Monthly Archives: July 2015

By Phillip Reese The El Niño weather pattern often brings deluges to California, quickly dropping inches of rain in what climatologists liken to turning on a fire hose. Except when it doesn’t. Except when it brings no extra rain. El Niño is a hot topic today among water agency managers, farmers and others sick of California’s historic drought. Earlier this …

By Tim Hearden SACRAMENTO — Water-saving tips to weather the drought are key features at this year’s California State Fair, which runs through July 26. The state Department of Water Resources’ award-winning “Californians Don’t Waste — Save Water in Your Home” exhibit in the Counties Building offers hands-on demonstrations of ways to conserve water in kitchens, laundry rooms and bathrooms. …

CDFA secretary Karen Ross joined California State Fair CEO Rick Pickering and US Postal Service officials to introduce a new series of postage stamps,  “Summer Harvest,” during the fair’s current run at Cal Expo. The stamps depict watermelon, corn, cantaloupe and tomatoes, all of which are among the 400-plus commodities produced in California, the nation’s leader in food production The …

By Alice Daniel Rancher Gary Tarbell stands in the sale barn at the Tulare County Stockyard watching as cattle pass through a gate, into a ring and, one by one, are sold to the highest bidder. “They’re going out of state, all these cattle,” Tarbell says. “There’s no water here.” Just as farmers in the Central Valley are fallowing thousands …

The School Nutrition Association is hosting its annual national conference this week in Salt Lake City.  As parents, you trust your family pediatrician to help you make informed choices about your children’s health — not politicians or special interests. That’s why when developing the first meaningful improvements to school meals in 30 years, we turned to the people who care …

By Jeanne Kuang Abby Garrett took some of her first steps as a baby in a sheep’s pen. After that time, the 14-year-old said, “sheep became my life.” Garrett, whose family has raised livestock for generations, is showing sheep at the California State Fair’s livestock competition for the fifth year in a row. She’s one of many young people at …

By Tim Hearden A continued lack of water availability is causing field crop acreages in California to dip even lower than expected, government and industry representatives say. Rice acreage in California is now expected to top out at 385,000, a steep drop from the 431,000 acres of rice harvested last year, according to a USDA field crop report. The actual …

By Lesley McClurg As the drought continues and the weather heats up, California farmers are grappling with how to allocate dwindling water supplies. Patrick Dosier, an independent agronomist and agriculture tech consultant, says smartphone or tablet apps can help with water efficiency. “If you can think of your irrigation water supply as your savings account and checking account, you’re basically …