California fig growers have experienced delayed, yet ideal growing conditions this year. Karla Stockli CEO of the California Fresh Fig Growers Association and California Fig Advisory Board met with Matthew Malcolm on California Ag Network in August to share an outlook for the 2025 crop and some exciting new global market opportunities for both fresh and dried California figs. Watch this brief interview and read more in California Fruit & Vegetable Magazine.
Tag: Malcolm Media
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Nation’s Largest Fig Grower Embraces Exciting New Variety
There is a new fig variety finally being commercially harvested this year in California. Exclusively grown (for the time being) by the nation’s largest fig grower, The Specialty Crop Company, multi-generational Central Valley farmer Erik Herman met with Matthew Malcolm on California Ag Network in August to talk about the performance of the new variety and share some insights on this year’s fig crop and how it’s expected to be received in the market. Watch this brief interview and read more in California Fruit & Vegetable Magazine.
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Widespread Rat Infestation in Orchards & Vineyards, CAPCA on Tools & Resources Moving Ahead
As if California growers and PCAs didn’t have enough on their plates with rising input costs compounded by the most restrictive laws & regulations in the nation, they’ve been further challenged with an unusual pest problem this year — rats! An increasing number of abandoned orchards and vineyards due to poor economic circumstances has caused a feeding frenzy for some uninvited rodent guests, whose numbers have been multiplying at unprecedented levels. Ruthann Anderson, President/CEO of the California Association of Pest Control Advisers (CAPCA), met with Matthew Malcolm on California Ag Network to explain this issue and what they are doing to help provide the tools and resources growers and PCAs to combat this emergency situation, beginning with an anonymous survey they can fill out HERE. Watch this brief video to learn more.
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UCCE Investigates New Marketable Potato Varieties that Suit California Growers Well
While the University of California does not have an official potato breeding program, the cooperative extension has close ties and collaborations with other universities and private companies that do, and Kern County has become quite the hub for trialing new potato varieties to determine whether they are suitable for the warm and dry climate of the West. Jaspreet Sidhu, Vegetable Crops Farm Advisor heads up these informative trials and spoke with Matthew Malcolm on California Ag Network about the most recent results at her annual Potato Variety Trial Field Day. Watch this brief interview and read the full results in the current issue of California Fruit & Vegetable Magazine.
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Ants Protect Deadly Citrus Disease Vector – New Ant Management Tools
Ants are known to interfere with biological control of key citrus pests because they feast upon the sugary honeydew produced by small insects. One of these key pests is the invasive asian citrus psyllid that vectors the deadly huanglongbing citrus disease. As California growers diligently work to keep this disease out of citrus orchards, effective ant management is a critical component in the game plan. Ivan Milosavljevic from the California Citrus Research Board met with Matthew Malcolm on California Ag Network to discuss some new game-changing control strategies. Watch this brief interview and read more about it in California Fruit & Vegetable Magazine.
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Why California is the Coldest State in the Nation
At the annual Conference of the California Fresh Fruit Association, keynote speaker Nicola Twilley visited with Matthew Malcolm on California Ag Network to share insights the fresh produce industry in California can learn from a recent book she authored “Frostbite: How Refrigeration Changed Our Food, Our Planet, and Ourselves”. From the history of refrigeration and food preservation to the evolving consumer perception of what is considered fresh, watch this brief interview on an unexpectedly compelling topic.
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Funding Available for California Citrus Growers to Fight Asian Citrus Psyllid, Prevent Citrus Disease
Huanglongbing (HLB), the deadly citrus disease that decimated the Florida citrus industry has shown up in Southern California and is now threatening the nation’s number one citrus state. HLB is primarily spread by the invasive Asian Citrus Psyllid, so managing this insect is key to preventing the spread of the disease. Pest mitigation practices may be costly, the California Citrus Research Board (CRB) introduced the California Citrus Research and Field Trials program (CA-CRaFT) to help fund commercial growers (both conventional and organic) to implement these practices. CRB representative Ivan Milosavljevic met with Matthew Malcolm on California Ag Network to share details. Watch this brief interview and read more in California Fruit & Vegetable Magazine.
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Economist Shares How California Farmers Should Respond to Economic Uncertainty
Economic uncertainty can be quite unsettling and can make important business and investment decisions difficult to navigate. Inflating costs, threatening tariffs and a volatile stock market are very concerning, especially in a state like California. World-renowned economist and financial expert Marci Rossell met with Matthew Malcolm on California Ag Network following a presentation she delivered to a group of American Pistachio Growers to address these concerns as they relate specifically to California farmers, whose success rely quite heavily on a healthy export market. Watch this brief interview to learn more.
Please thank this video’s sponsor SQM Specialty Plant Nutrition for their industry support.