WEST

Pesticide transparency push puts farm data in the spotlight

brad@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 22 Jul 2026 06:05:00 -0400

California farm groups are pushing back on broader pesticide reporting and disclosure as DPR weighs changes to SprayDays and crafts new rules for treated seeds.

Grizzly bill charges forward with ranchers caught in the path

brad@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 22 Jul 2026 06:04:00 -0400

California lawmakers are moving ahead with a plan to study restoring grizzly bears, despite ranchers’ warnings that the state is still struggling to manage wolves and compensate livestock losses.

Cap-and-invest report underscores ag’s stake in climate funding

brad@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 22 Jul 2026 06:03:00 -0400

California’s cap-and-invest program has steered hundreds of millions of dollars into farm equipment, dairy methane, water efficiency, healthy soils and rural resilience projects, underscoring agriculture’s stake in future climate funding.

Eastern broccoli could buffer California drought losses

brad@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 22 Jul 2026 06:01:00 -0400

A Cornell study finds that expanding East Coast broccoli production could help offset California drought losses while cutting freight costs and food miles.

Farm Hands West: Jeremy Peters resigns, Mark LeValley new president of Colorado Cattlemen's, Newsom appoints members to California OSHA

grace@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 22 Jul 2026 06:00:00 -0400

National Association of Conservation Districts CEO Jeremy Peters is resigning, effective September 30. Mark LeValley is the new president of the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. Governor Gavin Newsom appointed Joshua Lepper to a labor seat and Cassie Hilaski to a management seat on the California Occupational Safety and Health Standards board.

Taylor Farms pulls iceberg lettuce from U.S. market

steve@agri-pulse.com — Fri, 17 Jul 2026 12:57:51 -0400

Federal health officials have identified iceberg lettuce served at Taco Bell restaurants as the source of a cyclospora outbreak that has landed nearly 100 people in the hospital in five states.

Amid uncertainty over USMCA, wine industry taking ‘all-of-the-above’ approach

Wed, 15 Jul 2026 06:15:00 -0400

Wine industry leaders have embraced legislation introduced by Rep. Claudia Tenney, R-N.Y., that could lead to increased tariffs on Canadian goods if provincial restrictions against American alcoholic beverages aren’t lifted.

State ag board wades into SB 54 fight as packaging deadlines loom

brad@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 15 Jul 2026 06:05:00 -0400

California’s Board of Food and Agriculture is entering the SB 54 debate as growers warn packaging deadlines could disrupt harvests, raise costs and outpace available alternatives.

Dairies warn nitrate order could accelerate farm closures

brad@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 15 Jul 2026 06:04:00 -0400

California dairy groups warn a proposed groundwater order could impose unworkable costs and accelerate farm closures. Regional regulators are raising their own concerns about staffing, deadlines and implementation.

Climate squeeze could push California wine country north — and into fire danger

brad@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 15 Jul 2026 06:03:00 -0400

California’s top wine regions could lose ground as temperatures rise, while new vineyard opportunities farther north may come with greater wildfire risk.

California wolves rely heavily on cattle, UC Davis study finds

brad@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 15 Jul 2026 06:02:00 -0400

A UC Davis study found cattle made up most of the summer diet of two California wolf packs, intensifying debate over livestock losses and compensation.

CalFresh Healthy Living phase‑out leaves gaps in nutrition programs

grace@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 15 Jul 2026 06:01:00 -0400

The loss of the CalFresh Healthy Living program will “have a dampening impact” on local health departments’ capacity, according to the Nutrition Policy Institute.

Farm Hands West: Chapman executive director of Tulare Farm Bureau, Devon Keeler to be deputy undersecretary at CDFA

grace@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 15 Jul 2026 06:00:00 -0400

Kerissa Chapman is the new executive director of the Tulare County Farm Bureau in California. Governor Gavin Newsom has appointed Devon Keeler as deputy secretary for communications and external affairs for the Department of Food and Agriculture. The Oakland Board of Port Commissioners has unanimously elected Stephanie Dominguez Walton to be board president.

Coexistence bill offers ranchers a framework, but no new money

brad@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 08 Jul 2026 06:04:00 -0400

SB 1135 would establish a permanent framework for wildlife coexistence and wolf compensation, but ranchers are still waiting for the state funding needed to make the programs work.

California tries again to fix permitting delays for groundwater recharge

brad@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 08 Jul 2026 06:03:00 -0400

AB 2026 aims to help farmers and water agencies capture more high flows for groundwater recharge before brief wet weather opportunities pass them by.

DPR speeds pesticide reviews, warns deadlines could strain science

brad@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 08 Jul 2026 06:02:00 -0400

California pesticide regulators say they are speeding reviews and expanding transparency, but warn strict deadlines could strain complex scientific evaluations and public engagement.

Dubai chocolate craze helps pistachios defy tree nut downturn

brad@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 08 Jul 2026 06:01:00 -0400

The Dubai chocolate craze is helping fuel record pistachio demand, giving California growers a rare bright spot even as they brace for a much smaller crop.

Farm Hands West: California FFA transitions, Felipe Grimaldi Avileis joins UC-Davis

grace@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 08 Jul 2026 06:00:00 -0400

California FFA Foundation has transitioned some of its board members. Felipe Grimaldi Avileis will be an assistant professor at the University of California-Davis in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics. AgWest Farm Credit has promoted Megan Huber Hill to be a senior credit review analyst.

Biologicals summit confronts an industry trust gap

brad@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 07:04:00 -0400

California is moving biological crop protection products through registration faster, but growers say the industry must still prove the tools work consistently and pay off in the field.

‘American wine’ fight divides longtime allies as growers seek relief

brad@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 07:03:00 -0400

A fight over what qualifies as “American wine” exposed a rare divide between California grape growers, family wineries and major wine companies as struggling vineyards sought relief from low-cost imports.

Economists see bioeconomy as a potential lifeline for California agriculture

brad@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 07:02:00 -0400

UC agricultural economists say crop residues, almond shells and forestry could fuel a growing bioeconomy that creates new revenue and jobs for rural California — if the state can overcome infrastructure, permitting and workforce barriers.

Winter forage could keep SGMA-idled farmland productive, report finds

brad@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 07:01:00 -0400

A new PPIC report finds low-water winter forage crops could help San Joaquin Valley farmers keep some SGMA-affected land productive while reducing dust and generating modest returns.

Farm Hands West: Olivia Bridges joins Agri-Pulse, Gary Millershaski new chair of U.S. Wheat Associates, Carol Blake named senior vice president at American Frozen Food Institute

grace@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 07:00:00 -0400

Olivia Bridges has been named Agri-Pulse’s congressional and trade editor. Gary Millershaski is the new chair of the U.S. Wheat Associates board of directors. The American Frozen Food Institute named Carol Blake as its senior vice president of communications.

New fertilizer mandates could punish those who stay in compliance, growers warn

brad@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 24 Jun 2026 07:05:00 -0400

Central Coast growers warn the revised Ag Order could raise costs, shrink coalition participation and preserve nitrogen standards they say most farms cannot meet.

Sites clears a key water right hurdle — but the strings attached leave uncertainty

brad@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 24 Jun 2026 07:04:00 -0400

Sites Reservoir cleared a critical water right hurdle, but project backers warn the draft permit’s conditions could slash water deliveries, drive up costs and threaten whether the project gets built.

California Farm Bureau warns legal ruling could chill nonprofit advocacy

brad@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 24 Jun 2026 07:03:00 -0400

California Farm Bureau is backing CropLife’s bid for state Supreme Court review, warning a ruling exposing nonprofit intervenors to major attorney’s fees could chill advocacy in public law cases.

California needs more biological tools as pest pressures mount, says Ross

brad@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 24 Jun 2026 07:01:00 -0400

CDFA Secretary Karen Ross is urging faster development of biological pest control tools as California growers face invasive species, climate pressures and fewer conventional options.

Farm Hands West: California Prune Board elects new leaders, Laurel Firestone steps down from water board, Alexandra Duarte advances in state race

grace@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 24 Jun 2026 07:00:00 -0400

Laurel Firestone is stepping down from the California state water board. Marie Alvarado-Gil has conceded her state Senate race to Alexandra Duarte in District 4.

California pest system faces mounting pressure from trade, travel and e-commerce

brad@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 17 Jun 2026 07:04:00 -0400

California’s pest prevention system is working, but a new analysis warns it is under growing strain from trade, travel, e-commerce and aging infrastructure — just as the state prepares for new risks tied to the World Cup and Olympics.

Water board order puts ag communities at center of nitrate cleanup

brad@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 17 Jun 2026 07:03:00 -0400

The Central Valley water board’s first nitrate management zone order starts a decades-long cleanup effort around Modesto, promising continued drinking water help for rural households while giving farms, dairies and cities time to reduce groundwater contamination.