West

Farmers, ranchers cheer defeat of Prop 15, the split-roll tax measure

Crediting a unified effort by California farmers, ranchers and their organizations, California Farm Bureau Federation (CFBP) President Jamie Johansson thanked voters for rejecting the split-roll tax measure on the Nov. 3 ballot. The initiative, Proposition... more »

California dried fruit pioneers join forces to acquire Wisconsin cranberry plant

California-based dried fruit industry leaders John Potter and Willie Traina have joined forces to form American Berry Co. by acquiring the CranGrow cranberry processing facility in Warrens, Wisconsin. American Berry will be led by newly... more »

Viva Fresh Expo launches Clean Eating Challenge 2.0

After the success of last year’s Clean Eating Challenge, Viva Fresh launched its second annual health and wellness campaign on Oct. 1. The challenge will continue until the 2021 Viva Fresh Expo on March 26-27,... more »

California Farm Bureau backs Rep. Jim Costa for House Ag Committee chair

The California Farm Bureau Federation supports U.S. Rep. Jim Costa, D-Fresno, as he seeks chairmanship of the House Committee on Agriculture. The committee works to protect the nation’s food supply system, helps to ensure all Americans are fed, advocates for... more »

University of California seeks survey input on uses of specialty Asian produce

Ruth Dahlquist-Willard, Ph.D., Small Farms and Specialty Crops Farm Advisor with the University of California Cooperative Extension in Fresno and Tularie Counties is conducting a national survey of growers and consumers of specialty Asian produce.... more »

New UC Merced engineering research center to focus on ag technology

By 2050, the U.S. population is estimated to grow to 400 million, and the world population to 9.1 billion, requiring a 70% increase in global food production. UC Merced is one of four campuses across... more »

Unified Symposium reshuffles program to prioritize wildfire smoke discussion

In response to the industry’s need for answers and solutions to the regular occurrence of seasonal wildfires in the West, the 2021 Unified Wine & Grape Symposium will launch its event on Tuesday, Jan. 26,... more »

Sonoma County Winegrowers ‘look to reset’ after 2020 challenges

An annual survey of Sonoma County, California winegrape growers highlights challenges over a difficult season. Though the 2020 growing season enjoyed near-perfect growing conditions, a mid-August lightning storm during a global pandemic resulted in a... more »