Weather

USDA Disaster Program Flexibilities for Flood-Impacted Northeastern Vineyards, Farms

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) and Risk Management Agency (RMA) have authorized policy flexibilities for key disaster assistance programs and crop insurance to aid Northeast agricultural operations that have been significantly impacted by recent flooding in 2023. “The production and physical losses to flooding have devastated farmers and ranchers in the Northeast,” said Robert Bonnie, …

MSU Extension Southwest Michigan Grape Crop Update

As the weather has warmed up, most grape varieties are at or past early bud swell. Juice grapes and early hybrids are at full bud break with first leaves starting to fold out. Other hybrids and early vinifera varieties have opened up, but leaf material is not yet visible. Dormant pruning should be ending. The disease focus at this time …

California Farmland to Serve State in Recharging Groundwater Supply

The Governor of California recently issued an Executive Order allowing local water districts to utilize floodwater for groundwater recharge purposes, a record amount of which will take place on California farmland.  This is desperately needed and welcomed by farmers and other water users all over the state that have suffered decades of drought conditions.  Watch this brief interview with Adam …

Texas A&M AgriLife Makes Verjus When Growers Experience Uneven Harvest Conditions

The Texas High Plains is home to 80% of the grapes that fuel a burgeoning Texas wine industry. But the High Plains is also home to some formidable obstacles to grape growing, which is why Texas A&M AgriLife has focused research initiatives to help growers find solutions. One of the people supporting that industry is Pierre Helwi, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the …

Spring Freeze Devastates Clarksburg CA Vineyards

Several wine grape growing regions of California were impacted by freeze events this spring. How severe are the impacts and how will this affect the 2022 vintage? Watch this brief interview with Tom Merwin from the Clarksburg Wine Growers & Vintners Association as he shares his perspective of what he’s seeing in the Clarksburg AVA. Please thank this video’s sponsor Suterra for …

Growing Cold Climate Grapes Online Course

The Minnesota grape and wine industry is expanding and contributes to over $80M in economic activity, and Minnesota grape growers have expressed a need for more introductory and continuing education for best sustainable viticultural practices. With funding and support from the North Central Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (NCR-SARE), a collaboration between the University of Minnesota’s Extension and the Grape …

Hotter, Drier Nights Mean More Runaway Fires

Thanks to the warming climate, the potential for more severe nighttime wildfires is increasing, and warmer nights mean firefighters will not be able to rely on cooler temperatures to help them get a handle on fires, a new study shows. Forty years ago, cool, moist nights regularly provided relief to firefighters, and “flammable nights” that facilitated fire activity were rare. …

Pesticides, Air Quality and Upcoming Statewide Notification System Explained

California has allocated $10 million to begin the development of a statewide system the provides information to the public about pesticides used around them. DPR is working in partnership with several agricultural commissioners on local pilot projects as part of the development of the system this year. Watch this brief interview with Riverside County Agricultural Commissioner Ruben Arroyo as he …

How Extreme Weather Affects Ag and Wine Production Keynote Address at 2022 Unified Symposium

With so much attention paid to climate change, the 2022 Unified Wine and Grape Symposium this January has appropriately recruited the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) climate director to open the prestige three-day event. As Unified’s Tuesday luncheon keynote speaker, Dr. Steven Ostoja, director of the USDA California Climate Hub, will offer his  insights into how a changing climate …

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