-
Agricultural activity can sometimes be restricted by ESA designation in very specific ways
Rapid urban and agricultural development in the region contributed to the decline of the gnatcatcher population, and it was listed as a federally threatened species in 1993. In April 2003, USFWS designated almost 500,000 acres of critical habitat for the gnatcatcher in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, and Ventura counties. Sunding’s analysis…
-
FLCs in western agriculture originally were bilingual go-betweens
Unemployment is pervasive, even during the summer months. If the status of workers is recorded on a month-by-month basis, the percentage of workers doing farm work peaks in the summer months at 55 to 60 percent, when the unemployment rate is at least 15 percent, meaning there is one unemployed farm worker for each three…
-
The assessment on dairy production was eliminated immediately and this affected producers immediately
The most important of the California state policies that we cover is the milk marketing order. However, we also discuss other state marketing orders and state outlays for agricultural support.Other chapters in this book have dealt with environmental and resource policies that are particularly important in California. Labor market policy is also important and the…
-
The use of some minimum quality standards has been controversial
The demand facing packers in the fresh market is very inelastic relative to the demands in the processing and export market. Thus, price discrimination against the fresh market, by restricting the flow of product to it, is both possible and profitable. Short-run producer price enhancement without any controls on entry led to an acreage response for…
-
Farming is likely a retirement occupation for an increasing number of individuals
California acreage has doubled within the past two decades, partly in response to a new product, the “baby” carrot which has found recent rapid consumer acceptance, even as a snack food item. Two large, vertically integrated firms located in Kern County dominate the baby carrot industry from the production to the marketing of the ultimate…
-
On-farm mechanization was closely tied to inventive efforts of local mechanics
Employment of state-of-the-art feed lots and modern science and veterinary medicine along with favorable climatic conditions allowed ranchers in California and Arizona to achieve significant efficiencies in converting feed to cattle weight. In the 1960s, larger commercial feedlots started to become more prevalent in the Southwest and in the Corn Belt.Thus, as in other cases,…
-
What Is The Most Profitable Hydroponic Crops To Grow
The profitability of hydroponic crops can vary based on multiple factors such as market demand, local climate, production costs, and personal expertise. However, here are some hydroponic crops that are generally considered to have good profit potential: It’s crucial to conduct thorough market research, analyze production costs, and consider your specific local conditions before deciding…
-
One of the most significant challenges reported by urban farmers is crop pests
All measures except open-ended surveys were repeated in 2015. Subsequently, in proceeding research years six additional sites were added for a total twenty-nine farms that participated in this research . Due to variability in support, turnover of garden managers, and a variety of other factors, some farms only participated in portions of the research .…
-
This has greatly diminished the utility of groundwater as a drought supply
The economic toll of the drought is fewer jobs and smaller value of output and economic contribution that would have otherwise occurred. Based on 564,000 idled acres, Howitt et al. estimates farm revenue losses of $1.8 billion, economy-wide revenue losses of $2.7 billion, and 18,600 fewer jobs due to the agricultural drought. That these economic…
-
Many factors influence the evolution of herbicide resistance in weed populations
Herbicide resistant weeds have become especially challenging problems in California’s signature cropping systems, which are characterized by little or no crop rotation due to soil limitations or long cropping cycles and relatively few opportunities for mechanical weed control. Although large by specialty crop standards, the approximately 3 million acres devoted to orchard, vineyard and rice production in California…