News

DAVIS -  California agricultural producers can voluntarily help the monarch butterfly on their farms and ranches through a variety of conservation practices offered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). This assistance comes at a critical time as recent reports show the western population of the monarch butterfly is at an all-time low.

“With the monarch butterfly’s western population in peril, we’re encouraging California producers to make simple tweaks on their farms that can go a long way for this iconic species,” said Carlos Suarez, state conservationist with USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in California. “NRCS offers more than three dozen conservation practices that enable producers to help monarchs and other pollinators as well as benefit their agricultural operations.”

TULARE - The International Agri-Center® is set to hold the 52nd World Ag Expo® February 12-14, 2019. The largest annual agricultural exposition of its kind, World Ag Expo® boasts more than 1,450 exhibitors displaying cutting-edge agricultural technology and equipment on 2.6 million square feet of exhibit space. In 2018, 106,700 people came from 49 states and 63 countries to attend the 51st World Ag Expo®.

On Tuesday morning, Opening Ceremonies will kick off the show with special guest speaker, American Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall. A variety of seminars will be offered, including dairy, water, international trade, government regulation and women in agriculture. These seminars are presented by professionals in the industry and provide attendees with valuable information to improve their operations.

IRVINE -  The West Mediterranean Exporters' Association (aka BAIB) will attend the Fancy Food Show in San Francisco on Jan. 14 as part of a tour to develop business ties with California, announced Trelodex. The food cluster's mission is to establish connections and create trade opportunities during the visit, which runs through Jan. 17. 

The group consists of 25 individuals representing 14 companies from the food industry. The itinerary includes Fresno, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, with visits to production facilities, local authorities, and retail stores. The delegation comes from Antalya, a major tourism and agricultural center in southwest Turkey. 

GREENWICH, Conn.  -   BOM BOM Brands, the award-winning premium adult beverage company, proves to be far from a two-hit wonder with the introduction of Fully Baked, a creamy and delicious blend of chocolate chip cookie and brownie flavors with premium Caribbean rum and Hemp Milk. The new product joins BOM BOM's acclaimed flavors, Coco Mochanut and Nilli Vanilli.

It's not blowing smoke to state that Hemp Milk has increasingly become a healthy alternative for vegans and non-vegans alike, as it's produced from the seeds of the hemp plant. However, hemp milk does not contain the chemical THC, found in marijuana. The very first alcohol product made with Hemp Milk, Fully Baked boasts a 14.2% ABV, a figure just a bit higher than that of RumChata and Bailey's Almande.  Fully Baked will be sold in 750 ml sizes, with an MSRP of $19.99-$21.99 with a 50 ml trial size following in July.

TULARE – Controversial Tulare Mayor Carlton Jones isn’t one to shy away from a fight and Thursday night he started one with the entire Central Valley agricultural community. The former MMA boxer (1-4 record) turned politician entered into a Facebook conversation with the founder of the “My Job Depends on Ag” movement Erik Wilson where the mayor claimed agriculture not only caused an increase in cancer and disease rates in the Valley but was also a waste of natural resources.

Wilson said he didn’t even know he was chatting with the mayor of Tulare until the next morning. Wilson said, “If it were the mayor of Berkeley I wouldn’t pay it any mind, but the mayor of a Central Valley city in the heart of agriculture?”

FRESNO - As consumer demand for healthy, convenient and tasty food choices increase, so too does the demand for California Figs. Though an Ancient fruit and beloved for centuries, figs are on the up rise as a go-to snack and ingredient.

"Figs fit a healthy lifestyle because they're portable, delicious and nutritious," says Valerie Waters, celebrity fitness trainer to stars like Jennifer Garner and Cindy Crawford throughout her career. "I encourage my clients to seek out good-for-you food that tastes great so when you see California Figs, buy them!"