Agriculture

Swearengin Focuses On Business, Industry Growth in 'State of City' Speech

Joe Moore — Thu, 16 May 2013 23:42:48 +0000

Fresno Mayor Ashley Swearengin says the the city's economy is on the road to recovery in 2013, thanks in part to growth in the local food processing sector.

"I'm telling you that things are getting good around here when it comes to industrial expansion and expanding our food business," Swearengin told the crowd.

New Google Tool Shows Remarkable Timelapse of Fresno Growth Since 1984

Joe Moore — Mon, 13 May 2013 20:21:55 +0000

A new timelapse tool released this month by Google provides Fresno residents with a stark reminder of just how quickly much of the city's nearby agriculture land has been replaced by homes, shopping centers and freeways.

New Study Examines Collapse of Honey Bee Colonies

Joe Moore — Fri, 03 May 2013 00:16:42 +0000

The collapse of honey bee populations in the U.S. is the result of a number of factors, ranging from insects and diseases to pesticides, according to new study released today by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Environmental Protection agency.

The report says a parasitic mite is the single most destructive pest to bee populations, and is closely linked with what has come to be known as colony collapse disorder.

What Snow? Final Snow Survey Yields Dry Results

Amy Quinton — Fri, 03 May 2013 00:12:18 +0000

The season’s final snow survey in California found what most expected – dry conditions. Snow surveyors found absolutely no snow on the ground at Phillips Station, nearly 7,000 feet up Echo Summit in the Sierras.

Water content in California’s snowpack is only 17 percent of normal, meaning a below average water supply this summer.

Frank Gehrke with the Department of Water Resources says despite that, most reservoirs are near normal levels for the date thanks to early winter storms.

Brown Administration Sidesteps Controversial Delta Comments

Ben Adler — Wed, 01 May 2013 22:26:12 +0000

California lawmakers who represent the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta region are seething over recent comments from Governor Jerry Brown’s point man on the state’s proposed water delivery tunnel project. Ben Adler has more from Sacramento.

Environmental Advocates Call For Phasing Out Strawberry Pesticides

Amy Quinton — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 21:08:03 +0000

Some environmentalists say hazardous strawberry pesticides should be banned in California by 2020. But as Amy Quinton reports from Sacramento, strawberry growers say finding an alternative to fumigants is difficult.

On the steps of the Capitol, farm workers, environmentalists and health leaders called on the state to phase out soil fumigants used most heavily in strawberry production. They say fumigants have a wide range of health effects, are highly volatile, and drift from where they are applied. Martha Arguello is with Physicians for Social Responsibility.

USDA to Give Hispanic and Female Farmers More Time to File Discrimination Claims

Rebecca Plevin — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 00:55:58 +0000

Decades of discriminatory practices by the U.S. Department of Agriculture against women and Hispanic farmers are playing out in a $1.3 billion claims process. FM89’s Rebecca Plevin reports on a new deadline for those who allege discrimination.

For around 20 years, critics say the USDA’s farm loan program denied applicants because of their gender or race, and gave white male farmers preferential treatment in their dealings with the agency.

Reedley Farmer Goes 'Farm to School' With Strawberries

Rebecca Plevin — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 16:55:48 +0000

Pao Saephan crouches down in his sun-drenched field. He cups a red jewel in his hand.

In a few more days, his strawberries will be fully ripe. He’ll pick them once they are garnet-colored from stem to tip.

“We want all the strawberries, to be full ripe, full flavor, with 100 percent sugar in them,” says Saephan.

Snow Survey Shows Dramatically Dry Conditions for California

Amy Quinton — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 01:09:06 +0000

The next to the last snow survey of the season shows extremely dry conditions for California. As Amy Quinton reports from Sacramento, it has prompted the Department of Natural Resources to call the security of the state’s water supply “threatened.”

Bay Delta Conservation Plan Details Efforts to Protect Endangered Fish

Amy Quinton — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 01:10:40 +0000

California Governor Jerry Brown’s administration released new details today of its plan to protect fish and wildlife in the Sacramento-San-Joaquin Delta. As Amy Quinton reports from Sacramento, the plan revolves around new tunnels to carry more water to the Central Valley and southern California.