Ag Alert

For more articles and to subscribe, visit www.agalert.com September 2, 2026 Photo/https://na.eventscloud.com/website/83086/ The University of California will hold its agritourism summit Sept. 23-25 at The Ava Hotel Paso Robles, 944 Pine St., Paso Robles. The event brings together leaders, experts and practitioners to connect, learn and engage.

September 2, 2026 Photo/Courtesy of Chris Jergenson By Chris Jergenson Merced and Stanislaus counties organic farmer My peach orchard is about 10 years old. They’re organic freestones, and they go to a processor that peels, slices and puts them in freezer bags. Last year we picked on Sept. 5, and we started picking Aug. 17 this year. The crop looks good. Sizing on our fruit has been good because we flood irrigate. By flood irrigating, you’re getting water all the way into the middle of the tree row.

September 2, 2026 The following information is provided by Nationwide®, your approved insurance and financial services company. Crop farmers already know that soil health is the foundation of long-term success. But regenerative agriculture offers an avenue to help improve soil health and productivity for generations to come. What is regenerative agriculture? Regenerative agriculture is about improving the health of your soil while making your farm environmentally sustainable and economically viable.

By Manola Secaira The California Department of Fish and Wildlife has approved new hazing options for ranchers living in counties with gray wolves present. State officials have scheduled training sessions throughout impacted areas that, once completed, will qualify ranchers to receive permits to use paint and inert powder projectiles along with sustained pursuit to prevent wolves from attacking livestock.

By Ben Lyons Solano County farmer We use a self-sustainable farm model, and we do a farmers market and CSA (community-supported agriculture). We have probably 30 different varieties of fruits and row crops, and we have animals that are part of regenerative agriculture.

By Vicky Boyd Agricultural technology took center stage during a field day as a dozen developers showed off “smart” weeders and thinners that differentiate weeds from crops, autonomous bird hazers and an autonomous lettuce harvester.

By Dan Durheim Farm Bureau’s influence is often measured by the policies we help shape in Sacramento and Washington, D.C. But during a recent tour through Northern California, I was reminded that our influence begins much closer to home. It begins with volunteers, relationships and members willing to engage on behalf of something larger than themselves. The experiences and conversations I encountered reinforced an important lesson: Engagement transforms membership into influence.

By Domenic Carinalli Sonoma County organic dairy farmer and conventional winegrape grower It’s been fairly warm, and the cows are doing very well. Milk production is about right. Prices are good. There’s a lot of people that are breeding their dairy cows to beef, which enhances the income off the dairy. I’m not doing that because I have a pretty small herd, and I need all the heifers I can get. Alfalfa hay is reasonable enough. It’s about the same price as last year. There’s a fair amount of it.

Three finalists have been selected for the 2026 California Leopold Conservation Award. Named in honor of renowned conservationist Aldo Leopold, the award honors farmers, ranchers and forestland owners who go above and beyond in their management of soil health, water quality and wildlife habitat on working land. Sand County Foundation and national sponsor American Farmland Trust present Leopold Conservation Awards to private landowners in 28 states.

By Katie Herzog Monterey County agave grower It’s been really hot here. I have one variety that would appreciate less heat, so I’m kind of hoping that it cools down. I have different fields that are in different locations around my ranch, and each one is being watered in a different way. I’m experimenting to see what works best and what I can get away with because I have a lot of ground squirrels here, and they chew through irrigation lines. It’s such a pain.