Western Farm Press News Archive

Dormant spray options for peaches

Jan 30, 2009,

By Janine Hasey
Farm Advisor
Sutter/Yuba Counties

The pesticides used in the conventional dormant spray include oil, an organophosphate or pyrethroid and copper....

Varietal winegrape production short course set for Feb.24-26 at UC Davis

Jan 30, 2009

This year's winegrape production short course, taught by farm advisors and campus-based faculty members of the University of California, presents reviews and updates for new and experienced vineyard managers, owners and others seeking an overview of winegrape production practices....

Health benefits of rural living negated

Jan 29, 2009,

By Hembree Brandon
Farm Press Editorial Staff

The image of farming as a healthy lifestyle, centered around a lot of body-toning outdoors work and exercise and home-cooked meals of fresh vegetables/fruits and farm-produced meats, is changing — and not for the better....

Sonoma County Grape Day is Feb. 17 in Santa Rosa, Calif.

Jan 29, 2009

The Sonoma County Grape Day will be held on Feb. 17, at the Wells Fargo Center for the Arts in Santa Rosa, Calif....

Irrigation-nutrient management meeting, cover crop-water quality field day is Feb. 24 in Monterey County

Jan 29, 2009

The 2009 Irrigation and Nutrient Management Meeting and Cover Crop and Water Quality Field Day will be held on Feb. 24 rain or shine....

California DWR second snow survey Thursday

Jan 28, 2009

The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) will conduct its second snow survey of the season at 11 a.m., Thursday near Lake Tahoe....

Vilsack reverses COOL funding decision

Jan 28, 2009

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack said he was rescinding a decision by the previous administration that would have moved $3.2 million in Specialty Crop Block Grant money to fund oversight and enforcement responsibilities for mandatory COOL....

California garlic and onion symposium is Feb. 9 in Tulare

Jan 28, 2009

The University of California Allium Workgroup and the California Garlic and Onion Research Advisory Board (CGORAB) will hold the 2009 California Garlic and Onion Symposium on Feb. 9 at the University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) agriculture building auditorium in Tulare, Calif....

California crop report from NASS

Jan 28, 2009

Here’s the latest California crop report from the Sacramento field office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service, as of Jan. 25....

Weed control choices in low desert alfalfa more abundant

Jan 27, 2009,

By Brenda Carol
Contributing Writer

Weed control in alfalfa can be complicated, particularly in the low desert areas where the crop never really goes dormant. ...

57th Annual Lodi Grape Day set for Feb. 3

Jan 27, 2009

Continuing Education Hours have been requested from California Department of Pesticide Regulation and California Certified Crop Adviser Program....

Drip irrigation of tomatoes class scheduled for Feb. 10

Jan 27, 2009

This class is intended for commercial growers who are new to using drip irrigation for tomatoes, or those who will begin using drip this season....

2008 California upland cotton production off 43 percent, Pima 48 percent lower

Jan 27, 2009

California's 2008 upland cotton production is estimated at 370,000 480-pound bales as of Jan. 1, a decrease of 43 percent from last year, according to the Sacramento, Calif., field office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS)....

Remedying country’s ills likely to be slow and painful

Jan 26, 2009,

By Hembree Brandon
Farm Press Editorial Staff

Had Barack Obama possessed a magic crystal ball more than two years ago when he started his run for the presidency, and could have foreseen the mess he would inherit come Jan. 20, 2009, he might well have run screaming for the exits....