A college student from Los Banos majoring in plant and soil sciences has earned First Place in the 42nd annual California Farm Bureau Photo Contest. Cayden Pricolo, who won $1,000 for an action shot of the hand harvest of watermelons at a farm in her hometown, noted that photography is an invaluable tool for helping […]
Acknowledging the tough economic conditions almond growers have faced in recent years as production costs soared while earnings plummeted, the Almond Board of California maintains that the long-term outlook for the tree nut remains positive, even as the industry struggles through some growing pains. Almond leaders say changing times and shifts in consumer behavior mean […]
Applications are now available for the 17th annual “We Believe in Growing” scholarship, presented by E.M. Tharp and World Ag Expo®. The scholarship was created to support agriculture education and encourage students from the Central Valley to pursue a career in agriculture. High school seniors from Madera, Fresno, Tulare, Kings, and Kern counties are eligible […]
After nearly 60 years of showing cattle, Tulare County dairy farmer Joey Airoso acknowledged he’s “pretty well known” in competition circles. Though he has taken home various prizes through the years, Airoso said he was “completely surprised” when he was named the 81st winner of the Klussendorf Award, widely regarded as the Hall of Fame […]
Westlands Water District (District) has met its ambitious goal of recharging 200,000 acre feet of groundwater and is prepared to capture more. With water still available for recharge, predictions of a wet “El Nino” for California, and strong enthusiasm from District farmers to prioritize groundwater recharge, Westlands has set a new target of recharging 275,000 […]
Two different beetle pests found in California orchards this year have growers on alert and researchers looking to learn more as they try to develop treatments to control infestations. One is the arrival of a new invasive beetle, the Carpophilus truncatus, which was found infesting almonds and pistachios in the San Joaquin Valley earlier this […]
Waylon and Willie, two rescue dogs who helped protect a Tulare County farm from crime, have earned the $1,000 Grand Prize in the third annual California Farm Bureau Farm Dog of the Year Contest. The award was announced during the 105th California Farm Bureau Annual Meeting in Reno. Waylon and Willie are Great Pyrenees and […]
Setton Pistachio of Terra Bella, Inc., the nation’s second-largest pistachio grower and processor, is proud to announce a record-breaking yield and a revamped website with the start of the new crop year. For more information and to explore their new website, visit SettonFarms.com. Setton Farm’s 2023 harvest, which concluded on Oct. 26, broke industry records […]
The historically wet winter early this year motivated greater adoption of a water management strategy known as flood-managed aquifer recharge, or flood-MAR, in which excess flood flows are diverted onto farmland to boost depleted groundwater aquifers. “We knew from the previous year, even in intense drought years, we have opportunities with these big storm events […]
After harvesting a record crop this year, California pistachio growers say they’re looking to processors to expand use of the nut and drive up sales as more trees go in the ground and come into production. Already, some growers voice concern the sector may be growing too fast, with projections that California pistachio acreage will […]