Farming feels the chill: 2015 ag forecast looks beyond drought
With frost advisories at the start of this year already keeping many tri-county growers on their toes, the agricultural community across the region is hoping for a rainier, greener year.
Rise of the machines: Berry producers slowly adapt to technology
With proposed immigration reform that many in agriculture say fails to meet the needs of the state’s farming industry, some growers in Ventura County are increasingly looking to machine-aided harvesting to save the region’s mega-cash-crop of strawberries.
Running on empty: Ventura County puts curbs on water well drilling
As the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act sits on the table for 2015, some water wells in the Tri-Counties are already facing new limitations after the Ventura County Board of Supervisors issued an emergency well-drilling moratorium on Oct. 28 with a 4-1 vote.
Virginia REIT targets Central Coast ag land
Even in the face of the worst drought in decades, investing in California agricultural land is a hot real estate strategy for institutional investors. Land values continue to rise along with the rents, and REITs, or real estate investment trusts, are looking more to the shrinking supply of farmland for better-than-average fixed income returns. Read More →
Farmers markets face more stringent regulations, higher fees
Vendors at farmers markets all over the state will now pay a higher daily fee — $2 instead of the current 60 cents — and growers will face stricter inspections as part of a new state law going into effect Jan. 1, 2015.
