- Author: Jeannette E. Warnert
Policy advocate at the California Farm Bureau Federation, Taylor Roschen, wrote a 736-word commentary, published in AgAlert today, praising the value of UC Cooperative Extension advisors and advocating for an additional $20 million annual funding from the state of California.
Roschen provided highlights of UC ANR's public value, writing that:
- The breadth and depth of agricultural knowledge created by UC Agriculture and Natural Resources is...
- Author: Jeannette E. Warnert
The shut downs and self isolation sweeping across the country to curb the spread of coronavirus likely will not impact agricultural staple foods, but high-end wines and specialty ag products grown in California may suffer, reported Tim Hearden in Western Farm Press.
Hearden interviewed Dan Sumner, director of UC Agriculture and Natural Resources' Agricultural Issues Center.
He said some California agricultural products see demand increase during tough economic times, such as less...
- Author: Pamela Kan-Rice
When the world feels scary, I want to garden. Here's what to plant right now
(LA Times) Jeanette Marantos, March 11
…You can plant your tomatoes in late March too, says master gardener Yvonne Savio, creator of the comprehensive blog GardeninginLA.net, but wait until April to plant summer crops like eggplant, peppers and cucumber.
https://www.latimes.com/lifestyle/story/2020-03-11/what-to-plant-in-southern-california-right-now
Glenn...
- Author: Jeannette E. Warnert
A welcome sign of spring each year for grape producers is budbreak, the moment when tiny buds on the vine start to swell and green leaves appear. Budbreak varies by region, variety and even vineyard topography, but in Sonoma County, unseasonably warm weather caused buds to burst early, reported Bill Swindell in the Press-Democrat.
“Perhaps it's the new normal,” said Jen Walsh, the winemaker at La Crema Winery in the Russian River Valley, commenting about long-term change due to global warming.
The Carneros region that borders San Pablo Bay is typically the first wine appellation to experience bud...
- Author: Jeannette E. Warnert
The Fresno Bee has raised the alert for spotted lanternflies, a devastating pest from India, Vietnam and China that may be making inroads in California, the No. 1 agricultural area of the nation.
Reporter Ryan Sabalow wrote that winegrape grower and vintner Warren Bogle likened the pest to the coronavirus. “We definitely don't want them here,” he said.
Reports of spotted lanternflies in California have been minimal to date. Agricultural inspectors found several dead lanternflies on cargo planes in Sacramento, Stockton and Ontario, and experts say a live spotted lanternfly may have been seen on...
