San Joaquin County Local News: Agriculture, Food & Gardening


All Local Agriculture, Food & Gardening News articles contributed by our local media allies and other local newsrooms.

Image caption: The 1965 law known as the Williamson Act has been responsible for keeping about half of California's farmland out of the hands of developers.
The Williamson Act: How the Law That Protects California’s Farmland Works

The Williamson Act, passed in 1965, now keeps more than 16 million acres of farmland out of the hands of developers. Here's how the law puts the brakes on the development of California agricultural properties.

Image caption: Since the Gold Rush era, land reclamation has cost California 90 percent of its wetlands.
How Land Reclamation Hurts California’s Environment

Since the Gold Rush era, land reclamation projects have helped to build California, but they are also damaging the state’s environment for people, plants and animals by eliminating essential wetlands.

Image caption: How California reclamation districts turned millions of acres of wetlands into fertile agricultural land, starting in the earliest days of the Gold Rush.
Reclamation Districts: Turning ‘Swamps’ Into Farmland

California has used reclamation districts to turn millions of acres of unusable swamps into fertile agricultural land, starting in the earliest days of the Gold Rush. Here’s how it happened.

Image caption: They help feed the whole country, but life for California’s farm workers remains a struggle.
How California Feeds the Country

California stands as America’s agricultural powerhouse, growing half of its fruits and vegetables. Here’s how California farming has shaped the state, from the early missions to today’s “factories in the field.”

Image caption: Dairy products are California’s top agricultural commodity, but the industry is often criticized for its impact on the environment.
Sustainable Sustenance

California is a leading producer of agricultural crops. So it’s not surprising to find cutting-edge ideas taking root here.

Image caption: RCDs look after the land, whether it’s used for grazing, growing, or getting out into nature.
California Dirt

What do resource conservation districts protect? Pretty much everything that’s worth saving.

California Local Pin Marker From LodiNews...

05/01/2024
Calivirgin of Lodi was awarded the 2024 Olive Oil Producer of the Year for the second year in a row.

California Local Pin Marker From Manteca Bulletin...

04/30/2024
The Ripon Farmers Market season is open again, Thursdays starting at 5PM from May through September at 929 West Main Street.

Local News Matters Stockton logo From Local News Matters Stockton...

04/28/2024
Image for display with article titled California Garlic Festival Says Goodbye to Stockton, Hello to Merced County Fairgrounds

The California Garlic Festival is leaving Stockton and headed to the Merced County fairgrounds this summer.

California Local Pin Marker From Manteca Bulletin...

04/25/2024
17 trees were planted at Yosemite Village Park on Arbor Day April 25 by the Manteca Garden Club with the City of Manteca.

Local News Matters Stockton logo From Local News Matters Stockton...

04/04/2024
Image for display with article titled 38th San Joaquin Asparagus Festival: 3 Days of Fun, Food, Festivities Returning to Stockton

The 38th San Joaquin Asparagus Festival will be returning to Stockton this month for three days.

California Local Pin Marker From California Local...

03/29/2024
Image for display with article titled California May Gut Two CalWORKS Programs Helping Thousands of Families

The state is considering zeroing out funds for CalWORKS family stabilization and job subsidy programs to help balance the budget.

California Local Pin Marker From San Joaquin Valley Sun...

03/22/2024
Following strong February rains, the Bureau of Reclamation announced increases in Central Valley Project water allotments.

California Local Pin Marker From YubaNet...

03/07/2024
The University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources advisors has published a new website with information resources for small acreage landowners raising livestock.

California Local Pin Marker From LodiNews...

02/17/2024
The Wence family loves food—and creating new restaurants. So when Jaime and Esther Wence decided to open a new restaurant in Isleton, they had plenty of inspiration.

California Local Pin Marker From CapPublicRadio...

02/14/2024
Buu “Billy” Ngo, a co-owner at the widely adored Kru Contemporary Japanese Cuisine, has been named as a semifinalist for Best California Chef from the James Beard Awards.

California Local Pin Marker From Los Angeles Times...

02/14/2024
Commercial beekeeper Andrew Strehlow estimates he’s had 1,000 hives stolen over the years. The latest theft, of 96 hives from a Fresno County orchard, was his last straw.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

01/29/2024
State Sen. Scott Wiener wants to allow California cities and counties to designate “entertainment zones” where bars and restaurants could serve alcoholic drinks that people can consume on public streets and sidewalks.

California Local Pin Marker From California Local...

01/28/2024
Image for display with article titled Can a Handful of Silicon Valley Billionaires Fix the Bay Area’s Housing Crisis?

In NYT’s “The Farmers Had What the Billionaires Wanted,” we meet a man who wants to build a city in the middle of nowhere, and folks who are slowing him down. For now.

California Local Pin Marker From SF Gate...

01/24/2024
For months, the California Department of Food and Agriculture has been waging war on the oriental fruit fly, a voracious pest that can attack hundreds of types of fruits and vegetables.

California Local Pin Marker From Los Angeles Times...

01/24/2024
Groundwater depletion is worsening in many of the world’s farming regions. But a global study also found that some efforts are helping to boost aquifers.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

01/24/2024
In a sign of the ongoing threats to its precious groundwater stores, half a dozen regions in California rank among the world’s most rapidly declining aquifers.

California Local Pin Marker From Daily Democrat...

01/22/2024
Fast food lives in a consumer sweet spot: demand, convenience and relative affordability. And this pay hike—equal to minimum wage increases during the past five years—will create grand economic unknowns.

California Local Pin Marker From San Joaquin Valley Sun...

01/17/2024
Agtech is not just redefining farming in the San Joaquin Valley, it’s reshaping our approach to the land. Drones, sensors, and data analytics have become indispensable, driving efficiency and economic vitality across the fields.
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