California Ag Today
Focused on keeping local farmers, ranchers, agribusiness men, and women up to date on agriculture industry issues that affect California's rural economy.
Mexican Cattle Imports Paused
California Ag Today
The United States has hit pause on cattle imports from Mexico following the detection of New World screwworm (NWS)—an invasive pest with a deadly reputation.
Wages for Agriculture Workers Continue to Climb
California Ag Today
The USDA’s Farm Labor Report, released on November 20, brings insight into the rising costs of farm labor—and what it means for the future.
Is Beef Getting the Boot in Dietary Guidelines?
California Ag Today
Drafted recommendations for the next rendition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans are said to call for greater intake of plant-based foods while limiting consumption of beef and starchy vegetables like potatoes.
Utilizing Livestock Grazing to Prevent Wildfires
California Ag Today
Western ranchers are rallying behind bills aimed at using livestock grazing to prevent wildfires.
Cold Weather Confidence: California Citrus Weather Watch Returns
California Ag Today
The California Citrus Weather Watch program provided by California Citrus Mutual runs from November 15th until March 15th each year.
Pork Producers Call for Action on Prop 12 in Farm Bill
California Ag Today
The National Pork Producers Council is speaking out after Senate Ag Chair Debbie Stabenow released the Senate Democrats’ 2024 Farm Bill draft. While the NPPC acknowledges the effort to move the bill forward, they’re calling it “not viable” due to its failure to address California’s Proposition 12.
Woes Stack for Cotton
California Ag Today
Jody Campiche, National Cotton Council, says the farm bill safety net and current market prices have been well below production costs for the last two years and expressed concern that we may soon be getting into a position where, without proper action, producers could struggle to secure operating loans.
Climate Disclosure Laws Survive Initial Court Challenge
California Ag Today
The decision means California can enforce its carbon emissions disclosure requirements while the case progresses.
H5N1 Losses Continue to Mount
California Ag Today
Over the last two and a half years, American Farm Bureau Federation Economist Bernt Nelson says more than 100 million birds have been affected. Over $18M has already been paid out to offset dairy losses.
SNAP Fight Still Expected in 2025 Farm Bill
California Ag Today
It will take a compromise to get the 60-vote Senate super-majority needed to pass a farm bill, which will take reaching across the aisle, something Senator Chuck Grassley says has so far eluded Republicans and Democrats.
Challenges for a Widely Used Herbicide
California Ag Today
More than 50 U.S. lawmakers are urging the Environmental Protection Agency to ban the use of a weedkiller linked to Parkinson’s disease and other health risks to humans
$1.5M to Specialty Crop Research
California Ag Today
The University of California, Riverside has received $1.5 million in grants from the California Department of Food and Agriculture to lead three pioneering projects aimed at transforming California’s specialty crop sector.
A Landslide Defeat for Measure J
California Ag Today
Controversy on the measure against CAFOs was so high that a threatening email prompted the Sonoma County Farm Bureau — the initiative’s primary organizing opponent — to lock its office doors and examine other safety measures.
September Pork and Beef Exports Surge
California Ag Today
The latest data from USDA, compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation, brings great news for U.S. beef and pork producers!
CAFOs to Stay Put in Sonoma County
California Ag Today
Sonoma County voters have overwhelmingly defeated Measure J, with about 85% opposing the controversial proposal to ban concentrated animal feeding operations, or CAFOs.
New Book Celebrates California Agriculture
California Ag Today
Just released, California agriculture covers how California grew from humble beginnings with the Spanish padres in 1769 to becoming a global agricultural powerhouse by the 1950s.
Bird Flu in Pigs - What Happened?
California Ag Today
Dr. Megan Niederwerder, executive director of the Swine Health Information Center, gives the story on Oregon's recent finding.
Milk Testing to Begin in Dairy Bird Flu States
California Ag Today
USDA will test milk starting in states where dairy cattle tested positive last spring for the H5N1 bird flu virus
Complaint Challenges Mandatory EID Tags
California Ag Today
The New Civil Liberties Alliance has filed a complaint against the U.S. Department of Agriculture and its Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, challenging a new rule that would require electronically readable, or EID, ear tags for certain cattle and bison transported across state lines.
Steady On-Feed, Higher Cash, and Elevated Beef
California Ag Today
What is going on with cattle supplies? Recent reports show steady on-feed numbers even as cash cattle prices move up. And when will consumers start pulling back?
A Pumpkin Production Runaway
California Ag Today
All states produce some pumpkins, but six states produce most of them. Who is in the lead?
Pesticides Found in California Air Samples
California Ag Today
According to a new state report, the California Department of Pesticide Regulation, or CDPR, collected weekly air samples last year in Oxnard, Santa Maria, Shafter and Watsonville, and found pesticides in nearly 80% of the samples. CDPR reports that they are "unlikely to be harmful to human health."
Rancher Speaks Out Amid Tax Uncertainty
California Ag Today
The 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act expires next year, and that’s raising big challenges for farmers and ranchers, according to National Cattlemen’s President Mark Eisele who says it’s not an issue of paying taxes.
USDA to Purchase $25M of Fresh Citrus
California Ag Today
According to USDA Under Secretary Jenny Lester Moffitt, the purchases come at a critical time, as recent hurricanes have significantly impacted parts of the citrus industry.