KSTE Farm Hour

California’s farmers are starting to get a handle on crop conditions after a year of whipsaw weather, including atmospheric rivers with torrential downpours, plus an abnormally warm winter followed by a late season freeze. We look at some of the damage being uncovered around California’s farms, including a declaration of disaster for one crop in Tehama County. Which of California’s crops will be most adversely effected by the ongoing tariff battles between the US and China? And, will California’s farmers be offered any federal protection? Plus, we pay a visit to a local farmers market, and get an update on the battle against the Asian citrus psyllid. All that, crop reports, and more…on this week’s KSTE Farm Hour.

The annual Stockton Asparagus festival is happening this weekend, but how many more years can it exist with the steep decline in Delta-area asparagus production? Why has this popular vegetable fallen on hard times locally?

As if our fragile waterway systems in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta didn’t have enough problems, a nutria - a 20-pound, levee-devouring swamp rodent - has been found in the area west of Stockton…We have an update on the northward spread of this dangerous pest.

What are the chances for a U.S. return to membership in the Trans Pacific Partnership, a vital component for California’s agricultural export industry?

All that, crop reports, and more…on this week’s KSTE Farm Hour.

California’s farmers are scrambling to find foreign customers for their produce, goods that were earmarked for China. But with the US-China tariff battle escalating by the day, there is a lot of uncertainty for the state’s farmers. We have the details. Southern California’s Metropolitan Water District has voted - despite a lot of opposition - to provide most of the financing for California Water Fix, the controversial Delta Tunnels project that has Delta farmers putting their lawyers on speed dial. We’ve got the latest, along with reaction from one of that project’s biggest critics. The results of late winter and early spring rains may be showing up now as nutritional deficiencies in your tree crops. We talk with an expert on what you should be doing. Rice planting is set to begin in Northern California, the avocado harvest is starting up in Southern California…things are getting busy in the fields! All this, and more, on the KSTE Farm Hour.

The stakes are increasing in the U.S. and China tariff poker game. And California’s farmers are more at risk. Which commodities are facing higher costs to be shipped to China? We have that report. Central Valley Farm workers are still a target of Immigration authorities, even those without criminal records. We take a snowshoe stroll into the Sierra, to measure the latest water content numbers of the snowpack. Which pests threaten California’s walnut orchards, and what can growers do to protect their trees? We have the details. All that, crop reports…and more…on this week’s KSTE Farm Hour.

Her blog is called Fat Girl Running and her friends and fans affectionately call her The Mirnavator. Mirna Valerio runs marathons and ultras and changes perceptions on a daily basis. Looking for a little Mirnavation? You’ve come to the right place!

Are repercussions about to hit California Agriculture due to President Trump’s tariffs on steel and aluminum from China? Oh yes…and they’ve already begun. We’ve got the details. The USDA has released it’s 10 year agricultural production outlook forecast…and it’s not pretty. Roof rats: they’re not just for your attic anymore. These hungry rodents have moved into California’s orchards. But, there are some control strategies. We get that information from a University of California farm advisor. All that, a recap of Ag Day at the State Capitol, and a lot more, on this week’s KSTE Farm Hour.

Yes, we welcome the current bout of late season rain. But it’s spring, and California’s farmers are itching to get into the fields. We look at what one rice grower is doing while waiting for the fields to dry. The threat of Southern California mudslides from March rains, on top of last December’s Thomas Fire, has avocado growers in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties worried. We talk with one grower who’s been assessing damage to his orchards. What are the benefits of cover crops for attracting pollinators to your farm? We get the details from a University of California expert. The latest ag production numbers are in. Can you name California’s Top 5 agricultural products? Get your bets in now, we’ll tell you later…on this week’s KSTE Farm Hour.

March is definitely coming in like a lion: plenty of rain in the valley and snow in the Sierra…good news for summer water supplies. But will it be enough to raise agricultural water allocations to 100%? We look at the numbers. The February freeze still has fruit and nut tree orchard owners worried about the 2018 crop. We take a tour of one almond orchard near Galt to look for freeze damage. California agriculture spends a lot of money to convince state and federal legislators to pass farm-friendly bills. Maybe instead of lobbying in Washington and Sacramento, more effort should be made to take your farm story directly to the people, in order to sway some minds at the capitol. We talk with several young farmers and ag organizations who are doing just that.

It’s been a whirlwind week of farm-related events here in California. First the good news: the March snowpack got off to a great start in the Sierra, helping out water supplies for the farm and cities of the Golden State this summer. And then, the rather nervous news: the imposition of steel and aluminum tariffs by the Trump administration may cause serious blowback to California farm sales this year. Also, concern over the lack of progress on NAFTA, the North American Free Trade Agreement. And the lack of an immigration solution from Washington to insure a very needed supply of farm labor for Calfornia. Also, we have tips for battling powdery mildew on this year’s wine grape crop. It’s all coming up on this edition of the KSTE Farm Hour.

The fruit and nut tree blossoms on California’s farms look great right now, but how well will they bear fruit due to last week’s wide-spread hard freeze? California’s almond crop is especially at risk. Why are the state’s dairy producers at a competitive disadvantage? We explain their efforts to become part of the more lucrative Federal Milk Market Order. The fast riser in commercial almond orchards is the self-fertile Independence almond, a development of Zaiger Genetics in Modesto, which is also home to popular tree fruits such as the pluot and aprium. We learn about the extensive, decades-long hybridization successes of Floyd Zaiger and his family. Plus the latest NAFTA developments and how California farmers are attempting to sway Washington to adopt an ag-friendly immigration program, Coming up, on this edition of the KSTE Farm Hour.