Sacramento County Agriculture, Food & Gardening Digest

“If this is the new normal, this is absolute economic devastation,” says one local economist.

Those in California who’d like a latte with a side of weed have gotten their wish now that a new law goes into effect that permits licensed cannabis dispensaries to add sit-in cafes to their sites.  

New operating rules for massive Delta systems will increase water deliveries to Southern California cities and some growers. Salmon numbers could drop, especially in dry years.

Learn more about the massive Harvest Water Project which is under construction to process and deliver billions of gallons of reclaimed sewage for agricultural use and to recharge southern Sacramento County groundwater.

Keith Poulsen's jaw dropped when farmers showed him images on their cellphones at the World Dairy Expo in Wisconsin in October. A livestock veterinarian at the University of Wisconsin, Poulsen had seen sick cows before, with their noses dripping and udders slack.

Gov. Newsom launched an ambitious program that uses Medi-Cal to help Californians access housing, healthy food and more. Now, its fate is in the hands of President-Elect Trump.

Are food recalls on the rise? Yes. Read on to learn more.

Learn more about the expanding recall of raw milk products following detection of bird flu in tested samples.

The annual turkey distribution held by Elk Grove Food Bank Services on November 23 was a success. Learn more about this group and gain insight into the increase in the number of local food-insecure people in Elk Grove.

Read this Sacramento Bee list of ways you can volunteer or donate to help local groups helping the needy this holiday season.

Voters in California’s farm belt, stretching more than 400 miles from Kern County on the south to Tehama County on the north, delivered solid majorities for Donald Trump in this month’s presidential election.

Learn more about the services provided by the Elk Grove Food Bank and how you can help them in feeding the hungry and food insecure.

A plan to develop an empty lot in Citrus Heights into a food truck plaza has been approved by the planning commission.

THE SALINAS VALLEY is the setting for fecund soil, labor rights movements and John Steinbeck novels.Squeezed into one 90-mile-long wedge between the Gabilan and Santa Lucia mountains, the valley’s residents constitute less than 1% of Californians but have shaped the identity of the whole state.

A report on the September 24 Street Vendor Bootcamp presented by the Sacramento Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

Many California farmworkers have long lacked safe and affordable places to sleep — an issue thrown into sharp relief after last year’s mass shooting in Half Moon Bay, which left seven agricultural workers dead.

The Sacramento Observer shines a light on the hundreds of thousands of bats who make their home in the Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area, and how they benefit local sustainable agriculture (and eat a lot of insects.)

A look at what it takes to successfully manage a community garden.

A look at the training program for beginner farmers offered by the Center for Land-Based Learning in Woodland.

A look at the community garden in west Del Paso Heights purchased by the Sacramento Community Land Trust in June 2024.

The chemical, used for decades, can harm babies’ developing brains. Farmworkers and people living near fields are most at risk. The EPA issued a rare emergency order.

A spotlight on the community service provided by the Elk Grove Food Bank and Executive Director Marie Jachino.

The annual Independence from Hunger food drive hosted by the Citrus Heights Grocery Outlet is seeking donations to reach this year's goal of $15,000 to be given to the Sunrise Christian Food Ministry food bank.

A judge has halted a union effort at the Wonderful Company, throwing into question a new state law designed to make it easier for agricultural workers to organize.

A Kings County judge today issued a temporary restraining order against the state that pauses its unprecedented move to crack down on groundwater depletion in California’s agricultural heartland.

The Sacramento Observer list of free food locations in Sacramento County.

The Lunch at the Library is offering free meals for kids K-12 at 14 locations throughout Sacramento County.

Introducing John Klunder, a Citrus Heights resident growing and selling produce from his family's small suburban farm on Mariposa Avenue.

The $4.5 billion Sites Reservoir project is advancing after a judge dismissed a lawsuit filed by environmental groups.

The centerpiece of California’s water wars pits Gov. Newsom against local communities and environmentalists. A new report says the benefits of the tunnel exceed the cost since other water supplies would cost more.

Sacramento is seeking public comment on its "Urban Forrest Plan" to increase the trees in the city with priority given to areas in North and South Sacramento.

It's been difficult to be an almond farmer these past few years. But it’s also been difficult to stop being an almond farmer, as orchard owners who try to sell their land have a hard time finding willing buyers.