Western Farm Press News Archive

California receives $10.9 million in USDA funds to improve air quality

Jan 22, 2009

California will receive about $10.9 million from the federal 2008 farm bill to help farmers and ranchers with conservation practices to improve air quality....

Rogers reappointed to American Farm Bureau executive committee

Jan 22, 2009

Kevin Rogers, president, Arizona Farm Bureau Federation (AZFB), has been reelected to the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) Board of Directors and reappointed to the AFBF’s executive committee. ...

Arizona 2008 upland production could be lowest in 60 years

Jan 22, 2009

Arizona’s all cotton production for 2008 is estimated at 401,600 bales, 23 percent lower than the final ’07 production, according to the Arizona field office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS)....

Senate confirms Vilsack as agriculture secretary

Jan 21, 2009

Former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack has been confirmed by the U.S. Senate to be the secretary of agriculture in the new Obama administration....

Crop inputs will continue to pressure margins in 2009

Jan 21, 2009

Rising production costs including fertilizers, seeds, chemicals, fuel, land and equipment as well as higher labor and capital expenditures will pressure agriculture producers’ bottom lines in 2009, according to Rabobank’s recently published “North American Food & Agribusiness Outlook.”...

Alfalfa pests reduce crop yield and quality

Jan 21, 2009,

By Brenda Carol
Contributing Writer

Several insect pests injure alfalfa plants and reduce crop yield and quality. ...

Prior Crop Disaster Program sign-up ends Feb. 27

Jan 21, 2009

John Smythe, state executive director for USDA’s Farm Service Agency in California announced that the sign-up period for the 2005-2007 Crop Disaster Program (CDP) will end Feb. 27, 2009....

New NRCS water conservation program includes $58.4 million in assistance

Jan 21, 2009

USDA Secretary Ed Schafer has announced up to $58.4 million in financial assistance to agricultural producers and entities nationwide through the new Agricultural Water Enhancement Program (AWEP)....

Which way will wind blow when new administration takes over?

Jan 20, 2009,

By Aaron Kiess
Executive Director
California Alfalfa and Forage Association

There is a new year, a new president and a lot of questions that won’t be answered for some time as Barack Obama first turns his attention to the economy, national security and other pressing issues....

Demand for fruits, vegetables expected to grow

Jan 20, 2009

In line with growing health awareness and changing demographics, demand for fruits and vegetables is expected to increase in the long term, according to Rabobank’s recently published “North American Food & Agribusiness Outlook.”...

‘Eco-friendly’ water-use system to benefit fruit processing industry

Jan 20, 2009

A university-industry partnership begun several years ago is bearing fruit – in the form of new technologies that could significantly enhance the sustainability of California’s food processing industry....

MIRI method reduces water use in rice field tests

Jan 20, 2009

Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and cooperating scientists are studying a system that, in rice field tests, cuts water use by 24 percent....

Grass control tricky in Central Valley alfalfa

Jan 16, 2009,

By Brenda Carol
Contributing Writer

Producing high quality alfalfa hay means keeping the field clean, and that can get tricky at times. ...

Cultivar scrutiny vital for tree fruit industry

Jan 16, 2009,

By Dan Bryant
Contributing Writer

“Somehow the industry has to evaluate the 300 new cultivars we’ve had since 1980 and discipline ourselves to dump the ‘dogs’ before new orchards are planted.”...