KSTE Farm Hour

The nation’s farmers, and especially California’s farmers, are concerned about the Trump Administration’s ongoing tariff battles, and with Mexico in particular. Our southern neighbor is one of this state’s biggest agricultural trading partners, and now the flow of crops and food goods between the two is threatened by a new round of tariffs. Also in jeopardy: the ratification of the revised USMCA trade agreement among the United States, Mexico and Canada. Weather woes and tariff battles have led to a new, $16 billion dollar disaster relief program for the nation’s farmers. We’ll tell what that means for California’s growers. Putting the summer heat to work for you with biosolarization to control many soil-borne problems, such as weeds, diseases and insects. We have the details. All that, crop reports, and more…on this week’s KSTE Farm Hour.

Hey, thanks for the big bucks, but all in all, we would rather have trade, not aid. That’s the message from California’s agricultural community to the Trump Administration regarding mitigation payments to America’s farmers totaling 16 billion dollars in lieu of sales to China, in that ongoing tariff battle. The fear of many California almond growers, though:if this tariff war continues, there could be a permanant loss of the Chinese market to other almond producers, especially Australia. Also, farmers are playing catch-up after all that rain in May. Some good news, the Oriental Fruit Fly has been eradicated from Sacramento and Yolo counties…for now, at least. All that, crop reports, and more…on this week’s KSTE Farm Hour.

As if the ongoing tariff battles weren’t enough to keep California’s farmers on edge, the record rains of May throughout much of the Golden State’s prime ag areas added to their concerns. We focus on two crops in our area threatened by all the wet weather: cherries and rice. We talk with a couple of local growers who have a lot of concerns. There is one California crop that is coming out ahead in the latest tariff troubles with China. And that’s garlic. We’ll tell you why. According to the latest California farm statistics, one of the biggest growth crops in the last year has been…garbanzo beans. Should you be growing garbanzos? We delve into the details of growing this cool season legume. All that, crop reports, and more…on this week’s KSTE Farm Hour.

California’s almond growers are facing a double whammy: the ongoing tariff battle with China means fewer sales to one of that crop’s prime export markets. And, the four alarm fire at Blue Diamond Growers huge processing facility in Sacramento adds more uncertainty for what promises to be a record almond crop in 2019. Where will the next generation of California’s farmers come from? The state’s burgeoning number of urban farms may be part of the answer. We visit urban farms throughout the state and look at the number of innovative ways, and reasons, farms are returning to the city. All that, crop reports, and more…on this week’s KSTE Farm Hour.

California will be phasing out the use of an agricultural chemical that many of the state’s farmers rely on: it’s the insecticide, Chlorpyrifos. We have the details. Virulent Newcastle Disease is growing in southern california, threatening the area’s poultry industry. Now, it has spread to Arizona. We have tips for protecting northern california flocks. And we delve into the world of pet food. Is California and the rest of the US pet food production industry set for a huge expansion internationally? We have that report. All that the latest crop progress, and more, on this week’s KSTE Farm Hour.

California will be phasing out the use of an agricultural chemical that many of the state’s farmers rely on: it’s the insecticide, Chlorpyrifos. We have the details. Virulent Newcastle Disease is growing in southern california, threatening the area’s poultry industry. Now, it has spread to Arizona. We have tips for protecting northern california flocks. And we delve into the world of pet food. Is California and the rest of the US pet food production industry set for a huge expansion internationally? We have that report. All that the latest crop progress, and more, on this week’s KSTE Farm Hour.

If you’re sitting in a Central Valley coffee shop some morning, you just might overhear a group of farmers chatting. Chances are, it’ll be about the weather, water, prices, or the lack of available farm labor. Oh, and they might mention that the coffee shop is the only place around that has high speed internet. We tackle all four of those hot farm topics today. Also, we try to unravel the mess that is international trade. Just when will that revamped NAFTA deal to sell farm commodities to Mexico and Canada get ratified? And what about China? There’s a big advance in the rush to increase mechanization in the grape vineyards. UC researchers have discovered the best trellising system for the mechanical harvesting and pruning of grapes in the Central Valley. It’s all coming up, on this week’s KSTE Farm Hour. Let’s Get Started!

It’s one of the biggest cattle operations in California, and it’s just been sold. The Harris Ranch has new owners. We have the details. The Central Valley Project has upped the amount of water it will be sending to south of Delta stakeholders this summer. But it’s still not at 100% of delivery expectations. We talk to a farmer who has taken it upon himself and his neighbors to clean up illegal dumping in rural Yuba and Sutter counties. And, how to attract one of the best pest control experts to your farmland: all about barn owls, on this week’s KSTE Farm Hour.

It’s only updated every five years. It’s the USDA Census of Agriculture, and it was just released. We drill down through the 6 million data points in that report to answer the question: how is California agriculture faring? We talk with an agricultural statistics expert. The Golden State is home to many agricultural products that are primarily from California alone. You know about our monopoly on growing walnuts, almonds, raisins and so much more. But there is another commodity that hails from far northwestern California, that you just might be staring at on your Easter dinner table. Plus we have trade updates, crop reports and a lot more, on this week’s KSTE Farm hour. Let’s get started!

It’s one of the most used farm chemicals. It’s the weedkiller, glyphosate. It’s a product that’s facing losing battles in California courts, and being rejected by insurance companies for coverage back east. Farmers in California are wondering: How much longer will glyphosate be available? It’s been a wet cool winter and early spring. How are California’s extensive acres of almonds faring? We check in with a Northern California farm advisor. We also talk with a noted researcher who discusses the ongoing battle to control the deadly grape problem, Pierce’s Disease. All that, crop reports, and a lot more…on this week’s KSTE Farm Hour. Let’s Get Started!