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Climate-Smart Agriculture Report Outlines USDA Strategy

Climate-Smart Agriculture Report Outlines USDA Strategy

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently released a report outlining its strategy for climate-smart agriculture. Efforts to include agriculture and forestry in combatting climate change have been a focal point for President Joe Biden. The 90-day progress report provides an overview of how USDA plans to carry out President Biden’s Executive Order on Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home…

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VofV: Moving Technology Forward Through Teamwork

VofV: Moving Technology Forward Through Teamwork

This episode of the Voices of the Valley podcast is brought to you today by the Western Growers Association. Supporting producers that grow the best medicine in the world. Find out more at WGA.com. Voices of the Valley is back with a brand new episode on how agricultural technology has evolved in 2020 and 2021. Candace Wilson, who led operations at Seminis/Monsanto/Bayer for the past 15 years…

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Farm City Newsday Wednesday, 05-26-21

Farm City Newsday Wednesday, 05-26-21

Get the latest agriculture news in today’s Farm City Newsday, hosted by Danielle Leal. Today’s show is filled with stories covering USDA needing producers’ input to come June, access to health insurance and child care are two issues for producers nationwide, and shifting trends in California citrus varieties. Tune in to the show for these news stories, recipes, features and more. Listen to…

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Shifting Trends in California Citrus Varieties

Shifting Trends in California Citrus Varieties

As California growers consider which crops present the most opportunity for success, the citrus industry is no different. Shifting consumer trends have helped dictate which varieties of citrus are most popular among growers. Professor in the School of Public Policy at UC Riverside, Bruce Babcock explained that over the past 15 years or so there have been some notable changes in California citrus…

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Natural Ways to Keep Some Bothersome Bugs at Bay

Natural Ways to Keep Some Bothersome Bugs at Bay

Some natural ways to keep some bothersome bugs at bay. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Instead of spraying the whole yard with toxic pesticides in order to enjoy your time outside, try these natural solutions that will keep mosquitos away. Plant things that they won’t like. For example, Lemon Balm, Basil, Mint, Cat Nip, Rosemary and Lavender. Citronella candles work well, too. When…

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How You Can Grow an Avocado Tree from the Pit

How You Can Grow an Avocado Tree from the Pit

How to grow an avocado tree from the pit. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. YouTube image While it takes a lot of patience to grow an avocado tree, about five years before it starts producing fruit, you’ll have everything you need to get one started the next time you cut open an avocado. Take the pit of the fruit, wash it thoroughly, and poke a hole in the center of the seed with a…

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Health Bite: Electrolyte 101

Health Bite: Electrolyte 101

Sports drinks like Gatorade have done a great job highlighting the need to replenish electrolytes, but does anyone know what they are and why they’re important? Hi I’m Rachel Eslick with today’s AgNet West Health Bite. Electrolytes are essential minerals that exist in the body, like sodium, calcium and potassium. When we sweat, some of those minerals are excreted too. Ever accidentally taste…

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Industry Group Voices Opposition to Proposed Mill Assessment Increase

Industry Group Voices Opposition to Proposed Mill Assessment Increase

The Western Agricultural Processors Association (WAPA) has voiced concerns about the proposed mill assessment increase. WAPA recently sent a letter to CalEPA Secretary Jared Blumenfeld detailing the challenges a tiered mill tax increase would create for farmers. The purported purpose for moving to a tiered system is to push the industry towards lower-risk pesticides. However, WAPA President and…

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Farm City Newsday Tuesday, 05-25-21

Farm City Newsday Tuesday, 05-25-21

Get the latest agriculture news in today’s Farm City Newsday, hosted by Danielle Leal. A recent market report shows demand for avocados is supporting increasing import numbers of the fruit and prices look good through the summer. Brian German has details on a fascinating new huanglongbing detection technique that could be 1,000 times more sensitive than current methods. He also has a progress…

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New Testing Method Could Enable Earlier Diagnosis of HLB

New Testing Method Could Enable Earlier Diagnosis of HLB

A new test involving CRISPR technology could help with early diagnosis of Huanglongbing (HLB). A study recently published in the journal Phytopathology details how a new diagnostic test can detect the HLB causing bacteria known as CLas at a much greater sensitivity level. The research was conducted by scientists from Penn State University and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. One of the…

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FFA Awards More than $1.5 Million in Scholarships

FFA Awards More than $1.5 Million in Scholarships

The Future Farmers of America (FFA) has awarded more than $1.5 million in scholarships to 974 recipients across the country. The scholarships were made possible thanks to the generosity of more than 300 sponsors and donors. This year marked the 37th year of the FFA scholarship program that originally began in 1984 with 16 scholarship opportunities. More than $50 million in scholarship funding has…

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Great Items to Use in the Garden Instead of Plastic

Great Items to Use in the Garden Instead of Plastic

How to use less plastic in the garden.  That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. We use more plastic in gardening than we realize. For example, those little pots that plants come in from the garden store, and the plastic plant label tags, will take hundreds of years to fully decompose in a landfill.  While it may be impossible to completely eliminate the use of plastic in the garden, there are…

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Farm Groups Gather to Discuss Cattle Market Concerns

Farm Groups Gather to Discuss Cattle Market Concerns

An array of agricultural groups met in Phoenix, Arizona last week to go over challenges facing the U.S. cattle market. The meeting was held at the request of the Livestock Marketing Association. Leaders of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, American Farm Bureau Federation, United States Cattlemen’s Association, National Farmers Union (NFU), and R-CALF USA participated in the discussion.…

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As ACP Populations Persist, California Citrus Program Pushes Forward with Growers in Mind

As ACP Populations Persist, California Citrus Program Pushes Forward with Growers in Mind

Nearly 13 years after the first Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) was detected in California, the state’s commercial groves have successfully remained free from Huanglongbing (HLB). While this accomplishment should be a source of pride for the industry, the Citrus Pest & Disease Prevention Program (CPDPP) is urging growers and industry members to stay diligent when it comes to prevention efforts. Last…

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Farm City Newsday Monday, 05-24-21

Farm City Newsday Monday, 05-24-21

Get the latest agriculture news in today’s Farm City Newsday, hosted by Danielle Leal. AgNet West‘s Taylor Hillman fills in for Danielle Leal today as the show covers another food safety report that is making regulators look at adjacent land use. Brian German has details on COVID complications still sticking around in markets even as things open back up. And he has the details on some new…

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Salmonella Outbreak Report Points to Adjacent Land Use

Salmonella Outbreak Report Points to Adjacent Land Use

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has released a report on the largest Salmonella outbreak in more than 10 years. Federal and state agencies investigated the outbreak between June and October 2020. The outbreak stemmed from red onions sourced from the Southern San Joaquin Valley and Imperial Valley. While no deaths were reported, more than 1600 cases of illness were recorded in the U.S.…

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Market Concerns Linger as COVID Challenges Begin to Decline

Market Concerns Linger as COVID Challenges Begin to Decline

While the major disruptions created by the COVID-19 pandemic are starting to wane, producers are paying close attention to market trends and other evolving issues. Although California’s current lack of water storage and available water supply is a primary concern for farmers and ranchers, there are still some questions as to how markets are going to shape up with more and more sectors of the…