There's good news today for residents who were hit with shockingly high natural gas bills. Southern California Gas Co. says the natural gas commodity price will drop by 68% this month compared to January's record-high prices, translating to dramatically reduced bills.

PUBLISHED ON MONTEREY, Calif. - Applications are now being accepted for Class 53 of the California Agricultural Leadership Program (CALP). Applicants should be mid-career growers, farmers, ranchers, horticulturalists, foresters and/or individuals working in other areas of California's diverse agriculture industry.

PASO ROBLES - The Central Coast Olive Oil Competition, hosted annually by the California Mid-State Fair and in partnership with the Lodi Grape Festival, is now accepting entries. The 15th Annual competition will take place in April 2023 and feature olive oil from across the state of California.

Redistricting in 2021 left residents in areas of San Luis Obispo County without their own elected representatives on the SLO County Board of Supervisors. On Jan. 24, the board voted unanimously to assign supervisors to represent those so-called "orphaned districts."

We are getting new numbers on how much money it will take to decommission the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant. PG&E says it will cost $4.1 billion to shut down Diablo Canyon, but it's still unclear exactly when that will happen. The future of California's last operating nuclear power plant is still uncertain.

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. - More than 1,000 people have applied for storm related help from FEMA in San Luis Obispo County. That's according to SLO County Emergency Services Coordinator Rachel Dion, who appeared live on News Channel 3-12 to talk about disaster assistance.

If you were impacted by recent storms and applied for Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) assistance, keep an eye on your mailbox or inbox because you could receive a letter from FEMA very soon. The determination letter will update you on the status of your application and let you know if you were approved for assistance.

A series of storms in January leftSan Luis Obispo County public infrastructure with more than $43million of damage, according to emergency services officials. Heavy rains and strong winds resulted in widespread flooding, fallen trees, mudslides, power outages and road closures.

A couple weeks ago, AFBF filed a new lawsuit challenging EPA's latest WOTUS rule-joined by more than a dozen other organizations representing agriculture, infrastructure, manufacturing and housing. Why? Because even though farmers and ranchers share the goal of protecting our nation's waterways, they deserve better than this rule.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced its intention to make significant changes to its food safety and nutrition division. FDA Commissioner Robert Califf describes the FDA structural changes as a " transformative vision " to better protect public health.

Are you a California farmer, rancher, or forestland owner who improves soil health, water quality, and wildlife habitat on your working land? Apply for the 2023 California Leopold Conservation Award®. Sand County Foundation and national sponsor American Farmland Trust present the Leopold Conservation Award to private landowners in 25 states for extraordinary achievement in voluntary ...

CBS/Bay City News Service SAN FRANCISCO -- PG&E announced Thursday it's launching a pre-owned electric vehicle (EV) rebate program to provide qualified residential customers with up to $4,000 when purchasing or leasing a pre-owned EV. The program aims to distribute more than $78 million to promote the adoption of EVs and make EV ownership more affordable for all customers.

PUBLISHED ON MACON, Ga. - There is a strong case that agricultural soil is a viable tool for storing, or sequestering, carbon. It can be done. On the question of whether doing so can be used to generate income through carbon markets, farmers aren't yet sold.

The Hass Avocado Board is now accepting applications for its yearlong Board Leadership Development program. The program includes customized training to help participants prepare to serve on the boards of avocado industry organizations such as HAB and the California Avocado Commission, among others. The deadline to complete the application is January 31.

The California Avocado Commission has forecast the 2023 season volume to be 257 million pounds, a slight year-on-year decrease from 276 million pounds. Weather and market conditions will be key factors for when California avocado growers begin harvesting and some growers may delay picking to allow their avocados time to increase in size.

By Ching Lee Skyrocketing natural gas prices this winter have sent shockwaves through California nursery operations, which use the fuel to heat greenhouses. Some of them face utility bills as much as five times higher than in previous years. Natural gas remains one of the biggest production costs in the winter for some greenhouses.

Timothy Miles speaks well of "soft fungicides" despite any inference that such organic products might actually go easy on varying diseases of small fruit. Image zoom Botrytis (shown here) accounts for about 60% to 70% of grape rotting in Michigan.

California is a state that loves to keep employers on their toes. Year over year, CA regulators enact new laws that seem to complicate an already overly complicated business landscape. One law that has everyone buzzing- The California Pay Transparency Law that now requires all employers to share their pay scale data with current employees and prospective candidates.

A major UC Merced study and survey detail the harsh conditions many of California's farmworkers experience at home and work. The issues are under a spotlight following the recent mass shootings at two mushroom farms. One of the largest academic studies of California farmworkers is quantifying their difficult workplace and housing conditions at a time when the spotlight on those issues couldn't be brighter.

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif.- The US Fire Administration reports that fifty percent of home-heating fires happen between December and February. Each year during the winter season, fire fighters at Cal fire in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara county fire say there is a risk for house fires.

Updates from Jan. 31 city council meeting - The Paso Robles City Council met Tuesday and received a presentation on proposed state changes to Fire [...]

More trees are dying and drying out in California's forests due to a hotter temperatures and prolonged droughts, which is causing more severe wildfires and a mass altercation in how forests store carbon. That's according to Cal Fire-backed researcher Marissa Goodwin at a research webinar Wednesday.

Camped on the undulating hills of Bradley, professional hunter Chad Wiebe and his outfitting group raced against the clock. Clad in earth tones and armed with monoculars, handheld radios, and guns, they were on a quest for feral pigs. It took all afternoon on Dec. 20.

PUBLISHED ON WASHINGTON - The federal grazing fee for 2023 remains at $1.35 per animal unit month for public lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management and $1.35 per head month for lands managed by the USDA Forest Service.

According to the newly released "Today's Beef Consumer" report from the National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA), a contractor to the Beef Checkoff, demand for beef continues to remain strong. The compilation of research from 2022, outlined below, shows that despite various challenges faced by the industry, consumers have repeatedly stated that they will continue purchasing ...

By Caleb Hampton California winegrape growers and wine professionals are taking stock after a year of navigating challenges from drought to inflation to weather extremes. In addition, pessimism around sliding demand for wine over the past two years, following roughly two decades of steady growth in U.S. consumption, is causing concerns.

The American wine industry isn't doing so hot. That's the overall sentiment expressed by Rob McMillan, a longtime wine industry analyst, in his new highly anticipated report, " State of the U.S. Wine Industry 2023." Released annually by Silicon Valley Bank, the report reveals wine sales data and trends from the prior year, as well as predictions for the next 12 months.

Increasing demand and climate change have taken a toll on California's water supply. In a new report, researchers lay out how industrial agriculture and the oil and gas sectors impact supplies. Researchers recommend switching to more renewable energy sources and curbing expansion of mega-dairies to help address the crisis.

Jamie Johansson Now that the recent series of Pacific storms have abated and we are in a period of dry weather, we are reminded of the twin imperatives to operate our water infrastructure for sporadic flood threats while we store water against ever-present drought. California's hydrology is famously flashy.

The San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors took steps Sunday to dismantle the county's new planting ordinance, which allows farmers in the Paso Basin Land Use Management Area to use more water to irrigate their crops. On Sunday, the board voted 3-1 to put the ordinance on the Feb.

It's something of a Golden State paradox: Dry winters can pave the way for dangerous fire seasons fueled by dead vegetation, but wet winters - like the one the state has seen so far - can also spell danger by spurring heaps of new growth that can later act as fuel for flames.

California Could See a Return to Warm and Dry Conditions in Remaining Two Months When the State Snowpack Usually Peaks From the Department of Water Resources: The Department of Water Resources (DWR) today conducted the second snow survey of the season at Phillips Station. The manual survey recorded 85.5 inches of snow depth and a...