
California’s wineries have come out strongly in support of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement–known to critics as “Obamatrade”–agreed upon by the United States and 11 other Pacific Rim nations and awaiting ratification by the Senate.
by Adelle Nazarian10 Nov 2015, 12:14 PM PST0

Silicon Valley and other tech center start-ups raised $2.06 billion in “agtech” venture capital in the first half of 2015 to develop apps and devices to help farmers manage the four-year-old drought.
by Chriss W. Street18 Oct 2015, 1:43 PM PST0

Gov. Jerry Brown has signed a controversial law making California the nation’s strictest regulator of the use of livestock antibiotics, limiting use only to sick animals directly under the care of a veterinarian.
by Chriss W. Street13 Oct 2015, 12:01 AM PST0

On Thursday, Bangladesh celebrated the extraordinary rat-slaying achievements of 55-year-old farmer Abdul Khaleq Mirbohor, who took national honors plus a cash prize valued at $250 USD, for leading a team of mostly female volunteers in the killing of some 160,000 rats.
by John Hayward9 Oct 2015, 5:46 PM PST0

China’s President Xi Jinping will sign an agreement to open up China’s rice market to U.S. exports as part of his economic charm offensive this week, after signing a $38 billion aircraft deal with Boeing in Seattle.
by Chriss W. Street25 Sep 2015, 12:53 PM PST0

Chris Queen’s new book Football, Faith, & Flannery O’Connor: A Love Letter to the South is just what the title promises, a breezy, fast-moving brochure for a somewhat loosely-defined slice of America. One of the most quintessentially Southern things about the South is that it’s not easy to say exactly where it begins and ends.
by John Hayward11 Sep 2015, 1:06 PM PST0

The raging El Niño Southern Oscillation, a band of warm ocean water in the central and east-central equatorial Pacific, is about to cause droughts in southern Asia–and to bring enough rain to boost California almond production after years of drought-induced decline.
by Chriss W. Street19 Aug 2015, 12:26 PM PST0

The State of California is planning to use eminent domain law to acquire hundreds of farms in the Delta for a controversial, multi-billion-dollar underground water tunnel project proposed by Gov. Jerry Brown.
by Daniel Nussbaum18 Aug 2015, 12:27 PM PST0

Brown marmorated stinkbugs are hitting agriculturally rich Stanislaus County, infiltrating drought-stricken California with potentially devastating results.
by Michelle Moons7 Aug 2015, 6:27 AM PST0

You may have heard it through the grapevine: the California raisin farmers who challenged the federal government’s power to seize a substantial portion of each year’s crop as part of a New Deal price-floor scheme had a very strong case under
by Joel B. Pollak22 Jun 2015, 8:17 AM PST0

The state of California has settled two lawsuits filed by the families of two farm workers who died of heat-related illnesses while working in the field.
by Daniel Nussbaum15 Jun 2015, 3:35 PM PST0

On Friday, California’s top water regulators issued new cutbacks on farmers holding senior water rights dating back more than 100 years.
by Daniel Nussbaum13 Jun 2015, 9:58 AM PST0

In a powerfully worded address Thursday, Pope Francis urged the world not to wait for governments and international organizations to end hunger but to take the matter into their own hands.
by Thomas D. Williams, Ph.D.11 Jun 2015, 12:58 PM PST0

California Gov. Jerry Brown struck an optimistic tone on the state’s record drought Tuesday night, saying technology and a “more elegant” way of living would ensure the state could beat its water shortage problems.
by Daniel Nussbaum10 Jun 2015, 12:21 PM PST0

Pistachios are undoubtedly one of America’s favorite nuts, and a staple export for the Golden State. However, the pending nuclear deal with Iran has created growing concern within the industry that the crop’s otherwise relentless expansion and success in the marketplace could be stifled, should the United Nations end trade sanctions against Iran.
by Adelle Nazarian8 Jun 2015, 12:14 PM PST0

Electronic musician Moby sat down with Rolling Stone this week to discuss California’s four-year-long drought and the steps the state could take to mitigate its effects and finally end it. The musician and activist said California’s water problem could be
by Daniel Nussbaum28 May 2015, 10:22 AM PST0

On Tuesday night, the City Council of Davis unanimously passed an ordinance requiring every “restaurant that sells a children’s meal that includes a beverage” to offer milk or water to children as their first choice in children’s meals, according to Bay Area public radio station KQED.
by William Bigelow28 May 2015, 8:56 AM PST0

Grocery stores are responding to the massive loss of consumer dollars by going all-in for organic foods, which Consumer Reports estimates cost 47% more. Despite clever marketing, most health experts doubt organics are worth the premium price.
by Chriss W. Street20 May 2015, 12:04 PM PST0

The National Climate Prediction Center has raised the probability of an El Niño in the Northern Hemisphere lasting through this summer to 90 percent, and added that there is a a greater than 80 percent probability it will last through all of 2015.
by Chriss W. Street17 May 2015, 4:00 AM PST0

Californians could soon see drones irrigating or dusting crops. Amazon and Google told the Wall Street Journal they have recently seen a major shift in the attitude of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regarding critical issues to accelerate commercial drone test flights that extend beyond the sight of the operator.
by Chriss W. Street7 May 2015, 10:00 AM PST0

Breitbart News reported in January that farmland prices were estimated to have fallen 3 percent, for their first fall since 1986. But the Chicago Federal Reserve just upped the decline to 8.9 percent, and “Grant’s Interest Rate Observer” warns that farmland
by Chriss W. Street7 May 2015, 12:01 AM PST0

The U.S. Supreme Court held oral arguments on April 22 regarding the constitutionality of a federal law that requires raisin farmers to transfer a portion of any raisin crop surplus to the federal government at a severe discount, or pay a fine. The law was passed during the Great Depression as a “New Deal” for agriculture to keep prices up. But the farmers call the law an “illegal taking” under the Fifth Amendment–and they appeared to have a very good day in Court, according to the SCOTUSblog.
by Chriss W. Street23 Apr 2015, 1:00 PM PST0

There has been lots of hubbub in the last two weeks about California’s economy drying up and blowing away like sagebrush after four years of drought. But the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO), which provides budget advice to state lawmakers, announced that “We currently do not expect the drought to have a significant effect” on the state’s budget or overall economy. The reason: agriculture is only a small piece of the economy.
by Chriss W. Street17 Apr 2015, 4:30 AM PST0

San Diego farmers are calling a foul on Governor Jerry Brown’s new and unprecedented 25% mandatory water regulations, accusing the governor of favoring Central Valley farmers with exemptions and pressing for similar allowances for other California farming regions, including those in San Diego County.
by Michelle Moons13 Apr 2015, 1:02 PM PST0

A study from the Limited Government Foundation demonstrates how the federal government’s support programs have harmed the agriculture industry’s competitiveness and made the sector more dependent on government.
by Alex Swoyer13 Apr 2015, 4:55 AM PST0