The American Farm Bureau Federation’s 34th annual survey of classic items found on the Thanksgiving Day dinner table indicates the average cost of this year’s feast for 10 is $48.91, or less than $5.00 per person. This is a 1-cent increase from last year’s average of $48.90. The centerpiece on most Thanksgiving tables – the turkey – costs slightly less …

The Raisin Bargaining Association’s Board of Directors has offered their signatory packers a price of $1,600/ton for the the 2019 Natural Seedless Raisin Crop. The Board of Directors is asking all RBA Signatory Packers to accept, counter, or reject this offer by 11/22/19 at 5 pm.  The RBA Board of Directors strongly believes it is in the best interests of …

Western Growers is pleased to announce that Ryan Talley, co-owner and farm manager of Talley Farms, will assume the role of Chairman of the Board of Directors. Talley, who has been committed to agriculture for more than three decades, will serve as chairman for a one-year term, taking over the responsibilities of outgoing chairman, Ron Ratto, president of Ratto Bros., …

Pierce’s Disease (PD) is a serious threat to the cultivation of grapes in the United States, especially in the warmer southern regions. Recently the UC Davis grape breeding program has developed new European (Vitis vinifera) grape selections with resistance to PD that are expected to produce high quality yield in regions with PD pressure where the Vitis vinifera production was previously not a …

SAN FRANCISCO — Wine Institute concludes its California Wine Country Back Roads series this month with highlights from Southern California wine country, extending south from Ventura County to San Diego County. California is home to some of the world’s most famous wine destinations. Yet, even the high-profile appellations have less traveled wine roads, featuring gorgeous scenery, acclaimed wines and fewer visitors. Before …

Picking decisions and pre-fermentation adjustments rely on accurate analysis of grape maturity indices such as Brix, TA, pH and yeast assimilable nitrogen (YAN). But, no matter how precise and careful the analysis is, the information provided may be misleading if a representative sample has not been collected. When taking a vineyard sample, sampling should be based on a standardized protocol …

A vineyard floor is designed to manage water, soil character, erosion, and compaction.. It is comprised of any bare ground and plant material other than grapevines, whether native vegetation or planted ground cover. The best floor for vine rows and row middles is determined by a combination of factors including – the vigor potential of the site, vigor potential of …

Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists, in cooperation with Pacific Biosciences and Penn State University, have published the first genome of the invasive Spotted Lanternfly (SLF) in the journal Gigascience and they did it from a single caught-in-the-wild specimen. Not only is it the first published genome for this pest, but no closely related species has had its genome sequenced, making the data even more important, …

The Italian Wine School based in Miami, Florida is pleased to announce that it will offer the first course certified by Vinitaly International Academy (VIA): Maestro Italian Wine Course certification study program.  Designed for wine industry professionals and aficionados, the eight session course will distinguish itself from other wine certifications in that it not only provides a comprehensive look at …

Fresno, CA – Maria Montalvo is the new marketing director of retail and foodservice promotion for the California Table Grape Commission. Montalvo’s responsibilities include leading the in-store promotion initiatives and communication strategies needed to help move California table grapes through the U.S. and Canadian markets. “We are very excited Maria has joined the team,” said Kathleen Nave, president of the …