New research predicts California droughts will worsen [Sacramento Bee]
Future
droughts in California are likely to bite deeper and last longer than the one
now gripping the state, according to new research into the potential effects of
climate change. Scientists from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography and the
U.S. Geological Survey used computer climate modeling tools to estimate the
effects of warmer temperatures in future decades….The results show that by
2050, the median snowpack present on April 1 each year could be one-third
smaller than the historical median, and by 2100 it could be two-thirds
smaller….California water management officials are bracing for these potential
changes. On Thursday, the state Department of Water Resources released a
revised California Water Plan, a comprehensive strategy to protect the state
from water shortages and floods that looks out to 2050. A major focus involves
managing the effects of climate change.
Rain
brings joy, if not a fix, to the drought-ridden Central Valley [Los Angeles
Times]
The
grapevines needed to be covered. The last of the tomato harvest came to a halt.
A corn maze turned to mud. The ink ran on a "Pray for Rain" sign in
an orchard of dead citrus trees. One modest, seasonal storm wasn't going to
reverse California's historic drought. Yet across the Central Valley and Sierra
Nevada mountains, where livelihoods and entire towns are threatened, there was
joy Saturday as rain fell and snow piled up….In Patterson, the secret message
hidden in Fantozzi Farms' corn maze this year was "California Dying Of
Thirst" — visible from above. The maze was half as big as usual because of
lack of water. The rain hit the maze about 4:30 p.m. on Friday. It was
Halloween — the busiest night — and a crowd had to be sent away because of mud
and heavy showers. "It's all right," said owner Jim Fantozzi.
"We also had beans we needed to get in. But any rain is welcome
rain."
Tomato
demand spurs record California crop amid drought [Bloomberg]
California
farmers who grow a third of the world’s processing tomatoes, the kind used for
pasta sauce and soups, nurtured a record crop this year even as the state’s
drought damped production of other vegetables. An estimated 14 million tons of
processing tomatoes were harvested in California this year, the most ever and
up 16 percent from last year, according to the California Tomato Growers
Association, a trade group for the $1 billion-a-year industry. Canneries such
as Campbell Soup Co. (CPB) paid $83 a ton, also the most ever. “The price was
at a point where guys felt they could take the water risk and put their limited
water supplies on tomatoes instead of other crops,” said farmer Aaron
Barcellos, whose family grows tomatoes and other crops on 7,000 acres about 110
miles (179 kilometers) south of Sacramento. “Processors needed to pay a price
that would get the acreage in the ground.”
UC
Davis fires back in strawberry controversy, sues growers’ group [Sacramento
Bee]
The
legal fight between UC Davis and the California strawberry industry is
escalating, even as both sides insist they want to patch up an 80-year-old
relationship that’s enriched the university and given farmers a bounty of new
strawberry varieties. The University of California sued the California
Strawberry Commission this week, firing back against a farmer-controlled
organization that sued UC a little more than a year ago. Both lawsuits revolve
around the future of UC Davis’ plant-breeding program, which has churned out
new kinds of strawberries for nurseries and farmers since the 1930s….The
relationship turned testy in 2012. The two lead strawberry breeders at UC Davis
announced they were leaving the university to form their own plant-breeding
company.
Kerman
raisin grower calls it quits [Fresno Bee]
Sixty-five-year-old
farmer Nick Jerkovich has been producing raisins his entire life….This fall,
Jerkovich produced his last crop….For decades, the central San Joaquin Valley
has been the center of the nation’s raisin industry, churning out thousands of
tons of the sweet treat annually for snacking, baking products and cereals. And
while no other region produces more raisins, the industry is shrinking as
frustrated growers turn to higher-value crops. That, in turn, is raising
concern among industry leaders about the viability of the raisin
business….Eight years ago, Jerkovich began his transition by pulling out 20
acres of grapes and replacing the vineyard with almonds….Industry officials
acknowledge the shift in declining acreage is concerning, but they also believe
it can bounce back with a better system for selling raisins.
Nurseries
use technology to meet walnut demand [Marysville Appeal-Democrat]
The
demand for nuts has never been higher. Fueled by global demand, the commodity's
prices have surged. But those trees need to start somewhere, and the nursery
industry has ridden the wave of demand for nut crops to expand operations and
invest in expensive, but cutting edge, technologies like tissue culture
cloning….The nursery industry has increased in value each of the past four
years, rising from $13 million in 2010 to $25 million in 2013 in Sutter
County….Historically, the nursery industry was feast or famine. It shrank and
swelled with the rise and fall of the commodity prices. But in the past five to
eight years, the demand has stabilized. More countries are able to afford
higher-end food products, such as nuts, and commodity prices have steadily
increased, said Jack Poukish, Sierra Gold president.
Ag
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