Ventura County Star Stories: Agriculture

Officials concerned over gypsy moth

shoops@venturacountystar.com (Stephanie Hoops) — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 07:00:00 -0000

European gypsy moths — a pest known to kill oak trees — have returned to Ojai, prompting state officials to canvas local residences with letters seeking permission to inspect properties for eggs.

County lemons rake in $235 million despite natural, economic problems

shoops@venturacountystar.com (Stephanie Hoops) — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 07:00:00 -0000

At Santa Paula-based Limoneira Co., one of California's largest citrus producers, Vice President of Agricultural Operations Alex Teague said they had "spectacular returns" for the last 12-18 months.

State's farmers can profit by saving water, report suggests

Mon, 08 Sep 2008 07:00:00 -0000

California farmers can grow more food more profitably if they switch to water-saving crops and change their irrigation practices in response to the state's ongoing drought, according to a study released today. A report issued by the Oakland-based Pacific Institute says farmers in the Central Valley could save enough water to fill up to 20 new reservoirs by making several changes to curb wasted water.

New FDA regulation allows radiation zapping for produce

Sun, 24 Aug 2008 07:00:00 -0000

The Food and Drug Administration issued a regulation Thursday allowing spinach and lettuce sellers to zap fresh spinach and iceberg lettuce with just enough radiation to kill E. coli and a few other germs, a long-awaited move amid increasing illness outbreaks from raw produce.

Irradiation of leafy produce OK'd

Fri, 22 Aug 2008 07:00:00 -0000

WASHINGTON — Consumers worried about salad safety may soon be able to buy fresh spinach and iceberg lettuce zapped with just enough radiation to kill E. coli and a few other germs.

County beekeepers fighting to save hives

shoops@venturacountystar.com (Stephanie Hoops) — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 07:00:00 -0000

At a time when their service is in high demand, some beekeepers have accepted the fact that no one knows why bees are dying. But it doesn't mean they aren't doing anything to overcome the mysterious killer known as colony collapse disorder.

Sunburns in the fields

Sun, 03 Aug 2008 07:00:00 -0000

SPF 45 for produce? Just like people damage their skin in the sun, fruits and vegetables can also get nasty burns. That's why farmers are increasingly applying sunscreen to their crops to prevent skin blistering, heat stress and blemishes.

Fuel prices squeeze farmers at local markets nationwide

Sun, 03 Aug 2008 07:00:00 -0000

Franca Tantillo puts rising fuel prices in the same category as the springtime hailstorm that wiped out part of her strawberry crop. Both cut into the profit she can make at the farmers markets she sells at in New York City, about 135 miles south of her farm.

Despite freeze, Ventura County agriculture was robust in 2007

Sun, 27 Jul 2008 07:00:00 -0000

The 2007 winter freeze did not harm Ventura County's overall agricultural industry as much as previously feared, according to the annual crop report. "Strawberries hung in there," said retiring Agricultural Commissioner Earl McPhail, releasing the 2007 report on Wednesday, his last day on the job.

Get picky with fruits, veggies to keep your costs down

Sun, 27 Jul 2008 07:00:00 -0000

As fruit and vegetable prices soar, you can save money by taking some extra time in the produce aisle to make sure that bad apples aren't sneaking into your grocery cart. The average U.S. household throws out nearly a quarter of the fruits and vegetables it buys. For a family of four, that adds up to about $500 each year, according to a study by the University of Arizona.

Despite weather, agriculture's gross value nearly $1.55 billion

shoops@venturacountystar.com (Stephanie Hoops) — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 07:00:00 -0000

The 2007 winter freeze did not harm Ventura County's overall agricultural industry as much as previously feared, according to the annual crop report released Wednesday.

"Strawberries hung in there," said retiring Agricultural Commissioner Earl McPhail, releasing the 2007 report on his last day on the job.

Judging by the numbers, McPhail believes Ventura County will maintain its position as the eighth largest agricultural producer in the state and 12th or 13th largest in the nation.

California aquafarmers cash in on big demand for abalone

Sun, 13 Jul 2008 07:00:00 -0000

Carlsbad Aquafarm is growing a multimillion-dollar investment in abalone in a row of tanks alongside a tidal lagoon just outside San Diego. In a process that has taken years to complete, microscopic abalone larvae have finally grown into fist-sized mollusks that can fetch $30 a pound from top-shelf restaurants and other buyers.

Local farmers address state panel

shoops@venturacountystar.com (Stephanie Hoops) — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 07:00:00 -0000

People just don't understand. That was the message repeated again and again by local growers who spoke to a panel of California agricultural officials Monday.

Still no answer in tomato scare

Sun, 22 Jun 2008 07:00:00 -0000

Food and Drug Administration inspectors headed for farms in Florida and Mexico on Friday as new clues emerged to the possible source of salmonella-tainted tomatoes that have now sickened 552 people.

Tomato industry in a pickle

shoops@venturacountystar.com (Stephanie Hoops) — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 07:00:00 -0000

The tomato industry is expected to suffer bigger losses in the ongoing salmonella outbreak than the spinach industry did in the 2006 E. coli panic, Tom Nassif, president and chief executive of the Western Growers Association, said Tuesday. Spinach growers lost $75 million to $100 million because of the E. coli scare, but tomatoes are much more widely consumed, Nassif said. "The spinach market has never recovered to where it was," he added.

Tomato ban raises concerns

shoops@venturacountystar.com (Stephanie Hoops) — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 07:00:00 -0000

As tomatoes were yanked by grocery stores and fast-food restaurants nationwide Monday, California growers expressed concern.

Free-range ranchers starting to prosper in fast-food market

Sun, 01 Jun 2008 07:00:00 -0000

It's been said that hot dogs — like laws — are something you never want to see being made. But Steve Elzer is glad to know what goes into the wieners he buys from a new hot dog stand near his office: 100 percent grass-fed beef raised in the sunny, wind-swept pastures of California's Central Coast.

Winemakers struggle with shift in climates

Tue, 27 May 2008 07:00:00 -0000

Fruity merlot from Siberia? Not so fast, say vintners from Champagne to California. As global warming threatens to change the land vintners have relied on — sometimes for centuries — established wine growing regions around the world are deploying techniques old and new to adapt.

As economy stumbles, gardeners turn to home-grown produce to cut corners

Tue, 27 May 2008 07:00:00 -0000

High prices at the pump and the produce aisle have sent home gardeners into their yards with a mission: Grow-it-yourself dining. Sales of vegetable seeds, tomato transplants and fruit trees are soaring as enterprising planters grow their own food.

'Dry farming' for wine

Sun, 25 May 2008 07:00:00 -0000

Vineyard manager Steve Thomas grasps the trunk of a zinfandel vine, a redwood of the vineyard, gnarled with age and planted in the days when irrigation meant a barrel of water on a horse-drawn cart.