Western Farm Press News Archive

Food safety through high pressure

Oct 28, 2009

Ohio State University food science researcher V.M. "Bala" Balasubramaniam isn't feeling pressure to perform. ...

House bill tightens market oversight

Oct 27, 2009,

By David Bennett, Farm Press Editorial Staff

Following deals and compromises that ended only shortly before the hearing began, the House Agriculture Committee last week passed HR 3795 — more commonly known as the “derivatives oversight” legislation —by a bipartisan voice vote....

Weakened dollar could cause farm problems

Oct 27, 2009,

By Jim Langcuster, Auburn University

The mighty American greenback has fallen on hard times — so hard, in fact, that countries throughout the world are clamoring for its replacement as the world's reserve currency....

WPA receives food safety grant

Oct 27, 2009

The Western Pistachio Association (WPA), representing U.S. pistachio growers and processors, has been awarded $500,000 through the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program. ...

Dairy focus at Oct. 28 meeting

Oct 27, 2009

The California State Board of Food and Agriculture will hold a meeting on October 28, 2009, focusing on California’s dairies. California, with 12 percent of the nation’s population, produces 21 percent of the nation’s milk. ...

Obama signs HR 2997 into law

Oct 26, 2009,

By David Bennett, Farm Press Editorial Staff

President Obama has signed legislation providing fiscal 2010 appropriations — $121 billion — for the USDA, the Department of Health and Human Services, and other agencies....

Test detects insect carriers of HLB

Oct 26, 2009

With their pleasing flavor, cheerful color, and health-imparting dose of vitamin C, it is not surprising that oranges are one of America's Top 10 favorite fruits. ...

Postemergent herbicide vine spraying

Oct 26, 2009,

By Dan Bryant, Contributing Writer

There’s much more to effective postemergent weed control in California vineyards than identifying the weed species, selecting the best herbicide, and timing the application. ...

CCA exam sign-up ends Dec. 11

Oct 23, 2009

California crop advisers have the opportunity to register for the Feb. 5, 2010 Certified Crop Adviser (CCA) Exam until Dec. 11, 2009. ...

California specialty crop grants – $16.3 million

Oct 23, 2009

California leads the nation with $16.3 million in specialty crop grants awarded recently by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)....

Educating public on family farms

Oct 23, 2009

Family farmers not only exist, but are the critical factor that make the nation’s number one industry the world leaders in production of safe and wholesome products, according to a new video titled Farming for Generations released by the National Corn Growers Association....

255 million acres in DCP, ACRE

Oct 23, 2009

Approximately 255 million base acres on about 1.7 million farms were enrolled for 2009 in the Direct and Counter-cyclical Program (DCP) and in the Average Crop Revenue Election (ACRE) program....

Agribusiness aims at green practices

Oct 22, 2009,

By Dennis Pollock, Contributing Writer

As surely as the globe’s climate is changing, its business climate is changing as well....

Senate climate bill: ag unimpressed

Oct 22, 2009,

By David Bennett, Farm Press Editorial Staff

Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman, and California Sen. Barbara Boxer, chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, last week released a long-awaited, 800-page climate change bill that largely focuses on carbon sequestration through a cap and trade system....