I read many negative comments regarding growing almonds in California, about the water they use, and the fact that they are something our state exports. But the unfavorable criticism of almonds always seems to come from the same narrow perspective that mirrors what is found in publications written outside of...
Fresno County Leads the USA in Farm Production
Fresno County is America's top ag-producing county for the first time since 2013. The county's No. 1 status was cemented this week when Tulare County released its report showing $7.21 billion in farm production last year. Listen to this article: Last month, the Fresno County ag report for 2018...
2018 Was a Record-Setting Year for Fresno County Farmers
Fresno County farmers and ranchers shattered the yearly record for the value of what they produced by nearly a billion dollars in 2018. Despite below-average surface water supplies, their crops and livestock totaled $7.888 billion last year, according to the Fresno County Department of Agriculture's annual report released Tuesday. Listen...
Good News: Families 'Sleep with the Fishes' at Aquarium
Why would anyone who remembers classic lines from "The Godfather" want to "sleep with the fishes"? Here's why: Thanks to the folks at Monterey Bay Aquarium, you can do so without suffering the same outcome as the late, lamented, fictional Luca Brasi. Several times a year, the popular Cannery Row...
More Bad News for Almond Growers: India Enacts 70% Tariff
India is on President Donald Trump's trade war hit list and that's bad news for California's almond growers. India has struck back against the United States by imposing tariffs on 28 products. Among them: almonds, apples, lentils, and walnuts. The 70% tariffs went into effect Sunday. They are retaliation for...
Fresno County Crops Eclipse $7 Billion in 2017
It's amazing what a wet year can mean to the Valley's farming economy. The rains of 2017, coming after five years of drought, enabled Fresno County growers, ranchers, and dairymen to eclipse $7 billion in agricultural production last year. It was a record total for the county. Fresno County's total...
Minus McCarthy, Valley Lawmakers Seek Tariff Relief for Ag
President Donald Trump's trade war is unifying a large chunk of California's congressional delegation on behalf of farmers. But notably absent from the coalition is House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, who represents Kern County, one of California's and the nation's top agricultural producers. Valley Republicans David Valadao, Devin Nunes, and...
With Nut Harvest Coming, Valley Growers Weary of Trade War
With harvest season a few weeks away, nut growers in the Central Valley are already weary of new higher tariffs on some of their products, such as pistachios. And they worry that if the international market dries up, it could lead to a supply glut and falling prices. In addition, China...
Valadao, Costa, Denham Want Trump To Revise Tariffs
Eight California congressional representatives sent a bipartisan letter to the Trump administration Monday urging a second look at imposing tariffs on steel and aluminum imports. The reason for their concern is China's reaction to the administration's March 8 announcement of a 25% tariff on steel and a 10% tariff on...
Atmospheric River Heads to the Valley. What Is It?
A big weather system is heading to Fresno, Clovis and other parts of California. The heaviest rain will hit us Wednesday and Thursday, according to the National Weather Service forecast office in Hanford. There is a possibility of flooding, especially in Southern California, which still is recovering from last year's...