Storm devastates table grape crops at peak of harvest

California table grape growers in Kern and Tulare counties suffered major crop losses last month when heavy rains and strong winds from Tropical Storm Hilary slammed vineyards as they neared the peak of harvest season. “The impact of the hurricane and its aftermath is devastating and heartbreaking,” Kathleen Nave, president of the California Table Grape […]

Westlands’ Westside Subbasin Groundwater Sustainability Plan receives approval

Westlands Water District (District) received official notice from the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) that the Westside Subbasin Groundwater Sustainability Plan (Westside GSP) was approved. Submitted in conformity with the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), the Westside GSP’s approval is a significant step in ensuring a long-term water future in the heart of the […]

Westlands farmers awarded $4m through LandFlex program to minimize groundwater footprint

Close to 2,422 acre-feet of groundwater will remain in the aquifer of the Westside Subbasin thanks to a grant from The California Department of Water Resources (DWR). Farmers in the Westlands Water District Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA), which manages the groundwater in the Westside Subbasin, and three other GSAs were eligible to receive funding through […]

Farm Bureau research foundation backs study on wetlands, grazing

California Bountiful Foundation, the 501(c)(3) research organization of California Farm Bureau, has awarded a $520,000 grant to support cattle grazing research being conducted by California Polytechnic State University, The study, led by Dr. Justin Luong, a Humboldt professor of rangeland resource science, aims to determine if wetlands benefit from grazing activities. It will also evaluate […]

USDA final forecast projects slightly larger 2023 almond crop

The 2023 California Almond Objective Measurement Report published Wednesday by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (USDA-NASS) estimates that the crop harvested in 2023 will come in at 2.6 billion meat pounds, 1% percent above last year’s 2.57 billion pounds. The estimate is up 4 percent from USDA-NASS’s Subjective Forecast in May […]