—Sponsored Content—
Born from one of the industry’s greatest challenges, the California Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement has spent 20 years strengthening food safety through prevention, verification, and continuous improvement to build systems that support the production of safeleafy greens.
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Strawberry growers in California are operating in an increasingly demanding environment, where rising labor costs, tightening margins, and greater production risk are becoming the norm rather than the exception. In a crop that is highly labor-intensive and sensitive to timing, even small disruptions can have significant financial consequences. At the same time, growers are navigating ongoing challenges from soil-borne diseases, evolving pest pressure, and the rising cost of land and inputs—making it more difficult to maintain consistent profitability even in strong production years.
Layered on top of these structural pressures is an increasing level of weather volatility that can quickly disrupt both yield and market conditions. Excess rainfall during critical harvest periods can damage fields and impact fruit quality, while unseasonably warm or cool conditions can shift production windows and affect pricing. As a result, many growers are facing a widening gap between their operational costs and the predictability of their revenue—creating less visibility from one season to the next and increasing the importance of managing risk more proactively. In this environment, maintaining a strong risk management strategy is critical—not only to protect revenue, but also to ensure operations are well positioned should disaster assistance programs become available.
In response to these challenges, federal crop insurance programs have evolved to better reflect the realities of specialty crop farming. Programs such as the Production & Revenue History (PRH) plan and Whole Farm Revenue Protection (WFRP) now provide strawberry growers with tools to manage not only traditional production risk, but broader revenue exposure as well. When structured appropriately, these highly subsidized programs can make comprehensive coverage surprisingly affordable—helping to stabilize income during difficult seasons and providing a layer of financial protection when both production and market conditions are working against the operation.
– Adverse weather (hail, frost, heat, freeze, wind, drought, excess rain/flooding)
– Earthquake
– Irrigation water failure due to insured perils
– Fire and wildfire (including smoke exposure)
– Insects and plant disease (excluding mismanagement)
– Wildlife damage
– Volcanic eruption
– Harvest price decline (when revenue coverage is selected)
The PRH program uses your own historical production and revenue data to build a customized insurance guarantee tailored to how your operation actually performs.
Available Coverage Options:
– Production (Yield) Protection: Covers loss of production due to natural causes
– Revenue Protection: Covers both yield loss and declines in market pricing
– Revenue Protection Plus: Covers yield loss or revenue decline, whichever is greater
PRH coverage is currently available in Fresno, Merced, Monterey, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, and Ventura counties.
Effective for the 2027 crop year, PRH may also be available in additional counties through a written agreement (special request), subject to approval.
– Summer Planting: July 1
– Winter Planting: September 30
– Dual Season Counties: July 1
– Covers 50% of average yield
– Paid at 55% of the RMA price
– Fully subsidized premium
– $655 flat administrative fee per county
Buy-up coverage offers stronger protection levels (50%–85%) and is designed to protect against moderate losses that can still have a meaningful financial impact on the operation.
One of the most important—and often overlooked—features of crop insurance is the level of federal subsidy built into the program. A significant portion of the total premium is paid on behalf of the grower, making higher levels of coverage far more affordable than many expect.
These enhancements further reduce the grower-paid portion of the premium, improving the overall value and affordability of higher coverage levels.
In many cases, growers are only paying 30%–40% of the true premium cost at common coverage levels—and even less at lower levels—while still gaining meaningful protection against both production and revenue risk. When evaluating coverage, it’s important to focus on the **grower-paid premium—not the total premium—**to understand the true cost of the policy.
WFRP covers total farm revenue across all commodities and is based on your historical Schedule F tax records coupled with your expected revenue for the upcoming crop year.
Depending on your operation and overall risk strategy, Whole Farm may be elected as a standalone alternative to PRH or used in conjunction with PRH to better align coverage with both crop-level and whole-farm revenue exposure.
– Up to 80% subsidy support —among the highest available in federal crop insurance
– Revenue-based across the entire operation
– Can be paired with PRH to create a more comprehensive, layered risk management strategy
– Single commodity strawberry growers are now eligible for WFRP
– Coverage levels available up to 90%
– February 28 (WFRP)
– March 31 (Micro Farm)
– November 20 (Early Fiscal Filers)
– Similar to Whole Farm but designed for smaller operations
– Up to $350,000 revenue eligibility
– Simplified reporting
For newer operators, federal crop insurance programs—including PRH, Whole Farm Revenue Protection (WFRP), and Micro Farm—offer enhanced benefits designed to make coverage more accessible and affordable.
To qualify, growers must have 10 years or less of farming experience (not necessarily consecutive), with additional eligibility pathways available for Veteran Farmer & Rancher status.
These provisions are designed to help newer and transitioning operations get meaningful coverage in place earlier, without being heavily penalized for limited history. In many cases, this results in stronger protection and significantly lower net cost, particularly when factoring in waived administrative fees and increased subsidy support.
Each coverage option serves a different purpose, and the right approach will depend on how your operation is structured, how your fruit is marketed, and your overall risk tolerance.
In some cases, Whole Farm may be used alongside PRH to create a more layered risk management strategy, depending on how the operation is structured.
In addition to the protection provided under crop insurance programs, participation in federal crop insurance also plays an important role in positioning growers for disaster assistance through Farm Service Agency (FSA) programs, such as the Emergency Relief Program (ERP) and other ad hoc relief initiatives.
When disaster programs are implemented, growers with crop insurance coverage are generally eligible for Stage 1 benefits, which are:
By contrast, growers without crop insurance coverage are often directed to Stage 2 assistance, which:
Maintaining crop insurance coverage not only provides direct protection against production and revenue losses, but also helps ensure you are better positioned to access federal disaster relief when it becomes available. In many cases, insured growers are able to receive assistance more quickly and with fewer administrative hurdles than those without coverage.
As a result, crop insurance should be viewed not only as a risk management tool, but also as an important component of a broader strategy to maintain financial stability during years impacted by adverse events.
Strawberry crop insurance has evolved significantly in recent years, and growers now have more flexibility than ever in how they protect their operation. Programs like PRH allow you to tailor coverage based on your own production and pricing history, while Whole Farm provides a broader approach tied to total farm revenue—including now for single-commodity strawberry operations beginning in 2026.
The right strategy ultimately depends on:
With strong federal subsidies helping offset a significant portion of the premium, many growers are able to secure meaningful levels of protection at a relatively low out-of-pocket cost. For eligible Beginning and Veteran Farmers and Ranchers, additional benefits—such as increased subsidy support and waived administrative fees—can further improve the economics of coverage. When structured appropriately, coverage can serve as a financial backstop during years when both production and market conditions are working against the operation.
Beyond direct protection, maintaining crop insurance coverage also ensures growers are better positioned to access federal disaster assistance programs, such as those administered through the Farm Service Agency. In many cases, insured growers are eligible for earlier-stage relief (Stage 1 benefits), which are typically delivered sooner and with fewer administrative hurdles than later-stage assistance. This can play an important role in maintaining cash flow and operational continuity following a difficult season.
As a result, crop insurance should be viewed not only as a risk management tool, but as a key component of a broader financial strategy—helping to protect revenue, manage volatility, and position the operation for potential relief opportunities when adverse events occur.
James Dillon
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE
Relation Insurance Services
CA Individual License #0I59029
CA Agency License #0F89850
7673 N. Ingram Avenue, Suite 103
Fresno, California, 93711
Office: (559) 777-6106
Mobile: (559) 321-6686
james.dillon@relationinsurance.com
relationinsurance.com
AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY PROVIDER OF FEDERAL CROP INSURANCE
–Sponsored Content–
Soil sampling is the first step toward effective control of plant-parasitic nematodes. These underground, microscopic worms, especially root-knot species, develop and feed on the root systems of young fruiting vegetables. Their feeding leaves visible galls on roots, which disrupt the plant’s ability to efficiently take up water and essential nutrients needed for healthy plant development.
A single acre of ground can harbor several hundred million nematodes. Because nematodes reproduce quickly, making control applications early in the cropping cycle is critical to protecting developing roots.
Fruiting vegetable growers can now put a nematicide with a new mode of action in their nematode control toolbox, offering a more favorable environmental profile than other products on the market today – Salibro® CA nematicide with Reklemel® active. Salibro CA is a true nematicide that selectively controls plant-parasitic nematodes and does not negatively impact free-living, or beneficial, nematodes, which play an important role in maintaining soil health.
Salibro CA nematicide is in a unique chemical group, making it a strong tool for resistance management and helping prolong the efficacy of all nematicides. It offers excellent compatibility with soil health, including with beneficial nematodes, soil fungi and soil bacteria. Let Salibro CA nematicide protect the roots of tomatoes and other fruits and vegetables for increased yield potential and more marketable crops at harvest.
™ ® Trademarks of Corteva Agriscience and its affiliated companies. Salibro® CA is only registered for sale or use in California. Reklemel® is a registered active ingredient. Always read and follow label directions. ©2026 Corteva. 037771 BR (04/26) 00958
–Sponsored Content–
Attracted by chemical signals released by plant roots called exudates, plant-parasitic nematodes damage plant roots which restricts water and nutrient uptake, limiting plant health. Apply Salibro® CA nematicide with Reklemel™ active this season and control plant-parasitic nematodes without disrupting the healthy balance of beneficial organisms in your soils.
™ ® Trademarks of Corteva Agriscience and its affiliated companies. Salibro® CA is only registered for sale or use in California.. Contact your state pesticide regulatory agency to determine if a product is registered for sale or use in your state. Reklemel™ is a registered active ingredient. Always read and follow label directions. ©2026 Corteva. 037230 BR (03/26) 00958
—Sponsored Content—
Boston, MA — February 2, 2026 — Kula Bio, a sustainable nitrogen provider, today announced the commercial launch of Kula-NSP and Kula-NextSP, two shelf-stable, soluble powders that deliver efficient nitrogen-fixing bacteria directly to the root zone.
Kula Bio’s SP product line builds on the strong agronomic performance of its liquid formulations introduced in 2024, translating that success into a dry, soluble powder engineered to simplify operations, eliminate cold storage requirements, and significantly extend shelf life. With OMRI certification, Kula-NSP is approved for certified organic production, while Kula-NextSP is designed for conventional agriculture. Both products extend the proven platform established by Kula-N, Kula Bio’s flagship solution approved as a Certified Biostimulant by The Fertilizer Institute (TFI), and the company plans to pursue the same certification pathway for its new dry formulations as part of its broader commitment to quality, credibility, and leadership in the biologicals space.
“This launch reflects our commitment to delivering practical, reliable solutions that are easy for farmers and distributors to adopt at scale. Our focus was on combining consistent biological performance with a product that can be stored, handled, and applied seamlessly in commercial agricultural settings without compromising quality,” said Harrison Yoon, CEO at Kula Bio. How It Works
Both products feature Xanthobacter autotrophicus, a nitrogen-fixing microbe, distinct for its ability to store its own energy. Kula Bio’s proprietary manufacturing process supercharges these microbes, providing them with a robust internal carbon reserve, enhancing their natural nitrogen‑fixing capabilities. In comparative studies, Xanthobacter autotrophicus has demonstrated up to 65% greater efficiency in nitrogen fixation compared to conventional nitrogen-fixing bacteria.
Once applied to the soil, the organism actively converts atmospheric nitrogen into plant available forms directly in the root zone, ensuring a steady and targeted uptake of nitrogen.
How Kula-NSP and Kula-NextSP help Growers:
• Boost traditional nitrogen programs
Maintain nitrogen availability between fertilizer applications with a consistent supply that supports crops through critical growth stages.
• Replace a portion of synthetic nitrogen
Provide an alternative that supports compliance in regions facing strict nitrogen regulations while improving economic flexibility.
• Support Organic farmers
Deliver a reliable organic source (Kula-NSP) of sustainable nitrogen without compromising quality or yield.
• Improve Nitrogen Use Efficiency (NUE)
Deliver plant ready nitrogen directly to the root zone, maximizing uptake and reducing losses from leaching or volatilization.
“Growers are under pressure to produce more with fewer inputs, tighter regulations, and unpredictable markets. Kula-NextSP and Kula-NSP give them a reliable biological alternative that performs in real‑world conditions with cost competitiveness to fit their Nitrogen programs,” said Geraldo Mattioli, CCO at Kula Bio.
About Kula Bio
Kula Bio is advancing sustainable agriculture by harnessing the power of naturally occurring microbes to provide a reliable alternative to traditional nitrogen fertilizers. Through biological innovation and precision application, Kula Bio delivers environmentally responsible, efficient, and cost‑competitive nitrogen solutions for modern crop production.
Shield your yield with Tidal Grow® Spectra™, a bioactive fungicide, bactericide, and nematicide that’s now approved for California growers. Spectra™ fights pests and pathogens directly, enhances natural crop defenses, and fortifies against abiotic stressors. It also boosts nutrient uptake, root function, growth, and yield while working synergistically with other active ingredients.
Growers are effectively fighting California crop threats like Almond Blossom Blight, Shot Hole, and Powdery Mildew with Spectra™. In fact, in a 2023 almond trial, Spectra™ provided a 15% reduction of Shot Hole over Grower Standard while also helping offset its cost by enabling reduced use of the Grower Standard fungicide.
Protect your crops and shield your yield with Spectra™. Click the button below to learn more.
– SPONSORED CONTENT –
Strawberries can fall victim to various fungal and bacterial diseases, with crown rot and red stele root rot being 2 of the most common. As soilborne pathogens, these diseases can destroy your strawberries from the ground up and are often difficult to identify until it’s too late to properly manage the disease.
These diseases thrive in various environmental conditions, meaning strawberries are susceptible throughout different phases of the growing season. However, with the correct preventive measures you can protect your crop health and quality.
Crown Rot Signs and Symptoms in Strawberry Crops
According to University of California IPM, initially, symptoms usually include plant stunting and small leaves. As the season progresses, plants may collapse slowly or rapidly. Cutting open infected plants, reveals a brown discoloration that can be seen in or throughout the crown tissue. Infection of the roots causes a brown to black root rot.
Red Stele Root Rot Signs and Symptoms in Strawberry Crops
According to University of California IPM, symptoms of red stele root rot first appear on plants that are located in low and poorly drained parts of fields. Strawberry plants infected with red stele root rot often become stunted as affected leaves die and are replaced by younger, smaller leaves. Young roots often become rotted with red coloration at the core. Infection is mostly limited to winter and early spring when the soil is oversaturated during cool weather.
Strawberry Disease Control Recommendations
Recognizing crown rot and red stele root rot in strawberries is crucial, yet often, visible symptoms may indicate that disease has already progressed significantly. That’s why it’s important to implement proper preventive measures to stay 1 step ahead of disease.
Avoid soilborne diseases like crown rot and red stele root rot in your strawberry crops with these recommendations:
Orondis Gold fungicide combines 2 powerful active ingredients to deliver preventive, residual and systemic activity that helps you control soilborne strawberry diseases during the season. A combination of mefenoxam and oxathiapiprolin, Orondis Gold provides built-in resistance management. In addition to offering crown rot and red stele root rot disease prevention, Orondis Gold helps secure early strawberry crop establishment and promotes root health.
For more insight into strawberry disease management, contact your Syngenta representative.
Sign up for the Know More, Grow More Digest to receive twice-monthly agronomic email updates pertinent to your area.
All photos are either the property of Syngenta or are used with permission.
Syngenta hereby disclaims any liability for third party websites referenced herein.
– SPONSORED CONTENT –
Due to the growing demand, GroPro is pleased to announce the expansion of its storage, manufacturing, and packaging facilities in the USA. GroPro, an international Bio-Pesticide, Bio-Stimulant, and Bio-Fertilizer manufacturer with headquarters in Minneapolis (the USA), is planning an expansion of its operational facilities in California and Florida.
The planned expansion will replace California’s existing 5,000 sq ft storage facility with a new development facility of about 12,000 square feet. The new facilities, located in Fresno, Ca, also will include liquid bio-fertilizer manufacturing and storage integrated with crop protection blending and bottling facility and warehouse. In addition, the new liquid facility will be equipped with a new research and development laboratory. Also, with additional 5,000 sq ft warehouse in Florida GroPro to allow its south East dealer quicker access to materials. According to the GroPro team, these expansion projects aim to improve customer service and operational efficiency; the projects are expected to be launched this October.
“GroPro is committed to investing in continuous process improvements and deepening the implementation of GroPro US commercial, manufacturing, and R&D strategy that will benefit and support our existing and new customers. With these new facilities in California, we will be able to continue providing uninterrupted deliveries and faster supply of our products to our partners and customers,” – commented Benito Varela, GroPro’s COO.
GroPro’s approach includes a combination of unique natural ingredients and modern technologies to increase the bio-efficacy of products. Sustainability is firmly rooted in the entire company’s decision process, from early research to product development. This empowers our development team here and abroad to research and formulate effective materials that benefit our distributors, dealers, and growers.
When Plant Health Matters and Yields Count!
More info: groproag.com
– SPONSORED CONTENT –
GroPro Corp. announced that veteran agriculture industry executive Benito Varela joined the team as the new Chief Operating Officer on July 1. Varela has almost 30 years of experience in agribusiness, including 25 years at Dow Agrosciences. A driven executive with broad-based expertise in leading effective strategy, Benito has a strong background in biotech as well as international territory management, market and business development and strategic alliances through multiple M&A projects. His outstanding leadership, anchored by his high integrity and personal character form the basis of his long-term professional relationships.
Mr. Varela has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Agricultural Engineering (University of Florida) and a Master of Science Degree in Professional Business Management (Honors, University of Miami). Varela is also a Certified Mentor for entrepreneurship and small business by The Venture Mentoring Team and Certified Six Sigma Black Belt.
“Benito’s strong history of achieving large territory growth, managing corporate innovation in biotech for agriculture and leadership skills will help GroPro accelerate its mission to become a leading international agricultural biotech company.” – said James Lamoureaux, CEO of GroPro. ” We believe that his experience, deep understanding of operational excellence, best practices, and partnering for rapid expansion in Latin American agribusiness, and strong industry connections make him an excellent leader to help expand our business.”
About GroPro Corp:
GroPro is an international Biotech #BioFertilizer, #BioStimulant, and #BioPesticide manufacturer with a headquarters in Austin, Texas (the USA). The company’s target regions are – the USA, the Middle East, Africa, the EU, and Central America. Our products have been competing and beating the bio-industry standards. Numerous field trial results with universities, researchers, and growers confirm our effectiveness. GroPro has also efficiently provided superior efficacy against traditional\chemical inputs, allowing us to offer product lines for all growers.
Innovations Grow Here
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With California facing an ongoing drought that is squeezing already limited surface water supplies, farmers are extracting groundwater to continue growing food as usual. Unfortunately, ground water can contain high levels of sodium from soil leaching.
Water with a high salt (NaCl) content can be a big issue for growers once it is deposited into the root zone. Once there, the sodium and chlorine ions separate when dissolved in water. These ions can then displace other nutrients necessary in the plant such as phosphorus and potassium. As a result of this high soil salinity and displacement of key nutrients, some crops are unable to develop properly. This can potentially lead to the costly decision of walking away from a crop. This was the exact situation a local Miller Chemical and Fertilizer territory manager witnessed. After taking some time to discuss potential solutions, a local strawberry grower and the territory manager concluded that this would be a great opportunity to test one of the products in the Miller portfolio; C.F.O.™
C.F.O. is an organic compliant proprietary blend of carboxylic acids (40%) designed to release soil nutrients for plant uptake during critical growth and development stages. They key reason for selecting C.F.O. though is the ability to enhance calcium, phosphorus, and micronutrient uptake while also solubilizing and leaching harmful salts out of the root zone, thereby reducing plant stress. The addition of C.F.O. to the soil surrounding the root zone can release these nutrients to be utilized for plant development and improve overall plant health as a result.
For this challenging situation, one gallon of C.F.O. was applied per acre via drip irrigation. Soil tests were taken at the start of the trial and 21 days after treatment. With 1 application of product, soil salinity was reduced 94%, from 11.5 meq/L Na to 0.75 meq/L Na. The difference is clear from a soil and crop perspective.
To learn more, please visit Miller’s C.F.O. product page HERE.