With 60% of the state now in extreme drought conditions, state officials are warning water-right holders that they should expect more curtailments during peak irrigation season in June and July. In a statement last week, the state Division of Water Rights said “curtailments are expected to increase progressively through the spring and summer and continue […]
For decades, scientists have poked deep holes a few miles apart across the California landscape, seeking to better understand the characteristics of the state’s 515 groundwater basins in hopes of better managing and protecting them. Now, California water officials are deploying a new technology—and some new-age, aerial surveillance—to monitor groundwater supplies and aquifer health. The […]
Facing a third year of drought, leadership from county Farm Bureaus, spanning all regions of California, gathered in Sacramento last week to engage with state water officials about all things water. A changing climate, shrinking snowpack, water rights, aging infrastructure, groundwater regulations and solutions to the state’s water crisis were among the topics discussed at […]
It was cold the morning of December 29, 2021. It certainly wasn’t the coldest Christmas week the South Valley has seen, with light rains falling on and off that day. The chill could have been much worse, and for Tulare dairywoman Janie DeRaadt, it was. It’s a day that will be frozen in time for […]
As ongoing port congestion and persistent shipping obstacles continue to block movement of California agricultural goods, farmers and exporters face bulging warehouses and dwindling cash flow that threaten to sink some businesses. Tree nuts, fresh produce, dairy products and other California farm commodities struggle to find rides on vessels and containers in which to ship […]
Illegal dumping on private lands in rural communities is an issue that has plagued farmers and ranchers for many years. Old mattresses, sofas, appliances, tires and household garbage are routinely discarded along roadways, causing an unsightly mess and bringing added costs to farmers or the county to clean the mess or haul it to a […]
As California dairy farmers face increasing pressure to reduce the impact their cows have on the warming planet, scientists and people in the business say tools are available to do just that. But getting more farms to use them will require investment and other incentives to achieve specific targets. “Climate neutrality is definitely within reach. […]
Three generations of the Gless Family will be honored as the “Citrus Family of the Year” during a dinner program on Friday, April 22 at Farmer Bob’s World in Ivanhoe. Farmer Bob’s World, a non-profit 501(c)(3) agricultural education program that offers farm tours and field trips, was founded by Bob McKellar, owner of McKellar Family […]
Managing manure is nothing new for dairy operators. After all, cows and their four-chambered stomachs are one of nature’s best examples of efficient digestion. But these days, those bovine digestive systems are generating a new source of income for nearly 200 dairies in California. At his River Ranch Farms in Hanford, Jack de Jong now […]
With California now in its third year of drought, collaboration among state, federal and local partners is critical to improving the resiliency of California’s water system. Today, the California Department of Water Resources announced it has released $29.8 million in funding to the Friant Water Authority (FWA) to repair segments of the Friant-Kern Canal, a […]