Blog

There are numerous challenges facing the agriculture and horticulture industries today, many of which are a direct result of industrial activity and climate change. Unsurprisingly, the things that put more stress on humans — more extreme temperatures, increasing amounts of radiation, heavy metals, soil salinity, and pollution — put more […]

We often think of plants as helping us raise our own immunity against common viruses like cold and flu. However, plants can be infected with diseases, too. While the study of plant viruses is fairly recent, infectious plant diseases have been around for some time. Read on to learn more […]

There is one thing that specialty crop growers know extremely well: If there isn’t adequate pollination, there won’t be a bumper crop. The wind often helps with this annual process, especially if the pollinating trees are placed upwind and not far from the trees to be pollinated. But mostly, we […]

In times gone by, your parents and grandparents knew exactly where to find their customers. Generally, it was at the weekly trip to the Wednesday market or sitting on their porch, waiting for the truck of fresh produce to pass by. Now, with farms covering more acreage and separated from […]

The cool, damp climate conditions throughout winter provide the perfect backdrop for cups of tea and home-baked goods. Unfortunately, these conditions also provide the perfect breeding ground for gray mold to form on crops as well as harvested produce. Visible as brown spots and then as a fuzzy gray coating […]

The California Department of Food and Agriculture, in partnership with the California Fresh Fruit Association, local counties, and others, have initiated the Healthy Harvest program to support food workers at every level of the supply chain in staying well and keeping others well during the COVID-19 pandemic. Discover the highlights […]

The opening of the transcontinental railroad in 1869 marked an important turning point in California’s agricultural history — large quantities of fresh citrus, berries, tree-fruits, and tree-nuts could now be transported from the center of production on the west coast to the bustling cities on the east coast. As growers […]

Of all of the nuts on supermarket shelves, pistachios are probably the most fun to eat. Merely sitting down with a packet of in-shell pistachios is enough to help you feel more relaxed — shelling and eating pistachios is a great activity to enjoy with friends, too! In California, we […]

As a grower, you know how important it is to be paid promptly for your produce. You have workers to pay, supplies to purchase, and machinery and facilities to maintain. Usually, buyers have 10 days from the date of receipt of produce to pay for the goods “promptly” and up […]