California Fruit and Vegetable

Tag: California Agriculture

  • Questions about Growing Agave in California?

    Agave may be a slow-growing plant, but the rush to farm the drought-tolerant crop in California has been rapid. Since 2023, agave acreage has quadrupled in the state, from 50 acres to over 200.

    Yessica Fernandez Galicia is a researcher who’s organizing a webinar series to meet the most pressing questions from California agave growers. Photo by Rob Padilla

    With all those new agave farms popping up, more farmers are seeking advice to best care for this hardy succulent. To meet that need, agricultural experts from UC Agriculture and Natural Resources and UC Davis surveyed English-speaking and Spanish-speaking agave growers on their top concerns. So far, they’re received over 50 responses and counting.

    “With this survey, we’ve identified 30 farmers that we didn’t have on our radar before,” said Yessica Fernandez Galicia, a UC ANR and UC Davis agave researcher.

    Growers’ responses focused on many of the same themes: How much should you water an agave plant? Which pests and diseases affect agave? Can you get certified for growing agave sustainably?

    Those survey results have been put to good use. Based on grower input, UC ANR has developed a series of free, virtual webinars about agave, offered every month from August to December. The sessions are open to all, but please register ahead of time:

    Regenerative Agave and Certification — Aug 28, noon-1 p.m.

    Rodrigo Mestas – Agave grower in Jalisco, Mexico. Mestas is the owner of the first Regenerative Tequila Certificate, which was awarded to his business, Tequila Torrente.

    Cooperatives and Collective Action — Sept. 25, 12:30-1:30 p.m.

    Deborah Yashar – Agriculture and food co-op specialist in the California Center for Cooperative Development.

    Agave and Dry Farming Practices — Oct. 16, noon-1 p.m.

    Steve Sanchez – California farmer and consultant who promotes agave and cactus cultivation through sustainable practices and dry farming. Sanchez hosts the podcast Agave & Cactus Talk.

    Cultural Appropriation: The Significance of Maguey and Mezcal to Zapotec People — Nov. 13, noon-1 p.m.

    Fabiola Santiago – Activist, researcher, and cultural entrepreneur, originally from Oaxaca, Mexico, and raised in California. Proudly Zapotec, she dedicates her work to defending and preserving Oaxacan culture.

    Photo Caption: Agricultural experts from UC ANR and UC Davis surveyed new and long-time agave growers as the drought-tolerant crop gains popularity in California. Photo by Rob Padilla

    The webinars cover multiple topics, including grower certification and irrigation practices. According to Fernandez Galicia, attendees will leave with economic and environmental takeaways.

    “We are trying to educate people that the agave doesn’t need a lot of water. If you give them a lot of water, they don’t generate the adequate quantities of sugar,” she said.

    That means overwatering could make the agave unusable for commercial products like alcohol or biofuel. Cutting water use also can be a cost-saver and environmentally responsible in this drought-prone state.

    “The principal goal is to encourage practices that care for the earth and make farming more sustainable,” said Fernandez Galicia. — By Caroline Champlin, UCANR

  • California Fresh Fruit Association Announces New Director of Government Relations

    The California Fresh Fruit Association (CFFA) is pleased to announce the hiring of Clayton Smith, as its new Director of Government Relations. He comes to the Association after serving as a Legislative Assistant in the United States House of Representatives.

    CFFA Board Chairwoman Melissa Frank of the Wonderful Company stated, “On behalf of CFFA’s leadership, we are thrilled to welcome Clayton to the Association. His experience working in Washington, DC, along with his background and education will be of great value to our membership.”

    Association President Daniel Hartwig added, “I am delighted to welcome Clayton to the CFFA team. He brings extensive professional experience working on issues such as water, labor and trade and I am confident he will be a strong voice for our membership in Sacramento and Washington, DC. I am confident that Clayton will work collaboratively in conjunction with our current staff to continue to serve the needs of the California fresh fruit industry.“

    Clayton is a graduate of Oklahoma State University, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Business. He served as an intern for CFFA the summer following his college graduation. Clayton’s first day at the Association was Monday, July 7.

  • Prospective Candidate for CA Governor Calls for Revolution Addressing Farmer Needs

    At a recent Ag Breakfast Club meeting in Fresno, CA, farmers joined English-American Commentator Steve Hilton live on Fox News to share their urgent need for increased water allocations, among other challenges that need to be addressed to support agriculture across the state. Former policy adviser to British Prime Minister David Cameron, Steve is also seriously considering running to succeed Governor Newsom in 2026. Watch as Steve joins Matthew Malcolm on California Ag Network to discuss his views supporting agriculture and the need for a “California revolution”.

  • Central Valley Farmer Responds to Initial 2025 Water Allocation

    On February 25, the Central Valley Water Project announced an initial farm water allocation of 35%. This comes as welcome news to farmers that were hampered last year around the same time by an initial allocation of only 15%.  Watch this brief interview with pistachio/carrot grower and Director at Westlands Water District William Bourdeau, as he shares his perspective on the announcement on California Ag Network with Matthew Malcolm.

  • Harnessing the Power of Hydrogen to Support California Agriculture

    California leads the nation in the adoption of renewable energy. Significant investments have been made in solar electricity generation and biogas digesters in its agricultural industry, but what about hydrogen power? The State of California was recently awarded $1.2 billion from the Federal Dept. of Energy to invest in hydrogen power as a renewable energy source and offers much promise to the agricultural processing and trucking industries. Neil Navin from SoCalGas met with Matthew Malcolm on California Ag Network to share some of the possibilities, and explain how hydrogen power compares with electricity in its sources for sustainable generation and its ability to serve the needs of trucking and large equipment. Watch this brief interview and learn more in Malcolm Media’s agricultural publications.

  • Ag Processing Labor Contractor Thoughts on New Indoor Heat Illness Rule

    California has experienced an unusually hot Summer this year, which may have had influence in Cal/OSHA’s recent approval of a new regulation “Heat Illness Prevention in Indoor Places of Employment” that went into effect immediately, which impacts indoor workplaces in ag such as nut hulling and processing facilities, wineries, dairies, packinghouses and more. Key indoor temperature/heat index thresholds of 82 & 87 degrees F will mandate certain procedures to ensure the health and safety of employees. Looking into the impact of the new regulation, Matthew Malcolm visited with labor contractor Robert Heredia of H&R Labor, who specializes in meeting the labor needs of food processing facilities in one of the hottest regions in the nation — the Central Valley of California. Watch this brief interview as Heredia shares his thoughts on the recent changes.

    Special thanks to American Pistachio Growers for sponsoring this video.

  • Congressman Duarte Addresses Water Issues & Solutions for California Ag

    Despite the great rainfall and snowpack California has experienced in the last couple years, little of this abundance has been shared with agriculture or even saved for the inevitable times of drought that lay ahead.  Farmers are fed up with the state’s many years of mismanagement of our water resources and lack of practical investment in our water future.  This led a farmer to run for congress and bring some new, realistic solutions to the table.  Watch this brief interview with Representative John Duarte from the 13th Congressional District of California as he shares some of these priorities that offer relatively quick and longterm water availability benefits for farmers and all Californians.

    Special thanks to American Pistachio Growers for sponsoring this video.

  • Rising Fruit Fly Populations Concern California Growers

    Fruit fly populations spiked last season and brought multiple species, compounding the damage to vineyards and orchards following Hurricane Hilary.  This is a continued concern for California fruit growers moving into the 2024 season with limited pest management tools available. Watch this brief California Ag Network interview with Adam Borchard from the California Fresh Fruit Association to learn more.

  • New California Fresh Fruit Association President Highlights Priorities

    Watch this brief video at the 88th annual conference of the California Fresh Fruit Association featuring the organization’s new President, Daniel Hartwig. Learn about Hartwig and the priorities of the organization moving forward to protect the interests of California table grape, tree fruit and berry growers.

  • Nisei Farmers League Stands Up for Long Time Farmworker Rights

    There are countless immigrant farmworkers that spend most of their lives laboring to feed the world in states such as California, and struggle without the benefits of citizenship and any clear path to get there. Watch this brief interview with Manuel Cunha, President of the Nisei Farmers League, as he and many others take a stand to support the rights of these many hard working families that are the powerhouse of California agriculture.

    Please thank this video’s sponsor the U.S Department of Agriculture for their industry support.