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 […]

Westlands Water District shows groundwater recharge success

Today, Westlands Water District (District) released new data on the District’s groundwater recharge efforts. Since 2019, the District has been working with District landowners to establish on-farm recharge projects, with the goal of taking advantage of abundant water supply (when available) to improve groundwater levels in the lower and upper aquifers. Sustainability is at the […]

Setton Farms and Tajín® collaborate on new Chili Lime Seasoned Pistachio Kernels

Setton Pistachio of Terra Bella, Inc., the nation’s second-largest pistachio grower and processor, is proud to announce a partnership with Tajín® to introduce Tajín® Chili & Lime Seasoned Pistachio Kernels. Tajín®, the #1 brand in the chili-powder in the US, is the much-awaited addition to Setton’s award-winning line of seasoned pistachio kernels. Tajín® is one […]

Lab-grown meat’s carbon footprint potentially worse than retail beef

Lab-grown meat, which is cultured from animal cells, is often thought to be more environmentally friendly than beef because it’s predicted to need less land, water and greenhouse gases than raising cattle. But in a preprint, not yet peer-reviewed, researchers at the University of California, Davis, have found that lab-grown or “cultivated” meat’s environmental impact is likely […]

New Research Offers Clarity on Actual Water Use by Agriculture

Recent scientific work by the California Bountiful Foundation, the 501(c)(3) science and research arm of the California Farm Bureau, has found that California farmers and ranchers use only 15% of the total water the state receives. These findings, now available on the California Bountiful Foundation website under Research and Studies, offers a data-based analysis of […]

Bill would restrict foreign purchase of local farmland

From small plots to vast ranches, California’s farmland attracts investment from all over the world. But as drought and climate change provoke anxiety over water and natural resources, state legislators are proposing new restrictions. State Sen. Melissa Hurtado, D-Sanger, introduced a bill April 24 to bar foreign governments and government-controlled enterprises from purchasing agricultural land […]