Why is milk being dumped and produce left to rot in fields while grocery store shelves go empty during the COVID-19 pandemic? Why are grocery stores running out of meat, and eggs becoming so expensive? The head of California’s Department of Food and Agriculture, researchers from the University of California, Davis, and food purveyors will tackle these and other questions …
Erik McLaughlin, Kristina Mielke van Löben Sels, and Alex Oh have been elected to the Washington Wine Industry Foundation Board of Directors. Erik McLaughlin is CEO and Managing Partner at Metis. He has nearly three decades of experience in the fine wine and hospitality industries, and has been extensively involved in industry groups including the Oregon Wine Board, Washington Wine …
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has started making payments through the Wildfire and Hurricane Indemnity Program – Plus (WHIP+) to agricultural producers who suffered eligible losses because of drought or excess moisture in 2018 and 2019. Signup for these causes of loss opened March 23, and producers who suffered losses from drought (in counties designated D3 or above), excess …
The Washington State wine industry has allocated more than $1.2 Million for viticulture and enology research in the coming fiscal year (July 2020-June 2021), a record amount for research that aims to improve overall wine quality by addressing vineyard and winery challenges. The Washington State Wine Commission Board of Directors approved over 25 research projects totaling more than $1,204,000 for …
U.S. Small Business Administration Administrator Jovita Carranza announced today that agricultural businesses are now eligible for SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) and EIDL Advance programs. SBA’s EIDL portal will reopen today as a result of funding authorized by Congress through the Paycheck Protection Program and Healthcare Enhancement Act. The legislation, signed into law by the President one week ago, provided …
INTERNATIONAL FRUIT GENETICS, LLC (IFG) has taken steps to protect its intellectual property in China. The California-based company is the sole and unique proprietor of different table grape varieties, such as IFG Six (Sweet Sapphire ™), IFG Eleven (Sugar Crisp ™), IFG Sixteen (Sweet Favors ™), and IFG Seventeen (Sweet Joy ™). In recent years, IFG has kept a close …
Contents of the May Issue: Mexico Takes Larger Share Southern CA Table Grape Growers Threatened COVID-19 Impact on the Raisin Industry Sales Remain Strong, but Uncertainty Abounds Raisin Bargaining Association Outlook Temporary Turbulence, with Blue Skies Ahead The Reality of North Coast Fires Observations From a Napa Grower
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced today a $15 million investment to help support the adoption of innovative conservation approaches on agricultural lands. USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is accepting proposals through June 29, 2020, for national Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG). CIG projects inspire creative problem-solving solutions that boost production on farms, ranches and private forests and improve …
California’s 2019 grape acreage totaled 918,000 acres, down from 925,000 the year before. Of the total grape acreage, 860,000 were bearing while 58,000 were non-bearing. The wine-type grape acreage is estimated at 635,000 acres. Of the total acres, 590,000 were bearing and 45,000 were non-bearing. Table-type grape acreage totaled 130,000 acres with 121,000 bearing and 9,000 non-bearing. Acreage of raisin-type grapes …
Becca de Kleine and Carrie Arredondo were elected to the Board of Directors of the Washington Winegrowers Association (Winegrowers) during their recent annual meeting at the Convention in Kennewick, WA. De Kleine earned a bachelor degree in viticulture and enology at Washington State University, where she also worked at several large-scale wineries while attending class. In 2012, she was hired …
