New ‘smart’ farm tech targets vegetable production
Sami’s autonomous lettuce harvester, above, uses rubber fingers to grab the top of the head while a knife cuts the stem. Verdant Robotics’ SharpShooter, top left, and Carbon Robotics’ LaserWeeder G2, top center, use artificial intelligence to differentiate crops from weeds. At top right, Padma Robotics’ DV-64 uses audio, lasers and a dancing inflatable tube man to deter birds. Photos/Vicky Boyd
Growth in organic milk presents market challenges
Dairy cows graze on pasture at Alexandre Family Farm in Crescent City. The farm produces organic milk, production and consumption of which have grown during the past two decades even though overall fluid milk consumption has declined. The growth comes with challenges because organic milk remains more expensive, which can discourage price-conscious shoppers. Ag Alert file photo
Cyclospora fallout hits California farmers
A lettuce field is destroyed this month in Santa Cruz County amid a decline in fresh produce sales following this summer’s cyclospora outbreak. While the outbreak was linked to iceberg lettuce grown in Mexico, the economic impact has largely fallen on California, which supplies most U.S. lettuce. Photo/Vicky Boyd
Wolf reports show continued livestock losses, more packs
Photo/Licensed image
‘Rough’ peach crop caps a bitter season
Cling peaches are harvested at Johl Orchards in Marysville. About a quarter of California’s cling peach acreage was ripped out this year following the collapse of Del Monte Foods. In recent years, Del Monte, which filed for bankruptcy last year, was one of two major buyers of the state’s cling peaches. Photo/Caleb Hampton
Processed tomato growers hope for market recovery
Harvest has started for processing tomatoes in California, with most growers expected to wrap up by the end of October. Photo/Vicky Boyd
Tomato variety key to controlling fusarium stem rot
Fusarium stem rot and decline, commonly known as FRD, affects the water- and nutrient-carrying vascular portions of processing tomato plant stems and canopies. Eventually, vines begin to decline, collapsing and exposing the fruit to the sun, leading to potential sunburn. Photo/Brenna Aegerter
California grazing sector threatened as goat herder wage soars to $240K
A herder works with goats at the Dixon headquarters of vegetation management company Ecosystem Concepts Inc. in Solano County. Photo/Courtesy of Ecosystem Concepts Inc. By Caleb Hampton It’s not a typo. Herders employed to graze goats in fire-prone landscapes across California are now entitled to roughly the same pay as the state’s governor. This month, […]
To protect groundwater, policies need reality check
Photo/Christine Souza
Growers look to grafted watermelons to battle pests
A work crew transplants grafted watermelons into a field in the San Joaquin Valley. Photo/Vicky Boyd