The California Mid-State Fair 's Junior Livestock Auction was held in the Paso Robles Pavilion on Saturday morning, packing the building with spectators and buyers and the constant "auction chant" of the auctioneer. The Junior Auction FFA and 4-H exhibitors from around San Luis Obispo county put their showmanship skills to the test while they paraded their animals in front of the quiet stare of the buyers.

SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY - There will be plenty to toast to throughout the annual Distillery Trail Weekend hosted by the Distillers of SLO County from Aug. 12-14. Over the course of the three-day event, each of the 14 distilleries along the Trail will be showcasing their craft spirits with top-shelf experiences, including distillery tours, mixology demonstrations, live music, and pairings with local food.

For the first time in three years, educators will gather in person for the annual Agriculture in the Classroom Conference. Join us in Ventura, at the Ventura Beach Marriott on September 22-24, 2022, to make agriculture come alive in classrooms throughout California. The goal: learn exciting ways to teach K-12 students where their food and ...

PASO ROBLES - The City of Paso Robles is holding a community meeting to discuss options for cannabis regulations in the City of Paso Robles. Residents of Paso Robles are welcome to participate in the forum in person or online at pricity.com/youtube and call (805) 865-7276 to give public comment during the meeting.

Councilmember Maria Garcia has resigned her seat on the Paso Robles City Council effective immediately. Originally elected at-large to the council in Nov. 2018, Garcia has served as the District 2 representative since the city transitioned to a by-district council election system in 2019.

It's been 25 days since the primary election was certified in San Luis Obispo County but counting is still going on. After closing the last box on July 7 and certifying the election, it wasn't long before ballot counters in San Luis Obispo were reopening all of those same boxes.

The farming industry is at a bit of a disadvantage when it comes to political influence. During the Agri-Pulse Food & Ag Issues Summit, California State Senator Brian Dahle emphasized the point that political action requires funding support and coordination. Western Growers President and CEO Dave Puglia said that it was an important factor to consider.

PUBLISHED ON SACRAMENTO - The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) is now accepting grant applications for the Conservation Agriculture Planning Grants Program (CAPGP) administered by its Office of Environmental Farming and Innovation (OEFI). The application period will close on October 23, 2022, at 5 p.m. PT.

A petition has been submitted to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to establish a Standard of Identity for olive oil. The joint petition was submitted by American Olive Oil Producers Association (AOOPA), North American Olive Oil Association, and Deoleo, the world's largest producer.

The Agriculture Workforce Coalition is calling on the Senate to pass an agriculture workforce reform bill this Congress. The coalition sent a letter to Senate leaders this week, which was signed by dozens of agricultural organizations including the American Farm Bureau Federation, the International Fresh Produce Association, the National Farmers Union, and several associations from states where ag labor is especially important, such as California, Florida, Georgia, Arizona, and Alabama.

The Conservation Opportunity and Voluntary Environment Resilience (COVER) Program Act aims to help increase the use of cover crops. Introduced in the U.S. House by Representatives Cindy Axne and Sean Casten, the COVER Act will provide a $5 per acre insurance premium subsidy to farmers who plant cover crops.

WASHINGTON, July 25, 2022 - Today, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced a strategy for how the Biden-Harris Administration, through the U.S. Department of Agriculture, will address a reforestation backlog of four million acres on national forests and plant more than one billion trees over the next decade.

Contact: FPAC.BC.Press@usda.gov WASHINGTON, Aug. 1, 2022 - The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced loan interest rates for August 2022, which are effective Aug. 1, 2022. USDA's Farm Service Agency (FSA) loans provide important access to capital to help agricultural producers start or expand their farming operation, purchase equipment and storage structures or meet cash flow needs.

Large-scale family farms were more likely to have stronger financial performance than other farms, according to USDA, Economic Research Service (ERS) researchers using data from the 2011-20 Agricultural Resource Management surveys (ARMS). ERS researchers categorized farms as low risk if they had an operating profit margin (OPM)-the ratio of operating profit to gross farm income-greater than 25 percent.

First published on Port disruptions, especially major ones, can lead to shifts in shipping schedules. After waiting three days off the Oakland coast, the Maersk Altair headed instead to the Port of Long Beach, project44 said. The Port of Oakland is all too familiar with disruptions hurting its operations.

Business is booming at Open Air Flowers in downtown San Luis Obispo. The store fills the sidewalk with bright colors and beautiful bouquets, but even the most successful small businesses can't escape the reality of the 2022 economy. Like many other businesses, Open Air Flowers is increasing their prices to keep up with the rising costs.

Taking a wider look at higher ag input costs. That's coming up on This Land of Ours. American Agri-Women hosted the Global Food and Energy Supply Conversation recently to respond to member interest in rising input and food costs. AAW President Heather Hampton+Knodle, moderated the event.

Tackling climate change will require not just gradual reform, but rapid, wholesale transformation of the global food system.

VICE News - A local battle over the future of atomic energy is becoming a bellwether for nations trying to slow climate change while still keeping the lights on...

Los Padres National Forest (LPNF) is seeking community input for the Ecological Restoration Project, ...within Kern, Monterey, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura counties.

Higher retail prices of organic fresh produce during the second quarter of 2022 generated a 3.7 percent increase in total organic dollars but also contributed to a decline in organic volume of 2.8 percent, according to Q2 2022 Organic Produce Performance Report issued by the Organic Produce Network and Category Partners.

The United Farm Workersis launching a 24-day march this week to raise awareness about a bill they say will make it easier for California farmworkers to vote in union elections and ultimately join collective bargaining contracts.

California labor officials have issued civil penalties to an employer that fired a group of farmworkers it misclassified as independent contractors; labor experts say the landmark decision could have a "profound" impact on the agriculture industry.

By Matthew Viohl Before the COVID-19 pandemic, California's agricultural employers were facing significant workforce challenges. In studies conducted with the California Farm Bureau in 2017 and 2019, more than half reported that they simply couldn't find enough people to fill farm, ranch and other agricultural jobs. Would the pandemic make things worse?

A wildfire that broke out west of Bishop Peak on Wednesday was contained that same afternoon, according to Cal Fire. Firefighters from Cal Fire, with the help of San Luis Obispo City Fire, the Forest Service and Atascadero State Hospital worked to contain the blaze on the 700 block of O'Connor Way, Cal Fire tweeted Wednesday at 1:29 p.m.

Aug 3 (Reuters) - For millennia, giant sequoias - the largest trees on Earth - have resisted and relied on fire. But today's wildfires are far more frequent and intense due to climate-fueled droughts. In July, the Mariposa Grove of giant sequoia trees in Yosemite narrowly avoided disaster in the Washburn Fire due to quick action and long-term planning.

It is now accepted that prescribed fire is needed to conserve and restore biodiversity, prevent catastrophic fires, stabilize carbon and promote public health and safety. To address the pace and scale of prescribed fire that is needed, we must invest in careers in prescribed fire.

Cattle producers' biggest obstacles are higher input costs and drought conditions. This Market Intel dives into the current state of the cattle business and the direct implications for the sector in 2023, based on current prices, recent USDA reports, and this week's Crop Progress Report.

Plant-based alternatives to beef have the potential to help reduce carbon dioxide emissions, but their growth in popularity could disrupt the agricultural workforce, threatening more than 1.5 million industry jobs, new economic models show. This research, published Aug.

Two Paso Robles wineries are among the best new wineries in the nation, according to USA Today. Nenow Family Wines and Serial Wines were selected as part of the publication's 10Best Readers' Choice Awards for 2022. "While the process of winemaking is thousands of years old, these new vineyards and wineries have only just recently opened up," USA Today said.

You are invited to share solutions to common wine grape farming issues and challenges at the IGGPRA Grower Roundtable Discussions. Growers and Industry Professionals will break out into small groups to share success stories and brainstorm best practices. Each topic will be moderated by an industry expert.

The Vineyard Team's Juan Nevarez Memorial Scholarship Helps Children of Farmworkers go to College August 1st - Atascadero, CA- Higher education is important to many students but paying for college can be challenging. This year, the Vineyard Team's Juan Nevarez Memorial Scholarship awarded $62,000 in higher education scholarships to 14 students whose parents work in local vineyards.

Nearly 70% of the U.S. is facing abnormally dry conditions, or worse, according to the latest reports. For some areas, folks are praying for summer rain, while others will do their best to hold on in hopes of more snowfall this winter.

As drought conditions persist in California, farmers are making the most of every drop of water they use. However, there may be more they can do during the rainy season to put water back into the ground with assistance of the USDA-NRCS. Watch this brief interview with California Water Quality Specialist Wendy Rash to find ...

The Yolo County Farm Bureau won its lawsuit filed against Woodland last year arguing that the city's flood risk management project violated Measure S - a voter initiative that passed in 2004 in response to an attempt by the city to build a flood barrier that would increase flooding in northern Woodland.