Western Farm Press News Archive

Olives may be rescued by helpful wasp

Feb 19, 2009

Olives basking in sunny California groves might find that their new best friend is a small brown wasp. ...

Determing rice gene function: unlocking the secrets

Feb 19, 2009

In 2008, headlines of real world events read like the script of a bad science fiction movie — the main food source of half the world was in short supply, sparking riots around the globe. ...

Cotton Achievement Award honors the late Charles Youngker

Feb 19, 2009

The late Arizona cotton producer Charles “Charlie” Youngker is the recipient of the 2008 Oscar Johnston Lifetime Achievement Award....

Study: Biotech crops poised for second wave of growth

Feb 19, 2009

Biotech crops, on the heels of a robust 2008 and bolstered by increased political will to meet food demands, are poised for a second wave of strong adoption that will drive sustained global growth through the end of the second decade of commercialization 2006 to 2015, according to the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications....

USDA approves California raisin export program

Feb 18, 2009

The Raisin Administrative Committee (RAC) has received approval from USDA for its proposed export replacement offer program through April 30....

California drought inspires promising farm water risk management studies

Feb 18, 2009

The California Institute for Rural Studies has issued a report, California Water Stewards: Innovative On-farm Water Management Practices, showcasing 10 California growers implementing a range of water-saving practices on their farms....

Secretary Kawamura establishes Specialty Crop Advisory Committee

Feb 18, 2009

California Secretary of Food and Agriculture A.G. Kawamura is announcing the formation of the Specialty Crop Advisory Committee. ...

ARS scientists sequence citrus disease bacterium

Feb 18, 2009

Researchers have a new tool to combat citrus Huanglongbing (HLB), a disease threatening the nation's $2.2 billion citrus industry....

Green payments may replace traditional programs, secretary says

Feb 18, 2009,

By Forrest Laws
Farm Press Editorial Staff

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack says the government must begin to look at new ways to support farmers — including the use of “green payments” — because of the impact of the recently passed economic stimulus package on the federal deficit....

EWG, Grocery Manufacturers trying to ‘drive wedge’ between consumers, ethanol

Feb 17, 2009,

By Forrest Laws
Farm Press Editorial Staff

New anti-ethanol commentary by environmental and food manufacturing organizations are “stirring up fear” among consumers at a time when all segments of the economy should be pulling together to bring about recovery....

More farmers choosing biotech crops

Feb 17, 2009

Farmers around the world continue to enthusiastically embrace genetically engineered (GE) crops according to a report released by the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications (ISAAA)....

Census of ag shows growing diversity in U.S. farming

Feb 13, 2009

The number of farms in the United States has grown 4 percent and the operators of those farms have become more diverse in the past five years, according to results of the 2007 Census of Agriculture released today by the USDA's National Agriculture Statistics Service....

Commercial farmers don’t need hatchet man at USDA

Feb 13, 2009,

By Forrest Laws
Farm Press Editorial Staff

The last time I wrote in less than glowing terms about a candidate for a particular job, he was named secretary of agriculture....

Researchers identify gene to improve wheat frost tolerance

Feb 13, 2009

The United States, the world's leading exporter of wheat, is struggling to keep pace with demand, and a decline in grain available is causing a worldwide crisis. ...