Latest News From California

“Our farmers and ranchers want to focus on producing America’s food supply, not on trying to become experts in procuring what was once routine insurance coverage,” said California Farm Bureau President Jamie Johansson.

The vertical, controlled environment agriculture greens grower says it’s doubling its retail footprint by expanding to Whole Foods Market and Gelson’s Markets California stores.

When Tropical Storm Hilary hit Southern California, Palm Springs received nearly 50% of its yearly rainfall in a matter of hours. While the deluge caused flooding, one area farmer is cautiously optimistic.

While the Golden State is producing almost two-thirds of peaches grown in the U.S., it’s harvest yields have been steadily declining for two decades, according to a USDA report.

“The reality is we are playing catch-up with a situation that has been worsening for decades exacerbated by drought, disease and even climate change,” farmer, rancher and firefighter Johnnie White testified to Congress.

Produce veteran Cody Ramsey is bringing his expertise to develop and expand sales at the Salinas, Calif.-based grower.

The FARMS program has introduced careers in ag and environmental sciences to tens of thousands of high school youth, most with no previous access to these opportunities.

The California walnut industry is gearing up for a stellar 2023 crop, industry leaders report.

Almond crop production has kicked off this August with improved expectations that a heftier almond will offset the lowest almonds-per-acre-yield since 2009, according to a recent USDA report.

The first sighting of the Tau fruit fly in the Western Hemisphere was recently detected near Santa Clarita, Calif., launching a quarantine and multi-agency plan to stop the spread of the invasive species.

Supply chain veteran Omar Bobadilla is bringing his industry expertise and deep understanding of fresh produce sector operational needs to lead ag operations at Bonduelle Fresh Americas.

What you need to know about the temporary, but heightened requirements to import romaine or salad mixes containing romaine to Canadian markets from Sept. 28 to Dec. 20, 2023.

The Salinas Valley grower-shipper has hired two experienced senior sales account managers — Todd Rainey and Jimmy Garcia — to grow the company’s sales.

The USDA has filed an administrative complaint against VIP Marketing Inc. for alleged violations of the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act.

“Planting schedules just got thrown completely off kilter this year, and that just ripples through a season,” Mary Zischke, Grower-Shipper Association of Central California told The Packer.

Seven Seas, a division of the Tom Lange Company Inc., has been growing and marketing California and Mexican strawberries for decades.

The California-based sweet potato brand has hired fresh produce industry veteran Susan Noritake to grow the brand.

The California agency has tapped William Turechek as its next vice president of research and Jeff Cardinale as its new director of communications.

Growers are managing delayed and irregular cantaloupe production out of Yuma, the Imperial Valley and into the Westside, but anticipate the production will normalize as the deal shifts in July, August and September.

The premium dark-sweet cherries cultivated in the California Delta region are expected to be available from mid-June through Fourth of July promotions, the grower says.

The produce veteran is bringing fresh produce and sales experience from Costco, Amazon and Bonduelle Fresh Americas to her new role leading sales at the California-based leafy greens grower.

Los Angeles-based The Wonderful Company has announced that Benal Serin has joined the firm as senior vice president of marketing.

Bobalu Berry Farms has awarded 23 scholarships to students at nine high schools.

“California isn’t California without our farmworkers ... Our farmworkers have our backs — now it’s time we have theirs,” said Gov. Gavin Newsom.

The 2023 Down to Earth Women’s Luncheon, held at Driscoll’s Rancho Corralitos, celebrated Santa Cruz County and Pajaro Valley women in agriculture and raised $90,000 for programs and scholarships.

Reedley, Calif.-based Fruit World says it is shipping some of the ripest early California cherry varieties.

Former defense Secretary Leon Panetta, chairman of the Panetta Institute of Public Policy, will speak on food security and innovation at the upcoming Salinas Biological Summit on June 20-21, 2023.

The high-tech vertical farm grower has opened the doors to its first commercial farm facility in Compton, Calif., where it expects to grow leafy greens at scale.

The California-based grower-shipper will be showcasing new varieties Autumn King, Great Green, Scarlet Royal, Allison, Sweet Globe, Flame, Ivory, Autumn Royal and Kriss grapes at the West Coast Produce Expo on May 20.

While flooding in California’s Salinas Valley region has had an economic impact, it has taken a personal toll as well.

While the majority of Salinas Valley acreage was not greatly affected by two rounds of atmospheric rivers and floods, some growers are leveraging other growing regions to ensure continuity of supply.

Recent heavy rainfall was a godsend to The Golden State’s cantaloupe producers, delaying planting but also providing a welcome break from growing under drought restrictions for this year’s crop.

Gem-Pack Berries is focused on coordinatingwith its retail customers to work through delays and transition into a successful late spring and summer berry season.

California Fresh Fruit Association President Ian LeMay will become president and CEO of the California Table Grape Commission in spring 2025, succeeding Kathleen Nave.

Fusarium wilt is one of the most common reasons for crop loss and death, yet 55% to 59% of cultivars planted in the state since 2014 have not been resistant, according to research from University of California, Davis.

Consumers are becoming more health conscious, and that is a good sign for organic produce sales, says Michael Boskovich, organic sales representative for Boskovich Farms, Oxnard, Calif.

After a tough growing season characterized by rain, snow and unusually low winter temperatures, some project a promising year for summer fruit.

Drought pressures plagued the Golden State at the beginning of the year, but an unexpected series of atmospheric rivers this spring that inundated the state with precipitation changed the outlook for water districts.

Now in its third season trialing regenerative agriculture practices, the California-based grower is currently testing a low-tillage farming method designed to increase the carbon content in soil.

As residents awaited federal disaster assistance for flood recovery, the Grower-Shipper Association of Central California led an effort to provide health care and supplies to a small town.

California is expected have plenty of good-quality tree fruit, melons and other commodities this summer, though some items might get off to a later start than usual, and early volume on others may be off a bit.

The Los Angeles-based grower-packer-shipper’s potato season is ramping up following weather-related delays for organic and conventional potatoes.

Citrus growers in Tulare County, Calif., are digging their way out of the muck to restore flood-damaged orchards and salvage the remaining citrus harvest.

Rain and cold weather delayed the California cherry crop and affected pollination, says Kyle Persky, sales manager for Rivermaid Trading, Lodi, Calif.

The Cal Poly Strawberry Center plays an active role in strawberry industry research, most recently delivering 23 presentations or posters at the 10th North American Strawberry Symposium held in San Luis Obispo in March.

Taylor Farms is reopening its first, original Salinas, Calif., facility, which closed in 2022 due to a devastating fire, in time for the start of the growing season.

USDA-reported truck shipments for 2022 show berries and lettuces were big movers in the California central coast district.

With harvest running about two weeks late, Oppy anticipates a California cherry start date around the second week of May, with peak volumes between May 20 to June 10.

Primavera Marketing generally starts cherry marketing in late April and continues through mid-June, but this year’s timetable is a little later.

Despite the Golden State experiencing record rain followed by a levee break, a strong outlook remains for the upcoming crop.