California Ag Today: Recent Episodes
California Ag Today
Greg and Monica Willems are bringing growers and consumers remarkable new blueberry varieties. Their California Berry Genetics is one of the top blue berry nurseries in the nation. New varieties such as Sweet Duchess, Early Duchess, and Blue Duchess will be sold under the Farm to Table Berries brand.
Joe Del Bosque is a long-time farmer in Wester Fresno and Merced Counties. He farms almonds, melons an other crops. He said farmers are selling their land and giving up their professions and the state wants to buy out other farms for the water rights!
The vast majority of food, produced in the US, comes from California, which is experiencing another drought. However, for food security, sound policies must be made to allow farmers to get surface water for their crops. Too much water flows to the Pacific Ocean, which should go to farmers!
For decades, Mario Santoyo is someone who has fought hard for water for California Farmers. He describes the catastrophic nature of SGMA.
William Bourdeau is Vice President of Harris Farms, a Director of Westlands Water District, and Chairman of the Board of the California Water Alliance. He speaks about preserving the California Food Supply for the Future.
Mario Santoyo served as assistant manager for 30 years on the Friant Water Users Authority, and then served as Executive Director for the San Joaquin Valley Water Infrastructure Authority representing the counties of Merced, Madera, Fresno, Tulare, and Kings, in order to promote the building of Temperance Flat Dam. He has seen many zero allocations and has been bruised badly trying to insure water for California Agriculture. This is part 1 of his dire prediction for the Agricultural industry in California.
Part 2 of 2 Parts
Paul Crout is a Pest Control Advisor and Certified Crop Advisor. He is with Helena Agri-Enterprises based in Templeton California. He is among thousands of PCAs and CCAs who assist growers in crop production. He noted California produce is safe to eat, whether grown conventionally or organically.
Paul Crout is a Pest Control Advisor and Certified Crop Advisor. He is with Helena Agri-Enterprises based in Templeton California. He is among thousands of PCAs and CCAs who assist growers in crop production.
Jeff Rasmussen is a California Pest Control Advisor. He noted he is a plant doctor and chooses his plant pest and disease control methods very carefully. He often doesn't need to use pest control materials. Instead, he chooses cultural practices and biological products to control pests and diseases.
Did you know that plants such as almonds do not truly use water....They borrow it!
Please share this podcast with the naysayers!
Stuart Woolf is President and CEO of Woolf Farming and Processing. The farming operation produces almonds, pistachios, tomatoes, grapes, onions, garlic, wheat, hay and various other row crops. He noted how tough the 2021 production season is, with a zero water allocation.
Due to very little rain and snow during the winter of 2020/2021, California growers are having to rely on groundwater to get through this season. We all believe this is an unsustainable struggle to irrigate crops. Ryan Jacobsen is the CEO of the Fresno County Farm Bureau.
He is also the fourth generation of two Fresno County farm families. He noted that the situation is dire and will become more dire if we are at the cusp of another multiple-year drought.
Anthony LaFauce is with the Clyde Group -- a Washington D.C.-based communications and public relations firm. He is also an adjunct in the School of Communications Dept. at American University. He suggests ways for PCAs to get heard!
Hear Amy Wu, the author of From Farms to Incubators on how women entrepreneurs are revolutionizing agriculture through high technology.
Amy Wu is an award-winning agtech journalist and the producer/director of the documentary film From Farms to Incubators. She is widely published in major newspapers and magazines. In 2020, Wu was named on Worth magazine's Groundbreakers 2020 list of 50 Women Changing the World!
Photo Courtesy of Bill Winters
Today’s announcement is no surprise given current hydrologic conditions and regulations that restrict operations of the Central Valley Project, but it is devastating nonetheless for farmers and communities across the region that rely on water from the CVP and jobs created by irrigated agriculture.
Jeff Mitchell is a UCANR Cropping Systems Specialist in the department of Plant Science at UC Davis. He has been researching Conservation Tillage for more than 20 years.
Competition from other state, massive regulations, and plant based movement pressure the industry.
Pest Control Advisors and applicators must alway make there voices heard in social media and websites.
Anthony LaFauce has been an adjunct at the American University, for eight years. He’s taught public speaking, digital communications in public relations. He is a principle at the Clyde Group, a Washington D.C public relations and public affairs firm. The company works closely with Crop Life America---a national trade association that represents the manufactures, formulators and distributors of pesticides.
The national dairy industry is hurting badly due to lower consumption and over-supply. Why not shut down the dairy and grow a crop that can be marketed and put black ink on your balance sheet instead of red ink!
Officials fear that this orchard cound eventually become infected, with the fatal Huanglongbing disease, which would the first commercial orchard in California.
We’re talking about current trade challenges due to the COVID pandemic. And Stringer along with other California specialty crop representative have recently been selected to serve on the Agricultural Technical Advisor Committee to provide technical advice and guidance to the USDA and the office of the US Trade Representative regarding international trade of the specialty crops
We spoke with Miyoko Schinner the tenacious, award-winning vegan celebrity chef behind Miyoko’s Creamery in Petaluma California, where she and her employees churn out a wide variety of plant based cheese products
She has an idea on how to help the diary industry.
Drew Wolter is a Grad Student at UC Davis. He studied whether or not the latex paint on tree trunks made a difference. And by the way, Wolter was awarded first place for his scientific paper at the California Weed Science Societies annual meeting in Monterey.
Guelta Laguerre is an undergrad at UC Davis, and she won first place for her research poster as an undergrad at the recent California Weed Science Society Meeting in Monterey.
Jesse Rojas with the Redd Group discusses another important Management Seminar that the Redd Group is presenting.
Dr. Eliza Dunn is the Medical Sciences Outreach Lead For Bayer Crop Sciences. She has served in third-world countries as a medical doctor and knows first hand the effects of malnutrition and insect borne illnesses. She explains how crop protection materials, including glyphosate, can protect human populations from food insecurity and illnesses.
This podcast outlines how Assembly Women Lorena Gonzales Fletcher has stolen the dreams of non-UFW union farm employee in California.
Jesse Rojas, spokesperson with Pick Justice Action, explains more.
Also, Pick Justice has launched a Sweepstake for $5,000 regarding Fletcher's actions against non-union farm employees. Go to truthaboutlorena.com
The Sweepstake is an ongoing awareness campaign to expose @LorenaSGonzalez who is in compete cahoots with he UFW union.
Beekeepers will so be able to know what is happening with the health of their hives with sensor technology from ApisProtect. For more information go to ApisProtect.com. You can also sign up for a free e-news letter at the site to stay up to date.
Whetlor is trying to keep the Billies from being euthanized at birth in order to move them into the food industry.
It's back to the usual with CA Gov. Gavin Newsom appointing a Pro-UFW attorney to the UFW.
Josh Harder represents California's 10th Congressional district which includes the Stanislaus County areas Modesto, Turlock and Patterson.
He recently introduced the SAVE Water Resources Act to address the Central Valley Water needs.
Christine McMorrow, the communication director for The Center of Land-based Learning speaks about a groundbreaking of a new location for the center.
Drew Wolter, UC Davis Grad Student is Working on Controlling Threespike Goosegrass in tree nut orchards. The weed is showing tolerance to Glyphosate.
It's critically important all Ag Employees during high-temperature days. All operations must provide adequate Water, Rest, and Shade
Alex Ott is the Executive Director of the American Pecan Council--- where the focus is increasing consumer consumption of pecans
West Sacramento FFA and River City High School Anna Kelley Feeds her Hens Garlic and their eggs have a garlic flavor!
Sophia Marin is a Lab Assistant III at UC Cooperative Extension Kern County as well as an Adjunct Professor at Bakersfield College. She is helping Wasco High School Students attend Bakersfield College to learn more about the science of agriculture.
This year's almond pollination season started out cold and rainy. However, temperatures warmed up and there were enough days between rainstorms that bees were able to fly and pollinate the almonds.
Minarets High School FFA Student Mackenzie Camacho wants to reduce the spreading of Botryosphaeria Spores when a farmer is burning infected wood.
Jesse Rojas is the founder and CEO of the Redd Group and he is hosting the meeting at Hodel's Country Dining in Bakersfield 7 am to 11 am.
Idalia Navarro is an undergrad student at California State University Fresno. She has found that Field Bindweed can tolerate water with high salt content, however, the weed will not grow when water stressed.
The Sonora FFA students are insulating compost in order to warm it up so that earthworms have a better survival rate.
Bearded Sprangletop is a troublesome weed in rice that is getting more difficult to control. Katie Driver is trying to solve the problem.
Chaudhari and here Professors are finding the reason Hairy Fleabane is Glyphosate Resistance.
Dennis Donohue, the Director of the Western Growers Center for Innovation & Technology speaks about the recent AgTechx event in cooperation with Bayer Crop Science at Bayer's West Sacramento Biologics Research Facility.
Timothy Jacobs, A Grad Student Soon to Graduate from Cal Poly SLO Researches Weed Control in Organic Strawberries
Cody Drake is a senior at California State University. His work is trying to pinpoint where the weeds are for better weed management in vineyards.
Some tree nut growers should consider using mating disruption, while other growers may not need to use the strategy.
James Schaeffer is a second-year grad student at California State University Fresno and a Staff Research Associate with UC Cooperative Extension. He is deep in research on a plant called Alkali weed, that could be a serious problem in California agriculture.
Samikshya Budhathoki discovers that the weed, Palmer Amaranth, desires saline soils, which are prevalent on the West Side of Fresno County. Palmer Amaranth is among the worst weeds in agriculture due to prolific seed production and glyphosate escapes.
Steven Haring is trying to develop winter/spring cover crops to out-compete winter annual weeds.
Michelle Borges with Hughson FFA Is Working Hard to Win a Star Reporter Award at CA FFA Convention in April 2019.
William Bourdeau VP Harris Farms in Coalinga, a Director of Westlands Water District and Chair of the Board with CA WaterAlliance. He speaks about the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act.
Jennifer Olmstead Marketing Director, Domestic PR at California Walnut Board/California Walnut Commission discusses the domestic market and explained how the Walnut Board is expanding its promotion of walnuts in the U.S.
Aerobotics is a Cape Town South Africa company expanding into California with technology that can detect early pest and diseases in orchards and vineyards.
The Amond Board continues to think into the future with a new Vision and Mission statement.
California has its own flyover areas and the farming industry is not happy. Arnold Torres says that the Hispanic population should help change that!
The California Water Resources Control Board has voted to pursue taking up to 40 percent of unimpaired flows from the Tuolumne, Stanislaus and Merced Rivers. This would put the cities and farming into abject peril.
Houston Wilson is a Assistant Cooperative Extension Specialist with the Department of Entomology at UC Riverside
Mark Kline is Senior Manager of Energy and Nut Purchasing at Hershey Co. He explains the value of Almonds for the company.
Mel Machado says the tree nut industry must pull every lever to reduce navel orangeworm (NOW). The last few years, NOW has been very costly to growers.
Phoebe Gordon, and Luke Milliron, Both UCCE Orchard Systems Farm Advisors, Collaborate on the Growing The Valley Podcast
Secretary of Ag Sonny Purdue and Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zenke on good forest management. They also comment on how radical environmentalist file lawsuits any time a tree needs to be cut in the forest.
There is an easy and accurate way to keep track of the spray rig operator. Is he going to fast, taking longer breaks, or skipping rows? Fieldin will let you know fast.
The Bee Where program aims to protect pollination bees from crop protection products. And there is an added benefit in it possibly preventing theft.
Ruthann Anderson explains a program where beekeepers must register the location of bees in the spring so that care can be taken with crop protection product applications.
Dr. Paula Rivadeneira is working to find a solution to birds flying around produce fields. Yes, the birds poop and that could be a food safety problem.
Mario Santoyo is Executive Director of the San Joaquin Valley Water Infrastructure Authority, with the goal of building the Temperance Flat Reservoir. He noted President Trump's Executive order on Oct. 19 is a great step in the right direction.
Kathleen Nave with CA Table Grape Commission On How Table Grapes Can Prevent Chronic Diseases by Patrick Cavanaugh
On Sept. 12, 2018 The California Supreme Court rejected the ALRB's appeal to not count the votes of Gerawan workers who wanted to decertify the UFW Union. That vote was held November 2013.
Dan Gerawan is co-owner of Gerawan Farming fears if the ballots are ever counted that many may be challenged.
The Trump Trade War is grinding on and commodity groups are hoping that cooler heads will prevail and end this stalemate
The 2018 Cotton Crop is progressing well, however, some late-season pest must be controlled to maintain cotton lint quality.
Labor Attorney Michael Saqui Says Ag Industry Must Be Engaged Re: Possible Travel Time Compensation for Field Workers
Paul Wenger is an almond and walnut farmer in Stanislaus County. He is also the former President of the California Farm Bureau Federation. He notes that the environmental community is in part responsible for the devastating wildfires in California.
Paul Wenger Farms Walnuts and Almonds in Stanislaus County. He is also the past president of the California Farm Bureau Federation.
Danny Royer is Vice President of Technology with Bowles Farming in Los Banos. Bowles Farming is part of a 160-year-old farming company going back to the famed Miller and Lux Company, which was also headquartered in Los Banos.
Henry Miller played a major role in the development of much of the San Joaquin Valley during the late 19th and early 20th Century.
Royer discusses the use of data on the farm to be more efficient.
Dennis Donahue, Consulting Director of Western Growers Center for Innovation and Technology, On Ag Technology
Jesse Rojas with Pick Justice Said the ALRB Issued a Recent Ruling in Favor of Gerawan Farm Workers
Brian Curtis is the founder and CEO of Concentric Power---the next generation provider of smart microgrid systems that adapts proven technology to create on-site, dispatchable power using modular cogeneration systems. It fully optimizes energy efficiency and controls costs. concentricpower.com
Cindy Smith is the Agricultural Relations Director with the Yuma-based Gowan Co. She speaks about the company, which his grown globally.
On May 30, 2018, the Fifth District Court of Appeal in Fresno issued a unanimous decision that the ALRB must count the Gerawan farm workers votes, which were cast in 2013. A recent motion by Attorney Anthony Raimondo is again pushing for the vote count.
Tom Nassif, President, and CEO of Western Growers Association, Irvine CA, on ideas to help ag not suffer from collateral damage.
Sarah Bloch is a Senior Scientist with Berkeley-based Pivot Bio, a company sourcing soil micros that can fix nitrogen gas from the soil and convert it to ammonia that the plants can use. The aim is to help farmers reduce the need for nitrogen fertilizers
Food safety is critically important to all California farmers, however, Carriere Farmily Farmsmade a commitment to raise the bar even higher. In fact, they earned a Pinnacle Award from the Safe Food Alliance!
Gary Van Sickle is the executive director of California Specialty Crops Council, which hosts the annual MRL Conference in San Francisco.
Tamika Sims, Director, Food Technology Communications, with the International Food Information Council (IFIC) Foundation, based in Washington D.C. She explains how consumers are confused about food.
Greg Crutsinger left academics to launch Scholar Farms, a company that helps farmers and others understand Drone use as well as the limitations of UAVs. Scholarfarms.com @scholarfarms
David Doll, UCANR Farm Advisor, Merced County, showed that thinning cuts instead of heading cuts would help Chandler walnuts yield more in the first 4 years of growth
Pictured is Mario Santoyo, Executive Director of the San Joaquin Valley Water Infrastructure Authority, fighting for Temperance Flat funding from the state.
AgVocating for Ag with Jake Reisdorf, a Beekeeper and Honey Producer by Patrick Cavanaugh
Food Safety Must be Culture on Farms with Sam Keiper, Pres. and CEO of Safe Food Alliance by Patrick Cavanaugh
Coffee Production in California with Jon Vaught Front Range BioSciences by Patrick Cavanaugh
The Global Tea Initiative at UC Davis with Katharine Burnett, Dir. of East Asian Studies by Patrick Cavanaugh
Food Safety Courses Are Available with Katie Ward Safe Food Alliance by Patrick Cavanaugh
Ceres Imaging Helps Farmers with Water/ Nutrition Questions with Ash Madgavkar CEO, Ceres Imaging by Patrick Cavanaugh
Weed Control Strategies with Brad Hanson UCANR Cooperative Extension Weed Specialist by Patrick Cavanaugh
Running and Animal Science Blog with Holland Dougherty, UC Davis Ph.D. Animal Science Candidate by Patrick Cavanaugh
Why We Love Farming Walnuts with Santiago Martin, his brother Nacho and Santiago Martin Jr, by Patrick Cavanaugh
Kate Olender With United Fresh Produce Assoc. On their Fresh Start Foundation by Patrick Cavanaugh
Nat DiBuduo, Pres. of Allied Grape Growers on the Need for Quality Grape from the SJV by Patrick Cavanaugh
Assemblyman Jim Patterson On State Supreme Court in Favor of the UFW by Patrick Cavanaugh
Mario Santoyo, is Executive Director of the San Joaquin Water Infrastructure Authority, which is behind the planning and building of Temperance Flat Dam. He said it's clear the California Water Commission Staff (not the Commissioners themselves)do not want big projects built with the $2.7 Billion Prop 1 funds. But they did give a green light to a Bay Area Project!
Travis Allen Spoke to a big crowd in Tulare on Sunday March 18. This candidate understands the needs of the Central San Joaquin Valley!
Brody Stapel is with Double Dutch Dairy in East Central Wisconsin and he is also a board of the Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative.
Beth Grafton-Cardwell, Director of Lindcove REC & Research Entomologist UC Riverside, noted the trees in Southern California are loaded with Asian Citrus Psyllids and many of them have been tested positive to the deadly HLB disease.
A recent California Department of Water Resources Workshop in Clovis outlined the policy and regulations on the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, did not sit well with many growers.
Be aware that a hearing at the California Supreme Court on Tues. Sept. 5 that could in essence force all California Farmers into UFW unionization.
Blue Tech Valley was part of a $60 million initiative that the California Energy Commission launched about one year ago,
PowWow Energy software makes data-driven agriculture as easy as sending a text message. Growers find measurable value in our services through increased yield and improved resource efficiency of water, energy, and on-field labor.
The Produce Mom, Lori Taylor will speak about her media platform at the 2017 Ag In the Classroom Annual Meeting in Visalia.
More information at: learnaboutag.org
Buddy Ketchner, with Brand K Strategies, works with food companies and industries in navigating the changing food world. He has a lot of passion for the California Almond Industry
Comedian Damian Mason knows how to communicate with those who do not understand agriculture!
Anja Raudabaugh, CEO of Western United Dairyman is gearing up to hold California legislators accountable for voting on the overtime bill. A SuperPAC is also being formed and funded to fight back on regulations
The California Agricultural Labor Relations Board (ALRB) is stacking its ranks with UFW sympathizers.
Ken Freeze is the spokesperson for the GWSS/PD Board, which is part of the CDFA. He explains how area-wide control of GWSS is helping to keep populations down and prevent the spread of Pierces Disease
Ken Freeze on Interesting Research to help protect winegrapes from PD by Patrick Cavanaugh
Ken Freeze is the spokesperson for the GWSS/PD Board, which is part of the CDFA. He explains rootstock work being done by Andy Walker, UC Davis researcher.
With the leadership of California Citrus Mutual a new containment building has broken ground near UC Riverside. The private facility will contain psyllid infected with the fatal Huanglongbing disease, so research can take place. Joel Nelsen, president of CCM speaks about it.
While sometimes segments of agriculture may not hold certain people such as vegans, vegetarians and environmentalists in high regard. They should think twice because they all eat the food the farmer's produce. Especially the fruits and vegetables for vegans!
Michelle Borges is a sophomore at Hughson High School and she also serves as the 2016/2017 Hughson FFA Recorder. She has a passion for agriculture and plans to study animal nutrition at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
Peterangelo Vallis has an astute and positive viewpoint on California Agriculture. Here he looks to the Almond Board of California as an example of great marketing, and suggests that California Agriculture collect a penny a pound on most commodities to build some positive awareness of farmers in California with a billboard campaign.
CA Assemblyman Adam Gray is not happy with the State Water Board's Proposal to take 40 percent of the Tuolumne River to increase flows in the Sacramento Delta for endangered species protection, which has not helped the species over the last five years.
The take by the State Water Board would be 400,000 acre feet. Which would require farmers to use more ground water to survive.
This could cause 1.6 billon in economic loss and job loss of 6,567.
Push back at Worthyourfight.org
Ian LeMay is Director of member relations and Communications for the California Fresh Fruit Association. He noted that the Association members will be heavily impacted.
The California Assembly passed AB1066, which is an ag overtime bill. It's puts a huge burden on California Farmers, which already pay overtime to their workers
Your hearing the sounds of a male and female Sharp Shooter Leafhoppers communicating with each other. Sharp Shooters vector the fatal Pierces Disease in Grapes. USDA-ARS researchers hope to jam the communication between the male and female so that they do not mate, there by lowering numbers.
Tom Nassif is President and CEO of Western Growers. He said growers are leaving California to farm elsewhere where they have good land, water, labor, along with a government who appreciates them.
Robert Norris is a UC Davis Weed Specialist, Emeritus. Here is #1 take home message about controlling weeds in crops
California Ag Today Radio had an exclusive interview with California Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom. The former San Francisco Mayor tells us how he thinks about California Agriculture.
Because blueberries are native to America, they make the perfect blue in red, white and blue food that we may celebrate with today!
In an effort to increase salmon populations in the Sacramento Delta, Fish and Wildlife has been doing something that does not make sense.
Michael O'Gorman is founder and executive director of the Davis-based Farmer Veteran Coalition which helps Veteran become engaged in the farming industry
The California farming industry throughout the Central San Joaquin are stunned at the announced 5 percent water allocation from the Bureau of Reclamation
Rob Schrick, Bayer CropScience Horticulture Manager says growers have the most credible voice for agricualture
Laurie Greene reports on how the Western Growers Association is reaching out to Urban areas to ask them to urge water system operators at the Sacramento Delta to send water south to cities and farms instead of the ocean
California Assemblyman Jim Patterson says thousands of acre-feet of water is moving to the ocean instead of being pumped in San Luis Reservoir.
There are creative and cost effective ways for the dairy industry to get out of the rut that it's currently in.
Tom Van Nortwick is the owner and publisher of Agribusiness Publications based in Fresno, publishers of Agribusiness Dairyman Magazine. Van Nortwick explains how dairy producers can help dairy producers, in these times of low milk prices .
Sara Kroopf works with the Environmental Defense Fund's San Francisco office. Her expertise is agricultural economics, sustainable agricultural systems and corporate social responsibility. And she does this by building relationships with agricultural producers.
Aubrey Bettencourt's organization, California Water Alliance has written an initiative that will use $8 Billion from the High Speed Rail Bond funds and $2.7 Billion in previously authorized water bond funds to build storage for all of California. It is hoped that the initiative will be on the 2016 ballot.
Hear USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack on the importance of the Trans-Pacific Partnership and the boon it would have for California specialty crop growers!
Uri Shani is a professor at Hebrew University of Jerusalum. He is also the former spokesperson for the Israel Water Authority during the countries 6-year drought.
Greg Musson, President and CEO of Gar Tootelian shares his thoughts on the urgent need of more Water Storage in California.
This is an interview that we had with Congressman McCarthy in 2014 at a water hearing. As he could be the next House Speaker we thought you might like to hear his views on California Water.
Jean Hardy farms 2500 acres of wine grapes, raisins and almonds. She doesn't understand why people think almonds should not be grown in California.
Bill Gould defends the actions of ALRB to go onto private farm land to educate farm workers.
This is an exclusive interview by California Ag Today Radio
Charmayne Hefley reports that CDFA Secretary Karen Ross says innovators should consult with farmers before they innovate!
This podcast explores how California Farmers are generously helping with donations of fresh produce to food banks
A second tree in Southern California has been found with the deadly citrus disease vectored by the Asian Citrus Psyllid
Erik Wilson and Steve Malanca Are Rallying Ag to show its Strength by Patrick Cavanaugh
I interviewed her father who is a California Pest Control Advisor. I put the microphone in front of her and she told me what she wanted to do.