- Author: Jeannette E. Warnert
Not only did the Siskiyou County Board of Supervisors approve a $10,000 allocation to the local 4-H program, commissioners spoke warmly about the youth development program, reported Bill Choy in the Mt. Shasta News.
“Without 4-H I don't think my kids would have been as successful,” said commissioner Ray Haupt. He said he has seen the positive benefits of 4-H for kids and teens countless times and added that the program provides invaluable leadership skills to the youth in the community.
UC Cooperative Extension advisor Rob Wilson addressed the board to request the funding support. He said state funds...
- Author: Jeannette E. Warnert
Researchers have found there is increasing demand for veterinary services for poultry and livestock in the Western United States, and a need for ongoing continuing education of veterinarians and animal owners, reported Trina Wood, communications officer in the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. The article appeared in Phys.org.
UC Agriculture and Natural Resources and UC Davis researchers and colleagues at colleges in Colorado, Washington and Oregon surveyed veterinary practitioners to assess their engagement with poultry and livestock owners. They received 880 responses; few said they were actively treating such animals...
- Author: Jeannette E. Warnert
With sales down dramatically at Asian markets and restaurants, crops on Southeast Asian farms have been left to wither away in the fields, reported Donald Promnitz in The Business Journal.
“I would say it's a 100% loss. I can't sell anything," said Chongyee Xiong, who used his earnings as a school groundskeeper to pay upfront expenses for his farm.
According to UC Cooperative Extension in Fresno, there were nearly 2,000 Asian farms in the San Joaquin Valley area in 2015. Roughly 70% of these were run by Hmong growers. The farmers typically produce crops they had previously cultivated in Laos —...
- Author: Jeannette E. Warnert
Rice farmers are encouraged to monitor vigilantly for a rise in yield-reducing armyworms, reported Jake Abbott in the Appeal-Democrat.
UC Cooperative Extension rice advisor Luis Espino said the most recent numbers were low but are expected to climb in the next few weeks. The pest can quickly devour rice foliage down to the water level. The crop may recover, but armyworm presence can lead to yield reduction.
“I've heard numerous stories where growers were used to some...
- Author: Jeannette E. Warnert
The newly appointed Presidential Director for the Clif Bar Endowed Organic Agriculture Institute, Houston Wilson, has already initiated a needs assessment of organic agriculture in California, reported Lee Allen in Western Farm Press. Wilson is using surveys and focus groups to determine production needs within target commodities.
“Our mission will be to develop research and extension for organic production of things like tree fruits, tree nuts and raisins, commodities representing a significant portion of the entire Central Valley, but with...
