The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) is now surveying produce packers and other post-harvest businesses to help fruit and vegetables operations as they prepare to implement new federal food safety requirements. The 2015 Produce Post-Harvest Microbial Food Safety Practices Survey marks the first time since 1998 that such a survey has […]
When I first moved to Porterville 30-something years ago, I remember driving around looking at different neighborhoods for a home. I was so impressed with one home’s landscaping and appeal that I kept going back to that area hoping to find a house. What made it look so welcoming were the colorful blossoms spilling out […]
What once was a thriving agricultural commodity in California has dwindled down to a few hold-outs in the olive industry. There used to be 18,000 acres planted with olives in Tulare County, said Adin Hester, president and CEO of the Olive Growers Council, which is based in Visalia. Now there are just 10,000 and that […]
When the agriculture commissioner, Marilyn Kinoshita, announced Tulare County’s production numbers a few weeks ago it was assumed that Tulare County would be the number one agriculture producer in the nation. That assumption was confirmed last week when Fresno County released its 2014 production numbers. Fresno County’s agriculture production for 2014 was $7.03 billion, which […]
Agricultural producers rented and farmed 353.8 million acres of farmland, according to the results of the 2014 Tenure, Ownership, and Transition of Agricultural Land (TOTAL) survey results released today by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). Of these acres, 80 percent are owned by non-farming landlords. According to the survey results, […]
More than 125 community members attended CSET’s Drought Resource Center resource fair on August 27. Families received information on drought-related services and programs, and other family resources. Community partner booths included: CalFresh, Family Health Care Network, Covered California, the Employment Development Department, the Tulare County Employment Connection (a proud partner of America’s Job Center of […]
With talk of a strong El Niño brewing and with it, the potential for above-average precipitation this fall and winter, California livestock ranchers say they are hopeful about getting some relief from the drought. But they remain cautious about their plans for rebuilding their herds. Poor pasture conditions and high feed costs have pummeled California […]
They’ve faced a variety of challenges this season: the drought, which led to water shortages, removal of orchards and close scrutiny of their irrigation practices, plus concerns about chill hours and, in some cases, an uneven bloom. Now, California almond growers are accelerating harvest and advancing their opinions about whether the crop will meet its […]
Faced with the fourth consecutive year of drought and a second year of no water from the Friant Division of the Central Valley Project, Tulare County farmer Zack Stuller said he and his fellow citrus growers are in “survival mode.” “We’re not giving up,” said Stuller, who works for Sun Pacific, a grower, packer and […]
Starting next month, California dairy farmers will earn more money for milk used to make cheese, as a result of a temporary change in the state milk pricing formula that calculates the value of dry whey. The California Department of Food and Agriculture ordered the change, which will be in effect for one year, after […]