KSTE Farm Hour

Yolo County agriculture is in the spotlight this week. In Woodland, sheriff’s detectives recovered 70 stolen bee boxes. And those bees are critical to Yolo county’s largest crop, almonds. The latest yolo county ag report is out, and almonds remain number 1. But there is a new crop in the second position. We have the details. We have an update on last week’s story about the mystery seeds that have been mailed, unsolicited, to unsuspecting homeowners. And those masks aren’t just to ward off the coronavirus. As the summer California wildfire season continues, a shortage of N95 respirator masks threatens California’s farm laborers, working in smoke-filled fields. And a huge fire in northeastern california may be effecting the quality of the crops grown there. All that, a look at the weather ahead, crop progress reports, and more…on this week’s KSTE Farm Hour.

Is more pandemic relief money headed for California’s farmers and ranchers, who have been upended by changes in markets and problems with supply chains? This past week, the U.S. Senate introduced a trillion dollar pandemic relief bill, that included $20 billion for farms, ranches and rural communities. We have the details. More and more Californians are receiving those small packages of mystery seeds from China and other countries. Is it just a marketing ploy? Or do those seeds present a threat to California agriculture, if unleashed into the wild? And, we find out how HLB, citrus greening disease, can spread via seed. All that, the weather, the latest crop reports, and more…on this week’s KSTE Farm Hour. Let’s get started!

California’s farmers have some tough decisions to make, real soon, about fall and winter planting. Just how much should they plant? The loss of markets due to Covid-19 related restaurant closures and an uncertain school year could mean tighter supplies for cool season vegetables such as lettuce, broccoli and cauliflower.

The dreaded “d” word - drought - is being heard more and more here in the West. The latest casualties - California and Oregon rangeland and pastureland.

We’ve talked over the years on this program about the importance of cover cropping. It builds your soil and increases the presence of beneficial insects for pest control, too. But lets not forget California’s most important pollinator, bees. One organization is spearheading a drive to increase cover cropping in orchards to increase overall bee health in the state. And a nice side effect is: with more healthy bees, farmers will get larger harvests.

All that, crop reports, a look at the weather for the week ahead, and a lot more…on this week’s KSTE Farm Hour.

Everything is getting thrown in the way of California farming in 2020. The Covid-19 pandemic is causing a serious labor shortage on the state’s farms. Ongoing trade disputes have some growers worried if they will have a market for their crops this fall. The bureaucratic morass of federal relief rules for farmers seems to change constantly. In many rural areas of the state, including the far reaches of Sacramento County, schooling for the kids this fall will be at home, online. Does rural California have the broadband speed necessary to make that a success? Well, no. And, there are increasing areas of drought in the Western U.S. Some good news: a citrus specialty crop that you might not be aware of, Australian Finger Limes, just might contain the cure for HLB, also known as citrus greening disease. All those details, and more, on this week’s KSTE Farm Hour.

Good news is hard to come by these days, so let’s start with this: reservoir storage right now in California is enough to get us through this water year, and maybe a bit more available to move to south state farming regions. And University of California researchers have a breakthrough: a peptide that just might thwart citrus greening disease. With rural wildfire season upon us, Covid-19 concerns may hamper firefighting efforts. We have the details. We have tips for getting ahead of navel orange worm problems now, during almond hull split season. And, we relax with all the wildlife inhabiting Northern california rice fields right now, a win-win situation for rice growers as well as environmentalists. All that, crop reports, the extended weather, and more, on this week’s KSTE Farm Hour.

California's farms, ranches and agricultural businesses are going to take a big hit from pandemic related losses. The range? Between $5.9 and $8.6 billion this year. That's according to an economic study recently released. We have the details. There's a record breaking almond crop on the way here in California. But can robust almond sales survive pandemics, trade disputes, and weather? We have that report. And it's National Pollinator Week, we're going to be talking about all the creatures that are involved in pollination, making the food you eat. It's coming up on this week's edition of the KSTE Farm Hour. Let’s get started.

If your specialty crop is not on the list for those eligible for coronavirus assistance payments from the USDA, there is a way you can get included, but you better hurry. And among those currently not eligible are two major California agricultural producers, cut flowers and nursery products. The Japanese Beetle is back in Sacramento County, a major threat to the county’s wine grapes and pears. We talk with the Sacramento County Agricultural commissioner about what is being done to eradicate the latest find. Small farmers with leftover produce from farmers markets now have a website where they can easily find a food bank or food pantry near them to donate their surplus. We talk with the founder of AmpleHarvest.org. And the battle to control the spread of Pierce’s Disease in California’s vineyards is an ongoing battle. We have an update. All that, crop reports, the week ahead in weather, and a lot more, on this week’s KSTE farm Hour.

There’s a bit of relief for California’s Klamath Basin Farmers. The water that was taken away from them last week, is back. We’ll explain that one. California latest ag statistics are out, you have a few minutes to think about which are the five leading agricultural commodities in California according to the latest report. We’ll tell you, don’t worry. Sacramento county farmers are concerned: Japanese beetles, which can decimate hundreds of crops, has been found in two locations in the county. We’ll let you know you where. And on a related note, how birds can help you control pests on the farm. All that, the week ahead in weather and crop reports…all coming up, on this week’s KSTE farm hour.

Not to pile on with all the other problems right now…but there’s a drought in California. And, in a bit of a switch, much drier than normal soil is taking hold in Northern California rather than in Southern California. And up in the far north of the state, Klamath basin farmers say they are facing the heartbreaking prospect of watching their crops wither, because of sharply cut water allocations recently. How resilient is the U.S. food supply? We’re finding out right now. And so far, things are stabilizing. For now. There is good news: the spread of Virulent Newcastle Disease in poultry flocks in Southern California has been contained. We hear from the state’s top veterinarian about this. Crop reports, the week ahead in weather, and more. It’s all coming up, on this week’s KSTE Farm Hour.

Following the lead of the Central Valley Project, the State Water Project is increasing its allocations of summer water to California’s farmers. But they’re saying don’t expect any more this year. We have the numbers. It’s picking time for some of our state’s tastiest crops: blueberries and cherries. We talk with a Lodi cherry grower about this year’s harvest. More details are emerging about the Coronavirus Food assistance program for farmers. We have the latest. All that, crop progress reports, the week ahead in weather, and a lot more…on this week’s KSTE Farm Hour.