Climate and weather
After March freeze, Georgia, Southeast counties declared disaster areas
The United States Department of Agriculture has declared 18 Georgia counties as primary natural disaster areas. The disaster declaration follows March freezes that damaged Georgia’s peach and pecan crops and other crops. Growers in North... more »
Food and ag summit tackles water, farm bill
The outlook for California’s agricultural economy shows some signs of improvement after several years of supply-chain constraints, high input costs and a multiyear drought that forced farmers to fallow acres and remove orchards. The June... more »
GFVGA reports widespread storm damage
Strong storms, hail, wind and torrential rain have hammered parts of Georgia over the past week. There are multiple reports of damage to Georgia fruit and vegetable production as well as row crops. As officials... more »
Specialty Crop group supports disaster relief, mechanization bills
The Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance (SCFBA) this week endorsed the following legislation that will be considered during the 2023 Farm Bill discussions: the Fair Access to Agriculture Disaster Programs Act and the Specialty Crop... more »
Small farmers need help after storms, reports California Farm Bureau
The California Farm Bureau is calling on the state to improve mechanisms for disbursing disaster relief payments for damages suffered in devastating 2023 storms. Testifying before a joint informational hearing of the California Assembly Agriculture... more »
California farmers seek rebound after floods, virus hits lettuce crop
Things were challenging enough for lettuce growers in Monterey County’s Salinas Valley before Mother Nature dealt a one-two punch in this year’s storms. Farmers in 2022 suffered an estimated $150 million in crop losses as... more »
Pest, disease damage expected, harvest impacts uncertain
The seemingly unending flow of water saturating their fields is burdening California growers with pests and diseases. In March and continuing into April and later, torrential rains and multiple “atmospheric rivers” swept across the state,... more »
Commentary: California farmers seek solutions for flood-control failures
The destruction to agricultural properties and crops from January and March flooding in Monterey County is considerable. There is frustration about a failure to address known dangers that caused or worsened the flood toll in... more »
Climate grant awarded to Purdue
Purdue University has received a grant to help fight climate change in agriculture. The university won a five-year, $500,000 grant to play an education and workforce development role in the new $20 million AI Institute... more »
California cantaloupe growers report delayed planting
California cantaloupe farmers are overjoyed with the amount of rainfall received this winter and for the welcome relief to severe drought conditions that have impacted growing areas for the past several years. Although rainfall was... more »