGRESSMAN KEVIN McCARTHY
“I always look forward to the Kern County Fair, a wonderful annual event that brings our community together, and I know this year’s fair will continue to live up to the high expectation of enjoyment and family fun. I always find it particularly heartwarming to see how excited our youngest fairgoers are with the games and attractions,...
Last week, the California legislature finished session with a flurry of bills passing the House, Senate, and being signed into law. While you may have read about some of the last-minute bills, like the bill to reclassify workers in the gig economy or the bill that would allow college athletes to be paid, there was another piece of legislation...
The general public is blissfully unaware of how much science is involved in agriculture and how science defines the industry. With the essential importance of agriculture in almost every economic system in the world, science began to drive the industry using genetics and chemistry to increase productivity. With the Hatch Act of 1887, U.S. government investment in agricultural science...
Fair time is always a special occasion in Kern County.It marks the end of summer and the beginning of fall. Also, for many of us, it is a time to gather and run into old friends while enjoying the many exhibits, activities, shows, animals, rides and, of course, the amazing food!
This year’s fair has some new attractions like the...
It may be the 103rd year that our county gets to celebrate the Great Kern County Fair, but one tradition never seems to get old—the birth of calves at the fair. This year was no different with the birth of the first baby calf coming in at 11:18 on Wednesday September 18th, 2019.
Rachel Driskell a Bakersfield College FFA...
Press Release Provided by the Wonderful Company
Wonderful Halos, America’s No. 1 mandarin, was recently named the most-loved healthy snack brand among both parents and kids, according to a 2019 Brand Love™ study released by youth and family market research consultancy Smarty Pants. This marks the second year in a row that Halos has led the category as the No....
Press Release Provided by the State Water Resources Control Board
The State Water Resources Control Board authorized spending nearly a quarter billion dollars to help local water systems provide safe, reliable drinking water to communities throughout the state and begin closing the safe drinking water gap for more than one million Californians.
“Communities across the state have struggled for far too...
