See as Cal Poly returned to in-person graduation with social distancing for graduation ceremonies at Spanos Stadium in San Luis Obispo.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine and resulting grain shortages have brought the international wheat economy into the news. Wheat and other grain farming was once central to San Luis Obispo County's agricultural economy, and is tied to many of the origin stories of Western culture.

Melissa Hanson, the co-founder and CEO of Kelpful -a local cooperative that sustainably farms seaweed for food and self-care-knew her products were synonymous with uniqueness. But even after ...

One by one, hand-sorted, separated and sectioned off, the ballot counting process is a monotonous one. "The process all and in itself is about accuracy and not necessarily speed," explained San Luis Obispo County Clerk-Recorder Elaina Cano. The undertaking is a very involved one, but let's start from the beginning.

San Luis Obispo County's hemp industry received another blow in the years-long fight against restrictive hemp cultivation rules. On May 25, county Superior Court Judge Tana Coates denied a petition for writ of mandate filed by the Coalition of Agricultural Rights-a group described as a "Wyoming nonprofit mutual benefit corporation, formed to support the hemp industry within the county."

The Community Foundation San Luis Obispo County is now accepting applications for its 2022 grants cycle. Over $450,000 in grants have been made available for nonprofit organizations. For the first time, The Community Foundation has announced that all general grants will be unrestricted, meaning these funds can be used however each recipient deems necessary, according to Heidi McPherson, The Community Foundation CEO.

California has a near-$100 billion budget surplus, which has set off a completely predictable pit fight in Sacramento over how to spend the extra cash. Let's take a vote. The best thing to spend the surplus on is: A) Expanding social programs or B) One-time expenditures (to be safe).

This month, Gov. Gavin Newsom released the "California Blueprint." Also known as the "May Revise," it updates his January budget proposal based on revenues and new policy initiatives. At a time when most Californians are struggling to make ends meet, the ironies abound. The state now boasts a $300.7 billion budget and a $97.5 billion surplus.

DPR will hold three virtual public workshops on June 27, 28 and 29 to collect feedback to inform the next phase of design and development for the state's pesticide application notification system. Each workshop will follow the same format, including a brief overview of the proposed design for the statewide notification system and an opportunity for the public to provide input.

Earlier this year, the California Department of Pesticide Regulation initiated the first step in making new rules to further restrict the agricultural use of neonicotinoids, the most widely used pesticides to control agricultural and household pests. Readers should consider the consequences when asked to support efforts to ban neonicotinoid pesticides such as Imidacloprid.

Saying that bumblebees may be classified as fish, a state appeals court has ruled that the pollinator insect may therefore be eligible for protection as an endangered or threatened species under state law. The ruling, issued last week, reverses a 2020 Sacramento County Superior Court decision blocking the state from listing the bumblebee under the state Endangered Species Act and granting the insect protection as fish.

PUBLISHED ON WASHINGTON - The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) and National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) filed a brief with the U.S. Supreme Court challenging the constitutionality of California's Proposition 12. The state law seeks to ban the sale of pork from hogs that don't meet the state's arbitrary production standards, even if the pork was raised on farms outside of California.

American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall commented today on President Biden signing the Ocean Shipping Reform Act into law. "AFBF appreciates the bipartisan work from Congress in getting the Ocean Shipping Reform Act passed and the quick action by President Biden to sign it into law.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) encourages all farmers, ranchers, and FSA program participants to take part in the San Luis Obispo County Committee election nomination process.

FSA’s county committees are a critical component of the day-to-day operations of FSA and allow grassroots input and local administration of federal farm programs.

Committees are comprised of locally elected agricultural producers responsible for the fair and ...

The Federal Government provides 64 percent of public agricultural research and development (R&D) funding in the United States. State governments and non-governmental sources, including funds generated by the universities themselves, account for the other 36 percent of funds for public agricultural R&D.

Sign up and be counted in the 2022 Ag Census! Agriculture producers who did not receive the 2017 Census of Agriculture and do not receive other USDA surveys or censuses have until June 30 to sign up to receive the 2022 Census of Agriculture at nass.usda.gov/AgCensus. This once-every-five-years data collection begins this November. 

June 12, 2022 - By Ching Lee - The buzz about industrial hemp becoming the next big cash crop didn't last. Hemp growing in breeding plots at UC ANR's West Side Research and Extension Center in Five Points in September 2019.

What's in a name? For local agriculture and food producers, it's a lot. A recent example from the olive oil industry provides some insight into how the provenance of one's product is crucial to stand out in a global marketplace.

A cadre of ocean carriers are charging exorbitant, potentially illegal, fees on shipping containers stuck because of congestion at ports. Sellers of furniture, coconut water, even kids' potties say the fees are inflating costs. The story you're about to read is bananas, and it's also about bananas.

Join us in Salinas for a workshop series in English and Spanish. Cooperative Extension Specialist Donald Merhaut, Monterey County Director and Advisor María de la Fuente, and San Diego County Advisor Gerry Spinelli will present plant nutrition and fertilizer management information useful to nursery and greenhouse growers, managers, and personnel.

Because he's not allowed to spray for weeds, Solano County farmer Mike Wilkinson says his biggest challenge as an organic farmer is trying to get rid of the unwanted plants that could overcrowd his crops and rob them of nutrients. "It's even crazier with me because I'm not tilling," he said.

U.S. avocado grower-marketer Mission Produce used Chile and Colombia, as well as larger than forecast California volumes, to plug a Mexican fruit shortfall during the second quarter of 2022 as the inconsistency of supply continues.

With input costs for ag inputs, labor, packaging materials, ocean, air, and land freight all rising at a rate of 30 to 40% and up, what will this mean for fresh produce consumption? Vanguard International CEO Craig Stauffer shares his thoughts on what the pricing surge means for the produce industry.

Chris Mariano became a federal wildland firefighter because he wanted to help protect the Northern California landscapes and communities he'd grown to love. Years later, after working his way up to squad boss of the elite Truckee hotshot crew for the U.S.

July 13th- 9:00AM PST

Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara will convene an investigatory hearing, pursuant to California Insurance Code section 12924, to gather evidence and ascertain the facts regarding operations, policies and procedures of the California FAIR Plan Association to inform actions needed for it to evolve to meet the changing needs of California consumers.

PUBLISHED ON VALLEJO, Calif. - The USDA Forest Service Pacific Southwest Region and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in California are seeking proposals for the Joint Chiefs' Landscape Restoration Partnership to improve forest health on public and private lands. Proposals from partners are due no later than Aug.

VERNON, Calif. (AP) - Meat-packing giant Smithfield Foods said Friday it will close its only California plant next year, citing the escalating cost of doing business in the state. The Farmer John meat-packing plant in Vernon, an industrial suburb south of Los Angeles, will shut down in February, with its 1,800 employees receiving severance and...

The Straus Family Creamery, an organic dairy producer in Marin County, California, made headlines last fall after receiving approval from regulatory agencies to conduct a trial of a new seaweed-derived feed additive called Brominata. Brominata is made of a red seaweed, Asparagopsis taxiformis, and is one of a class of feed additives that, when given [...]

Jay Ruskey, cofounder and CEO of California's Frinj Coffee, wants us to think about coffee as we do wine. For 20 years, he's been perfecting the art of coffee growing in an unlikely place- California-and now you can taste that place in the cup.

Update from the Basin Management Committee: Final Draft 2021 Annual Monitoring Report Appendix H updated to include additional information on how the Agriculture and Community Turf Water Estimates are calculated. The updated version is included in Version 2 of the 6/15/2022 BMC Agenda Packet which can be downloaded using the link below.

As drought continues to be a concern across California and Kern County, there is a new proposal in the state senate that could spend up to $1.5 billion to buy back the water rights that allow farmers to take as much water as they need from the state's rivers and streams to grow their crops.

The governor of California stood in a patch of dry brown grass as he made his proclamation: "We're in a new era. The idea of your nice little green grass getting lots of water every day - that's going to be a thing of the past," he said.