“We always look forward to welcoming the community to the California Antique Farm Equipment Show,” said Wally Roeben, International Agri-Center Show Operations Manager. “With so much to see and do, it’s a great opportunity for families to come out and enjoy.”

The show kicks off Friday, April 17 at the International Agri-Center® showgrounds in Tulare, CA. The event features a wide variety of attractions, including antique tractors, trucks, and equipment displays, barrel races, tractor pulls, a swap meet, food vendors, and more. The Local Loop Vendor Market, by It’s a Neighborhood Thing, will feature a variety of local vendors inside Building C.

Family-friendly activities will take place throughout the weekend, including tractor rides, a petting zoo, a pedal pull competition, and the always-popular tractor parade. The parade will roll down Median Street at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday.

Saturday evening will feature a steak dinner accompanied by live music from the Josh Day Band. Social hour begins at 5:00 p.m., followed by dinner at 6:00 p.m. in the Farm Credit Dairy and Livestock Center. Tickets are $35 per person and can be purchased by calling (559) 688-1030.

For a full schedule of events and attractions, please visit antiquefarmshow.org.

Show hours are Friday, April 17th, 12:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m., and Saturday, April 18th, 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Tickets will be available at the gate each day for $10, or $20 for a weekend pass. Children 12 and under are free.

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Jim Morehead is a lifelong member of the San Joaquin Valley agricultural community and a second‑generation California farmer whose roots run deep in Pixley, California. His family came to California shortly after World War II, relocating from the Texas Panhandle to begin farming in the fertile San Joaquin Valley.

Raised in Pixley, Jim has spent more than 72 years in the community alongside his wife, Betty, where they raised their family, having two boys, Jason and Justin, and established multigenerational ties to the region.

Jim graduated from Fresno State University in 1976 with a bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Business, a foundation that helped guide his lifelong career in farming and community leadership. He farmed cotton, corn, wheat, milo and alfalfa with his father, Vaughn, and brother David through the late 1980s. Jim continued the family business on his own beginning in 1990 and began transitioning out of field crops and into almond production in the late 1990s. Today, he continues that legacy, farming alongside his son, Jason, as part of a proud multi generational family farming operation.

Beyond agriculture, Jim has devoted decades to serving and giving back to his community. He served 20 years on the Board of the Pixley Unified School District, helping guide educational priorities and community development. For 25 years, he has been active with The Pixley Foundation—supporting efforts such as the local library, food pantry, and internet connectivity to strengthen community resources. Jim also served 45 years on the board of the Pixley United Brethren Church and as President of Pixley-Tipton Youth Baseball while his boys were growing up.

Within the agricultural sector, Jim has held numerous board, leadership, and volunteer roles that reflect his expertise and commitment to advancing farming in California and Tulare County. His service includes:

• World Ag Expo Orange Jacket Volunteer – Finance Committee
• Tri City Growers Cotton Cooperative – Board Member
• California Cotton Alliance – Board Member
• Central Valley Almond Association – Current Board Member
• Pixley Irrigation District – Groundwater Sustainability Agency – Current Committee Member

Jim takes great pride in living in the community where he works and providing jobs to those in the area. Jim and Betty’s two sons, their wives, and eleven grandchildren all reside in the San Joaquin Valley.

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This year we’re beginning with a 15% water allocation, which is pretty low, driven by weather complicating operations. We hope the allocation will continue to climb, but there’s no assurance. So, we have to kind of blindly plan out how our spring will completely look when we’re finished.

The uncertainty of water supply causes some concern because we’re starting low. Even though these recent rains are helpful, they haven’t changed the modeling or produced a more robust allocation.

That puts in jeopardy going forward how much we can farm. It’s not just surface water delivery that’s lighter. We also have groundwater management. Those two together can cap our supplies without any sense that the number will go higher.

Cannery tomatoes are somewhat in surplus, so marketing and pricing may be challenging. We’re hoping it’s on the higher side. We also grow garbanzos, but we’re not growing any this year because that market is in surplus. We grow some pima cotton; that is also in surplus. When I say surplus, it may be more lack of demand. Pima has been dramatically lower than it has been in the past. I think turmoil has a lot to do with that. We hope trade deals get done so markets can find firm footing.

January was a dry period going into the first part of February, and then it got wet. The challenge is that a lighter hydrological year also caused delays in getting our ground prepped. We’re now finally able to get ground worked out. But again, we’re not sure where our allocation goes, so we’re not pushing too fast yet until we know more.

The post From the Fields: Dan Errotabere, Fresno County farmer appeared first on Valley Voice.

The report details another year of high agricultural production, where farmers produced more than 50 high-quality crops using some of the most advanced water-efficient practices in the world. From almonds, pistachios, and tomatoes to lettuce, garlic, onions, and melons, District farms supply grocery stores, food processors, and restaurants year-round.

Facing an unreliable water supply year over year, Westlands growers continue to lead in conservation and efficiency. Advanced irrigation systems, soil moisture monitoring, and precision agriculture technologies allow farmers to maximize every acre-foot of water delivered.

Some interesting trends include:

• Agave nearly doubled from 2024 to 2025 as farmers explore the highly versatile and drought resistant crop that produces syrup and spirits like tequila and mezcal.
• Basil, broccoli, cherries, grapefruit, and hemp increased while wine grapes, tangerines, pistachios, and peaches all saw slight declines
• Over 242,000 acres of land was fallowed in 2025 as a result of our unreliable water supply

“Water reliability directly translates to food reliability,” said Allison Febbo, General Manager of Westlands Water District. “When Westlands growers have access to essential water supplies delivered through the CVP that power agriculture, they produce the fruits, vegetables, and nuts Americans depend on every day. Agriculture in our District supports thousands of families, small businesses, and essential public services, while also providing the nutritious food that helps keep communities healthy.”

A recent report found the District’s supported agriculture generated $3.6 billion in total economic activity and supported nearly 28,000 jobs from data in 2022, reinforcing agriculture’s position as a cornerstone of the San Joaquin Valley economy. Westlands growers produce 3.3% of the nation’s fruit and nut crops and 2.8% of the nation’s vegetables and melons.

Beyond the fields, Westlands agriculture supports a broad economic ecosystem that includes food processing, transportation, equipment manufacturing, and agricultural services.

Our new 2025 Crop Report fact sheet is available here.

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In addition to causing sharp increases in fuel and fertilizer costs, the war has disrupted access to key export markets.

“As the largest exporting state, California and our exporters and producers are bearing the brunt of these market and export impacts,” Jay Van Rein, acting director of public affairs at the California Department of Food and Agriculture, said in a statement.

Van Rein said growers and handlers had reported canceled shipments and orders, delayed or diverted deliveries, and skyrocketing shipping costs.

“We are in our peak shipping period for commodities like tree nuts going to this growing market region,” he said.

Since the war began on Feb. 28, Iran has responded to U.S. attacks by effectively closing the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway through which about a fifth of the world’s oil is normally transported. The Middle Eastern nation has also used missiles and drones to paralyze commercial ports in nearby countries that host U.S. military bases.

“Everybody is afraid of going through the Persian Gulf,” said Jock O’Connell, international trade adviser at Beacon Economics. “It’s going to be more difficult to get goods to markets.”

Nut exports 

The disruption has been especially painful for exporters of California almonds, walnuts and pistachios. All three crops rank among the state’s top agricultural export commodities, and in the past decade an increasing share of them have been purchased by buyers in the Gulf.

Robert Verloop, CEO of the California Walnut Board and Commission, said the trade group was in the midst of a Middle East advertising blitz, marketing the nutrient-rich nuts to observers of Ramadan, which began Feb. 19, when the war broke out.

“Ramadan is a is a very key consumption time for California walnuts,” Verloop said. “When the conflict started, we knew there were a lot of loads on the water.”

Last week, the walnut commission estimated 70,000 tons of walnuts, or about 10% of the billion-dollar sector’s yearly production, were either en route to the Middle East or scheduled to be shipped there this month.

“That certainly is at risk,” Verloop said. “It is possible that the impact of this will be negligible, but the short-term numbers are such that it is very concerning to us.”

He said the walnut commission halted its monthlong promotion in the region because the nuts were stuck at sea or being rerouted to ports around the world.

“Any ships that were on the water have been held to the east of the Strait of Hormuz, just like you see on the news with oil tankers being held,” Verloop said. “Everyone in the freight-forwarding business is scrambling to figure out what product is on the water and where we can take it.”

Bikram Hundal, vice president of operations for Earlimart-based Sequoia Nut Company/Custom Almonds LLC in Tulare County, said the company had about 300 tons of almonds, walnuts and pistachios that departed the Port of Long Beach a few weeks ago and were bound for the United Arab Emirates in 15 different shipping containers on various vessels.

“They will not get there,” Hundal said. “That’s for sure.”

With cargo ships unable to reach Dubai’s Port of Jebel Ali, a major regional hub, one of Hundal’s nut shipments was diverted to the Netherlands; another was rerouted to Algeria. His only realistic option, he said, is to find new buyers for the nuts and most likely sell them at a discount.

“It’s going to be a loss,” Hundal said.

Matthew Viohl, federal policy director for the California Farm Bureau, said trade disruptions often highlight how intertwined supply chains have become.

“California agriculture relies heavily on international markets, and increased volatility makes planning and contracting much more difficult in both the short and long term,” Viohl said.

Meanwhile, costs have mounted for exporters as shipping companies began imposing surcharges to cover increased fuel prices and added risks, in some cases more than doubling container rates.

Verloop said that in the event port access is restored in the Gulf, the extra charges could cost the walnut sector an additional $15 million next month to deliver its products to the region.

“It’s expected this would have some kind of downward pressure on the final payments that growers could receive,” Verloop said. “It’s a devastating situation.”

Hundal said the added cost and risk of shipping cargo, and the cancellation of new shipments from California to the Middle East, was causing inventory to build up and overall nut prices to drop.

“Now, we have all this extra product,” he said. “It puts pressure on other markets.”

Verloop said the walnut commission was appealing to the state and federal governments for “some kind of restitution or way to cover some of those costs.”

In addition to tree nut exports, Van Rein said CDFA had gathered information on impacts to growers and handlers of olives, wild rice, blueberries and other commodities.

“We have heard from many segments of the industry,” he said.

Perishable cargo

The war has also impacted the movement of air freight and refrigerated containers used to ship produce from California to the Middle East and elsewhere.

In 2024, California exported billions of dollars’ worth of fresh fruits and vegetables, with premium products and highly perishable crops such as cherries and strawberries shipped by air freight.

“Many agricultural products by their nature have to fly on air cargo, and a lot of them transit through that region,” said Brandon Fried, executive director of the Airforwarders Association.

Fried said the presence of major airline hubs in Doha, Dubai and Abu Dhabi means the Gulf plays an outsized role in the transport of air cargo. According to a recent analysis by WorldACD, about 21% of all air cargo flows through the Middle East.

“Planes are just avoiding that area,” Fried said, adding that shipping capacity at some airports in the Gulf dropped by nearly half since the war began.

Chris Connell, president at California-based Commodity Forwarders Inc., which transports perishable food products worldwide, said orders from California to the Middle East for the coming weeks were down by more than 70%, affecting the shipment of strawberries and fresh dairy products such as sour cream and cheese.

“Right now, we’re servicing at a very minimal scale,” Connell said.

He added that because most California fruits are not yet in season, and more are shipped to East Asia than the Middle East, the biggest economic blow could come from the potential impact of increased freight rates in the coming months.

“The longer this situation continues, where the strait is closed and there’s a war feeling in the air, that impacts not just what we do in the Middle East but also in Europe and Asia,” Connell said. “That is the largest concern.”

Fried said that in addition to surcharges for increased jet fuel costs and war risks, the disruption to ocean routes has driven up demand for air freight space, causing a further jump in rates.

“Capacity is at a premium,” he said.

Tracey Chow, federal government affairs director for the Western Growers Association, said California vegetable growers lost business in Asia in recent years due to a decline in shipping reliability.

“Obviously, this doesn’t make it any better,” Chow said, adding that shipping disruptions could impact not only immediate sales but result in the long-term loss of market share in affected regions.

Fuel and fertilizer 

Industry experts said that while export market disruptions are significant, the most direct impact of the war for farmers has likely been the soaring cost of inputs.

About half the global supply of urea, the most common nitrogen fertilizer used on farms, is shipped through the Strait of Hormuz. Since the war started, prices had increased 25%, according to an analysis by the American Farm Bureau Federation.

AFBF economist Faith Parum said shocks to the fertilizer supply chain could impact planted acreage and crop yields.

Meanwhile, as of Monday, U.S. gasoline prices had risen more than 25% from a month prior, according to data from the AAA motor club.

Tulare County farmer Tom Barcellos, who owns a dairy, a trucking company and an excavator company, said increased fuel costs were an almost immediate financial hit for farmers.

“It’s not fun,” Barcellos said.

The Tipton-based farmer uses his heavy equipment to haul feed, clean irrigation reservoirs and provide other services for farms in the nation’s top dairy-producing county. He said last week that the moment he needs to refill his tanks at a higher price the cost of those services will increase.

“Of course, on the farming operation, I can’t pass anything on,” Barcellos said. “I’ve got to eat that just like every other farmer does.”

Caleb Hampton is an editor at Ag Alert. He can be reached at champton@cfbf.com.

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“Things are looking OK, but we won’t really know until the end of bloom,” said Ryan Burris, California State Beekeepers Association president and a Palo Cedro beekeeper and queen breeder. “It sounds like the numbers are better, but some people still lost a lot of bees.”

Beekeepers nationwide made headlines in the 2024-25 winter when they reported an average of 62% colony losses. With increasing production costs and depressed honey prices, many beekeepers said the current situation is not sustainable economically.

“It’s very, very difficult,” Burris said. “The thing that makes it unsustainable is just the cost that goes into the business and the fact that the honey price is so low when it should be much higher.”

An average beekeeper spends about $350 per hive annually to keep it going, he said. Almond pollination rates average about $200 per hive. To make up the difference, Burris said producers rely on honey sales.

Demand for honey in the U.S. has historically exceeded supply, so some foreign product is imported.

More recently, he said, countries such as India have priced their honey as low as 80 cents per pound when U.S. producers need about $2 per pound to be profitable. The cheaper imports have driven down domestic prices, Burris said.

February traditionally kicks off the pollination season as beekeepers from throughout the nation converge on California for the six-week-long almond bloom. The almond industry needs about 2.4 million hives to pollinate the crop, but there are only about 840,000 resident colonies.

In 2025, nearly 1.7 million hives crossed border inspection stations into the state, according to figures from Matt Beekman, a Hughson-area commercial beekeeper and CSBA executive board member.

Arriving bee shipments have steadily declined from 2021, when more than 2 million entered California.

Beekman attributed the decrease to mounting pressures on the industry, including rising costs, ongoing colony stress and long-term attrition among commercial beekeepers.

Nevertheless, Charleen Carroll, a Manteca-area bee broker and owner of Pollination Contractors Inc. for 47 years, said she didn’t experience hive shortages this season. Carroll sources bees from coast to coast through long-term relationships she’s developed with beekeepers.

“Last year was really horrible,” she said. “This year, 99% of our beekeepers are doing great. Next year is like Russian roulette.”

As with many agricultural commodities, Carroll said beekeepers in one part of the country may have strong hives while those in another region may have weaker production due to different environmental conditions.

Fredy Valenzuela, owner of Golden State Honeybees in Paradise, is a smallish commercial beekeeper who offers pollination, honey and queens. He described his colony health this season as about the same as last year, when he didn’t experience significant losses.

“We’re not a big outfit, so we can manage them fairly well and stay on top of things,” Valenzuela said.

Buzz Landon, owner of Buzz’s Bees in Oroville, rents out more than 6,000 hives for pollination. He and his wife also produce honey, breed queens and sell packaged bees.

This year, he described his colony health as “good,” compared to last year, which he said was “really good.”

“They survived the die-off,” Landon said. “It’s learning how to use these new materials.”

He was referring to a handful of new miticides that have been registered for use in California and federally during the past year.

Caleb Absher and his older brother, Cash, run Absher Honeybees, a Stanislaus County operation that offers pollination services and honey. Like many commercial beekeepers, Caleb Absher said they experienced substantial losses during the 2024-25 winter. But this winter, “it looks 100 times better than last year.”

He credited part of the improvement to paying close attention to varroa mites and treatments. Absher also was able to move his bees after pollinating almonds and cantaloupe in the Central Valley to fall forage that had tarweed. A late-blooming native wildflower, tarweed is known for its pollen and nectar production when other plants are done for the season.

Still top of mind within the industry is the early 2025 disaster, when numerous beekeepers nationwide began to discover dead hives that only months earlier seemed robust. The nonprofit honeybee research organization Project Apis m. responded by conducting a survey to gauge the problem.

Beekeepers representing 68% of the nation’s hives reported average colony losses of 62%. Nationwide, the losses totaled more than 1.1 million hives over a short period.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service Bee Research Laboratory in Beltsville, Maryland, analyzed samples sent in from dead and dying colonies for possible causes. Scientists found unusually high levels of deformed wing virus strains A and B along with acute bee paralysis virus. Both are known to be vectored by varroa mites, pinhead-sized external parasites that feed on adult bees and developing larvae and pupae within brood cells.

The researchers also screened varroa mite samples for resistance to amitraz, a widely used miticide. All the mites were resistant.

Burris was quick to defend amitraz and said the industry shouldn’t broadly dismiss the miticide. Instead, he said beekeepers and researchers should find new ways to use it effectively.

Some beekeepers have turned to oxalic acid, a naturally occurring compound found in many foods, including spinach, to manage mites. Others have enlisted formic acid, another naturally occurring material.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and California Department of Pesticide Regulation recently approved increased labeled rates for Api-Bioxal, a powdered oxalic acid applied using a heat vaporizer. The label change does not apply to oxalic acid used as a dribble between hive frames.

The EPA and DPR also approved VarroxSan slow-release oxalic acid strips. Recently, they registered an RNA interference treatment, Norroa, which targets a specific protein in varroa mites, slowly halting their reproduction. But the pests can still parasitize bees and potentially spread virus as they feed.

As queen breeders, Burris, Landon and others are working with the USDA-ARS Honey Bee Lab in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to develop queens with the varroa sensitive hygiene trait. Bees with the attribute remove mite-infested pupae from capped worker brood. But breeding for hygiene trait is a slow process.

“It’s something that a lot of queen breeders are trying to look into,” Burris said.

As with other varroa management methods, he looks at varroa sensitive hygiene as simply another tool in beekeepers’ arsenal rather than as a silver bullet.

Vicky Boyd is a reporter in Modesto. She can be reached at agalert@cfbf.com.

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Farmers, students, and ag professionals returned in large numbers for the 2026 show, where 1,179 exhibitors displayed the latest in agriculture. Attendees explored 2.6 million square feet of exhibit space displaying cutting-edge equipment, technology, services, and solutions. Many exhibitors also showcased live demonstrations, providing a hands-on experience.

Exhibitors reported quality traffic with plans to return. “After 20 years of exhibiting at World Ag Expo, 2026 still managed to blow us away,” noted Todd Blosser of Midwest Bio-Systems. “The flow of people and conversations were great! We love getting the chance to show how our Aeromaster composting equipment helps Dairies turn Manure into a real asset. It’s a must-attend event for us, and we look forward to being back in 2027.”

Throughout the three-day event, attendees participated in seminars, demonstrations, and workshops covering a variety of topics, from irrigation and dairy to livestock and professional development. Special events included the annual Prayer Breakfast and Ag Leadership breakfast, which drew strong participation and interest.

International attendance remained a highlight of the show, with visitors traveling from around the globe to connect, explore new products, and build relationships.

Ag technology and innovation were on full display throughout the three-day show. The 2026 Top-10 New Products contest winners provided a look into the latest innovations, ranging from simple solutions to tech-forward items.

“We are happy with the success of the 2026 World Ag Expo,” said Jerry Sinift, CEO of the International Agri-Center®. “It’s wonderful to see exhibitors and attendees connecting, networking, and doing business. We look forward to welcoming everyone back in 2027 for our 60^th World Ag Expo.”

The 60th World Ag Expo® will be held February 9-11, 2027. Space renewals are now being accepted from 2026 exhibitors. Potential exhibitors can begin requesting space on March 1, 2026 at www.worldagexpo.com.

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Following thoughtful reflection, she shared her decision with the Board of Directors earlier this month, expressing deep gratitude for the opportunity to serve and confidence in the organization’s future. While not an easy decision, she believes the transition will allow space for renewed vision and continued growth for the organization and its members.

Serving as Executive Director over 19 years – and as part of the Farm Bureau family for 26 years – she describes her tenure as the greatest honor of her professional life. What began as a role quickly became a calling, rooted in deep respect for agriculture, the stewards of the land, and the communities that depend on them.

Her connection to Tulare County agriculture long predates her leadership role. As a young adult shaped by 4-H and FFA programs, she was inspired by advisors who instilled values of leadership, service, and stewardship. Supported in part by local agricultural scholarship aid to pursue her college education, she ultimately returned home to serve the very community that invested in her. That full-circle journey was, in her words, both humbling and deeply meaningful.

During her tenure as Executive Director, Tulare County Farm Bureau earned every major award a Farm Bureau organization can receive and gained recognition locally, statewide and nationally for excellence in agricultural education, policy advocacy, leadership development, volunteer engagement, and public outreach. These accomplishments reflect the collective dedication of Stever Blattler, and countless board members, staff, volunteers, and the hardworking farmers and ranchers of Tulare County.

Board leadership expressed profound appreciation for her steady guidance and passionate advocacy. “Her leadership has strengthened our organization in measurable and lasting ways,” said Zack Stuller, TCFB President. “She has been a tireless champion for agriculture and a trusted partner to our members. Her integrity, compassion, and commitment have left an enduring mark on this organization and our community.”

Stever Blattler stated, “I have had the privilege of working alongside extraordinary leaders, visionary board members, dedicated staff, and some of the most hardworking and principled farmers and ranchers anywhere.”

As the transition approaches, she has committed to working closely with the Board of Directors to ensure an organized and thoughtful succession process. Over the coming months, her priority will be to position the organization for continued strength, stability, and success long after her departure.

“I am profoundly grateful for the trust placed in me, the opportunity to grow as a leader, and the countless relationships built along the way,” she shared. “It has truly been the honor of a lifetime to serve this organization and the agricultural community it represents.”

The Tulare County Farm Bureau will announce additional transition details in the coming months.

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“I do believe that the chill may have been more effective this year because of so many days with fog,” said Ted De Jong, a University of California, Davis, pomology professor emeritus. Around Davis, he said, “this has been one of the foggiest years since the ‘90s.”

NASA described a tule fog blanket stretching 400 miles from Redding to Bakersfield from Nov. 24-Dec. 9, 2025, as “unrelenting.” The dense fog returned in January for several more days. It was caused by low-level humidity from rain-saturated soils that was capped by an inversion layer and overlaying stable high-pressure system, according to NASA.

De Jong pointed to the Utah model—a way of monitoring cold temperature accumulation—to back his observation that the persistent fog likely aided orchard dormancy. The model calculates chill units by weighting specific temperature ranges and subtracts hours above 65 degrees Fahrenheit because of their adverse effect on tree dormancy. This year, he said the fog probably decreased the hours of negating warmer temperatures.

If fruit and nut trees don’t accumulate enough chilling during the winter, they may end up having delayed or erratic bloom and leaf-out in the spring, causing the trees to set a lighter crop often of poorer quality. Chilling requirements vary widely among different species and even among varieties within a species.

For almonds, chill hours are commonly measured using a simple running tabulation of each 60-minute period below 45 degrees Fahrenheit from November through February. Almonds typically need about 500-600 chill hours, depending on variety, to put them into deep dormancy and set them up for a strong bloom, adequate pollinizer overlap and good nut set, said Mel Machado, chief agricultural officer at Blue Diamond Growers.

Part of what set the 2025-26 winter apart from recent years was the unusually warm November, he said. Chill hours didn’t begin to accumulate in earnest until late November. Since then, the cumulative cold periods have caught up to historic levels in large part because of the fog.

“Are we fat with chill hours? No, but we’re OK for almonds,” Machado said. “In almonds, we’re fortunate we don’t need as much chilling as some other crops.”

Take the Modesto CIMIS weather station, for example. Machado found 783 chill hours as of Jan. 27. As he scrolled through the past six years of records, he noted that 2022—the year of the big freeze—provided 1,055 chill hours as of Jan. 27 while the remaining years were similar to 2025-26.

Like other parts of the Central Valley, chilling didn’t begin to really accumulate in the northern Sacramento Valley until late November, said Franz Niederholzer, a UC orchard systems adviser for Yuba, Sutter and Colusa counties. Even then, a couple of cold, foggy weeks in early December were followed by several days in the upper 40s and lower 50s when chill hours didn’t accumulate.

He said it’s hard to predict how the inconsistent temperatures may affect this year’s almond bloom.

“The chill sets you up, but you have to consider the different weather patterns at bloom time as well,” Niederholzer said.

Bob Beede, a UC Cooperative Extension farm adviser emeritus in Kings County, said he saw a similar weather pattern in the southern San Joaquin Valley, with a late November start to more prolonged cold weather.

“The delay in significant chill accumulation that occurred this winter has been compensated for by having these extended periods of cold, foggy weather, which increased the amount of chilling that accumulated each day,” he said.

The fog also had an added benefit. It helped protect trees from direct sunlight and the accompanying radiant heat that can begin to break dormancy prematurely, Beede said. On a 65-degree day, for example, buds and shoots could be as warm as 75 degrees, pushing them to respire at a higher rate. That can lead them to tap energy stores early.

Many cherry, prune and pistachio growers have moved away from measuring chill hours and now use a dynamic chill portion model to better reflect wider winter temperature fluctuations, he said.

Beginning Nov. 1, the dynamic system subtracts warm temperatures above 55 degrees from cumulative portions. Between 32 and 55 degrees, different temperatures are assigned different chill values, with 43-47 degrees having the highest.

In addition, the dynamic model is more complex and breaks chill accumulation into portions, which reset after each warm period.

“The chill portion model is attempting to give us a better estimate of current weather conditions, which are much different than those we experienced from 1940-1980 when the fog and the winter temperatures were fairly consistent,” Beede said. “There was no need to try to compensate for the number of warm days that occurred back in the day.”

Jim Ferrari, who grows cherries and walnuts near Linden, said he closely monitors chill portion accumulation to time dormancy breaking sprays for his cherries. By applying the materials when chill portions reach a minimum threshold—usually about 30 days before anticipated bud break—cherry producers can push the trees to bloom about 10-13 days earlier. That, in theory, should mean harvesting an earlier crop and getting them into grocery stores before the strong Memorial Day weekend market, he said.

Describing this winter’s dense fog as weather he hadn’t seen in years, Ferrari said it helped keep temperatures cooler on many days.

“The fog actually has been beneficial if it hangs around most of the day and you don’t get reversal of the numbers,” he said.

Donny Hicks, a Hughson-area almond grower, said he moved to the dynamic chill portion model to account for warm-ups during the winter.

“On a day like today, it was cold this morning, and then you’re gaining some portions,” he said Feb. 2. “When it gets warm later in the day, you’re taking some of those away.”

Compared to the previous winter, Hicks said not as many chill portions accumulated this winter, but he believed they should still satisfy almond trees’ requirements.

Whether models measure chill hours or chill portions, Beede said they’re still just estimates of what to expect for early season tree performance. Trees also need the correct amount of nonstructural carbohydrates, primarily sugars and starches, in storage to drive what he described as the “grand period of growth” during the spring.

Vicky Boyd is a reporter in Modesto. She can be reached at agalert@cfbf.com.

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As with other sectors, the cost of agricultural labor will rise as California’s minimum wage increases in 2026 from $16.50 to $16.90 an hour.

Under a 2016 state law, minimum wage increased by set amounts from 2017 through 2023, when it reached $15 an hour. Since then and going forward, the law requires minimum wage be adjusted annually according to the consumer price index, which is used to measure inflation.

A new state law will impact the way counties in California deal with abandoned farmland. Assembly Bill 732, authored by Assemblymember Alexandra Macedo, R-Tulare, was created this year to help county agricultural commissioners compel landowners to clean up neglected orchards and vineyards.

During the past few years, lower prices for winegrapes and tree nuts left some farmers unable to afford the cost of managing permanent crops or of removing them, resulting in a surge in abandoned acreage and increased pest pressures in neighboring farms.

“If you’re right next door, it’s pretty difficult,” Michael Naito, who grows winegrapes, almonds and pistachios in Fresno and Madera counties, told Ag Alert® earlier this year. “You’ve got to spend more because you get a lot of pest pressure.”

Current state law allows agricultural commissioners to place liens on abandoned properties that have been declared a nuisance and that property owners have failed to address after a warning. But the abatement process can take years, and it weighs on county budgets, as counties must pay to remove crops or control pests before trying to recoup the money by placing a lien on the property.

“The current abatement procedures place a cost-prohibitive burden on the counties,” Fresno County Agricultural Commissioner Melissa Cregan said this year during a state Assembly hearing. “Local governments simply do not have the funds to front these costs.”

Beginning this week, the new state law will allow agricultural commissioners to fine landowners $500 per acre if they fail to make a good faith effort to address a pest-related public nuisance within 30 days and $1,000 per acre if they do not take action within 45 days.

“This process is something that we, unfortunately, need,” Macedo said. “We’re not trying to come in and be a bully. We’re coming in and trying to work with ag to solve a problem.”

A pair of new laws were signed this year to give California farmers and ranchers more options for disposal of organic waste.

Assembly Bill 411, authored by Assemblymember Diane Papan, D-San Mateo, will allow small-scale, on-farm livestock composting under specific guidelines. Cattle ranchers in more than 40 other states already allow livestock composting.

Beginning this week, California ranchers will join them in being able to dispose of a limited number of livestock carcasses on their own property instead of having the carcasses hauled to a rendering plant.

A different new law, Senate Bill 279, authored by state Sen. Jerry McNerney, D-Stockton, will increase the amount of agricultural material farmers can send to composting facilities. The law was created to provide alternative disposal options for discarded orchards and vineyards in the San Joaquin Valley, where agricultural burning is no longer permitted.

In recent years, as many farmers struggled to break even amid lower crop prices and rising costs, some turned to agritourism as an alternative income source. A new state law, Assembly Bill 518, authored by Assemblymember Christopher Ward, D-San Diego, was created to provide more opportunities for agritourism operators.

The new law will establish a framework to reduce the regulatory barriers for landowners to host overnight campers on working lands.

“This new law creates opportunities for agricultural producers to diversify revenue, build a new customer base and help more people experience California’s beautiful working landscapes,” California Farm Bureau, which supported the bill, said in a statement on the organization’s website.

While immigration enforcement dominated headlines about agricultural news during much of the past year, few changes will take effect in the new year because immigration law is primarily determined by the federal government.

However, like California’s response during President Donald Trump’s first term in office, the state Legislature enacted some policy changes this year in response to the Trump administration’s crackdown on immigration.

Under Senate Bill 627, authored by state Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, beginning Jan. 1 federal law enforcement agents will—except in specific circumstances—be prohibited from wearing masks that obscure their faces and identities.

If agents choose to still cover their faces, they lose their right to assert “qualified immunity,” which protects law enforcement officers from individual liability for their actions, meaning they could be sued for violations such as assault, battery or false imprisonment.

The law was created in response to the new and widespread use of face coverings by federal agents this year during immigration raids.

Enforcement actions this past year were largely focused in urban areas such as Los Angeles and major cities in other states, though some farming regions such as the Oxnard Plain in Ventura County and the Bakersfield area in Kern County were affected by sprawling raids that lasted up to a few days.

It remains unclear to what extent the new state law will affect immigration enforcement in California. The Trump administration has sued to block enforcement of the law, and administration officials have said agents will not abide by it.

Under federal law, immigration enforcement agents are entitled to enter private worksites only after obtaining a warrant signed by a judge. In California, a 2017 state law prohibits employers from allowing immigration authorities to access nonpublic work areas without a judicial warrant.

Caleb Hampton is editor of Ag Alert. He can be reached at champton@cfbf.com.

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