California
While spring is the prime time for California strawberries, two new varieties from the Public Strawberry Breeding Program at the UC Davis, will provide big, flavorful strawberries throughout fall and winter.
The White House is giving light to a deepening water crisis in Western U.S. states.
The California Fresh Fruit Association reacted to Governor Gavin Newsom’s “$100 Billion California Comeback Plan”, which will allocate a portion of funding to support the food and agricultural industry.
Drought conditions and tightening regulations on groundwater are putting California’s San Joaquin Valley growers in a vise and forcing them to fallow many acres now, and likely thousands more in the years ahead.
Consumers typically turn to citrus to load up on vitamin C during cold and flu season, but this year, suppliers hope they’ll stock up on even more grapefruit, oranges, mandarins and lemons to keep COVID-19 at bay.
Although USDA’s NASS estimated that California’s navel orange crop will be about 42 million 80-pound boxes this season, some grower-shippers estimate that number might be a bit on the heavy side.
Bakersfield, Calif.-based Cal-Organic Farms, a division of Grimmway Farms, is offering its exclusive red bunch carrots for a limited time.
Until Jan. 19, Southern California was enjoying an ideal strawberry season.
Shippers say California cherry crop prospects are bright for 2021 and no gap is expected between California and Northwest crops at the end of the deal.
With expanded acreage in Sonora, Mexico, Nogales, Ariz.-based Divine Flavor LLC expects to grow its volume by about 25%, said Michael DuPuis, quality assurance and public relations coordinator.
Rio Rico, Ariz.-based Fresh Farms should begin its grape harvest in Sonora, Mexico, around May 20-25, said Al Voll, salesman.
Illume Agriculture is in charge of the Bagdasarian grape deal, having taken over the management of vineyards formerly owned by Bagdasarian Farms, which has sold its farming assets to a private equity group.
With Mexican grapes from Hermosillo and Caborca in Mexico, King Fresh will show peak volume by June 7, said Keith Wilson, president of the Dinuba, Calif.-based company.
The Oppenheimer Group has a strong presence with Mexican grapes grown in the Hermosillo region and will offer a full complement of table grapes packed in the Ocean Spray and Oppy labels.
Mexico’s early grape outlook will be light in early May, with peak volume expected from early June to mid-July, said Rob Anderholt, West Coast division manager for Seald Sweet, Bakersfield, Calif.
Giumarra’s Mexican spring grape deal will feature bigger volume and similar timing compared with last season, according to Tom Wilson, sales manager for Los Angeles-based Giumarra Cos.
The Packer is seeking supplier input for the Kern County Produce Section.
With big growth in berry output but declines in stone fruit, there have been substantial changes in summer fruit production in California in 10 years.
The ninth consecutive celebration of California Avocado Month in June has begun.
Higher wages, water regulations, immigration policies and health care costs are some of the top concerns for California fruit growers, packers and shippers in 2021.
Plant City, Fla.-based Wish Farms has established a growing operation in Oxnard, Calif.
D’Arrigo California, with the Grower-Shipper Association of Central California and Clinica de Salud del Valle de Salinas, hosted a drive-through vaccination clinic for Monterey County residents ages 65 and over.
Robert “Bobby” O. Bianco, a California table grape grower for more than five decades, has died.
The USDA has announced the availability of up to $10 million in assistance to assist agricultural producers impacted by the worsening drought conditions in the Klamath River Basin.
Take a look at what California cherry businesses are working on.
California grower groups applauded the state’s May 10 expansion of emergency drought measures but urged caution in their implementation.
Over a million poles stretch toward the sky on 750 rolling acres in Oceanside, California, graced by vines that will yield the season’s first vine-ripened roma and round tomatoes come the Fourth of July.
Dayka & Hackett LLC, Reedley, Calif., and Agrícola Don Ricardo, Ica, Peru, have signed agreements to sell majority ownership to newly formed produce company Frutura.
PMA’s Foodservice show July 21-22 in Monterey, Calif., should help foodservice suppliers and buyers troubleshoot and stay on top of all the changes as this sector revives.
“July is part of peak California avocado season, with advertising and promotional support in full swing,” said Jan DeLyser, vice president marketing of the Commission.