Sacramento County Agriculture, Food & Gardening Digest

Even though California is facing a crippling housing shortage, one potential source remains untapped. The state allows thousands of apartments used for part of the year by farmworkers to otherwise sit vacant for three to six months.

Water managers in Pajaro Valley are paying farmers for water they get back into the ground. The move comes as California has grappled with water shortages in recent years.

HERBL, one of California’s biggest cannabis companies, collapsed earlier this year. The company, which sold $700 million of cannabis last year, reportedly shorted the state $17 million in taxes.

A newly updated “plant hardiness zone map” from the Department of Agriculture has many of the nation’s gardeners rushing online, Googling what new plants they can grow in their mostly warming regions.

Center for Food Safety has filed arguments seeking to revoke the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ approval of nationwide permit 56, which authorizes industrial finfish aquaculture structures in ocean waters around the country. CFS represents a coalition of conservation, tribal, and fishing organizations.

The Elmore Desert Ranch gets 22.5 billion gallons of water from the Colorado River, almost as much as is cleared for Scottsdale, Ariz. And that’s just a fraction of the 386.5 billion gallons from the river going to 19 other families in Imperial Valley.

In a study published in Nature Sustainability, scientists assessed the potential for wide-scale synthetic production of dietary fats. The raw materials are the same as those used by plants: hydrogen in water and carbon dioxide in the air.

The acquisition includes the Daou brand, Daou Mountain Estate, four luxury wineries, and around 400 acres of vineyards in Adelaida District of Paso Robles in San Luis Obispo County.

Local residents were able to experience the craft beer culture with Oak Park Brewing Co. as they teamed up with the National Black Brewers Association for events celebrating Black brewers.

Drivers traveling along Auburn Boulevard may have noticed new signage outside a recently renovated strip mall announcing a new pizzeria, slated to open in November.

Hundreds of wells in Tulare Lake aquifer are at risk of going dry. Today's recommendation is the first time that state officials have moved to crack down on local plans that fail to stop excessive groundwater pumping.

The California Food Safety Act prohibits the manufacturing, distribution and sale of food and beverages that contain brominated vegetable oil, potassium bromate, propylparaben and red dye 3.

Water providers say rebates for residential areas are costly and residents may refuse to remove their lawns. The rules aim to save enough water for more than a million households a year.

The European Union has banned certain additives that are used in American candies and baked goods. California is on the cusp of prohibiting their sale by 2027.

Since 2018, Nelson Hawkins has farmed a small plot in West Sacramento. Now, the land that he tills, plows and harvests is set to be razed for a new housing development. Hawkins, who is Black, knows his dilemma is part of a bigger problem.

Given the critically important role agriculture continues to play in the region, many local museums offer special exhibits, experiences and activations that highlight ever-enduring farm-to-fork connections.

Using intricate infrared images captured by airplane over California's Central Valley, researchers were able to distinguish Cabernet Sauvignon grape vines that were infected but not showing symptoms.

The long-awaited opening of California Burrito on Lichen Drive near Interstate 80 has finally arrived.

Local residents gathered in the community room at Galt Police Department to ask questions about legalizing commercial cannabis sales within city limits. The Galt City Council is considering whether to legalize cannabis businesses and has not made a final decision.

Many farmworkers in Coachella Valley lack legal status as citizens and don't qualify for most federal and state disaster aid. Even a new $95 million storm assistance program for immigrants that Governor Gavin Newsom recently touted is out of reach because it pertains to the winter and spring storms and floods.

Forty-three historic California and Mexican palms were transplanted earlier this summer during the demolition of the Capitol Annex. The move is dangerous for such large plants, according to tree experts.

It’s a hot August morning at a vineyard in Davis. Researchers with UC Davis are testing to see if a polymer-based solution used on grapes as a barrier against fungus could help protect the fruit from wildfire smoke.

4-H members spoke to the Galt Herald as they weeded a raised bed at Barbara Payne Community Garden. Instead of livestock, Galt 4-H offers a range of other projects: art, crafts, baking, gardening and sewing. It is also adding photography and science.

Lil’ Bits Microgreens, a new Citrus Heights small business local food startup farm is delivering four varieties of fresh, nutrient-dense microgreens to their customers’ doorsteps.

for the average college student who’s evening consists of noodles and Netflix or a book worm who’s looking for a glass to pair with their favorite Jane Austen novel, Lucid & Voluptuary Wines has a wine pairing for them.

Next year, pink cherry blossom petals in Robert T. Matsui Park—a grove called the Hanami Line—will blanket the Sacramento waterfront. They’ll fulfill the promise of Japanese Sacramentans’ nickname for the city: Sakuramento, after the cherry blossom.

U.S. regulators approved the sale of chicken made from animal cells, allowing two California companies to offer “lab-grown” meat to restaurant tables and eventually, supermarket shelves.

Lake Mead, a key water source for California and six other states, is close to drying up. Water policy expert Felicia Marcus says dramatic action is needed on conservation, recycling and efficiency.

Volunteers with the Sylvan Ranch Community Garden in Citrus Heights remember fellow gardener Jim Thornton as one who helped build up the community, both physically and in spirit.

Rep. Doris Matsui presented a check for $1.05 million to the students and faculty of Leataata Floyd Elementary in Sacramento. The funds will be used to develop the one-acre Floyd Farm on the center’s grounds.

Mezcalifornia, California’s new form of tequila production, is enjoying quite the movement in the Sacramento Valley. By using blue agave plants, small batches of this liquor are sent to craft distilleries throughout the state—and demand is intense.

The bill calls for preserving significant sites associated with labor and civil rights leader César E. Chávez and the farmworker movement in California and Arizona. The legislation is co-sponsored by Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and U.S. Congressmembers Raul Grijalva (D-AZ-7) and Rueben Gallego (D-AZ-3).