Small Farm Program in the News

Small Farm Program advisors and staff members are experts in small farm-related issues and other agricultural topics. Listed below are some of the most recent news articles available online that make use of Small Farm Program sources.

For more information, contact Brenda Dawson

Recent headlines

• Making a stand: Roadside strawberry vendors keep going despite declining acreage
  by Dennis Pollock, Fresno Bee
  "Although strawberry acreage is declining in Fresno County, there's enough out there to stock the roadside stands that started opening in the Fresno-Clovis area in recent days..."
  
• Includes interview with Richard Molinar

• A Sisterly Rivalry Leads Directly to Pies
  by Anne Raver, New York Times
  "Thanks to hybridizers, cultivated blueberries can be grown just about anywhere, as long as you get the soil right and don’t let the plants dry out. ..."
  
• Includes comments from Mark Gaskell

• Hmong Growers Meet At Farm Conference
  by Kevin James Gardner, Asian Week
  "VISALIA, Calif. — California growers welcomed fellow Hmong farmers to their annual Small Farm Conference last week in the heart of the fertile San Joaquin Valley. ..."
  
• Includes comments from Michael Yang

• Growers explore exotic crops
  by Bob Krauter, Capital Press
  "They have exotic names - opo, pitahaya and sinqua - and unique shapes, sizes and colors, but they may hold promise for small-scale California farmers. ..." (Review of 2007 Specialty Crops Conference, held by the UC Small Farm Program)
  
• Includes comments from Shermain Hardesty, Richard Molinar, and Ramiro Lobo

• Study shows co-ops serve farmers well(also re-published here)
  by Don Curlee, for the Visalia Times-Delta
  "Some lingering doubt about the effectiveness of the agricultural cooperatives that serve California farmers has been cleared up by a 12-year study completed by University of California researchers. ..."
  
• Includes comments from Shermain Hardesty

• Potato farmers fight back: Spud industry unites to counter poor returns, oversupply
  by Bob Krauter, Capital Press
  "They've been sacked by the low-carb diet craze and plagued with overproduction and poor returns, but some of the nation's potato growers are fighting back through the power of information. ..."
  
• Includes comments from Shermain Hardesty

• True Blue
  by Nzong Xiong, Fresno Bee
  "You can grow blueberries here, but it's important to get the variety and soil condition right ..."
  
• Includes comments from Manuel Jimenez and Richard Molinar.

• Green acres: Rural California benefits from a new crop of tourists
  by Jim Morris, California Farm Bureau Federation
  "Oh sure, you could jet off to an exotic locale such as Paris, Samoa or Aberdeen for your next getaway. Then again, you could join a growing number of people heading on some of California's roads less traveled--that lead you to places like Perris (Riverside County), Samoa (Humboldt County) or Aberdeen (Inyo County) ..."
  
• Includes comments from Kristin Reynolds

• Peppers a hot item at south valley botanical garden
  by Dale Yurong, ABC-30 (Fresno)
  "The world's hottest peppers might not be native to the U.S. but right now you can find them growing in the south valley ...."
  
• Includes on-camera interview with Manuel Jimenez

• Farming goes vertical: Skyscrapers may provide new source of farmland
  by Hillary Woolley, Business 2.0 Magazine
  "The term "urban farming" may conjure up a community garden where locals grow a few heads of lettuce. But some academics envision something quite different for the increasingly hungry world of the 21st century ..."
  
• Includes comment from Kristin Reynolds

• Miniature melons: Tinier fruit captures larger market segment for growers (also re-published here)
  by Joan Obra, Fresno Bee
  "To the untrained eye, the mini watermelon is, well, just a small watermelon. But to Richard Molinar, there are nuances to note. ..."
  
• Includes interview with Richard Molinar

• Growing is 'fun' part of the organic citrus business
  by Cecilia Parsons, Capital Press
  "EXETER - Despite the lush foliage on his trees and the knee-high weeds between the rows, Porterville citrus grower John France has discovered it isn't easy being green...."
  
• Includes facts from Richard Molinar

• Organic answers
  by Nancy Osborne, ABC-30 (Fresno)
  "For the past few years, a growing number of Americans have embraced 'organic' food products. That demand is being met at mega supermarkets and small corner markets and that demand is also changing California farming. ..."
  
• Includes on-camera interview with Richard Molinar

• Inland farms lure tourists to stay in business
  by Imran Ghori, The (Riverside) Press-Enterprise
  "123 Farm, part of the Highland Springs Resort in Cherry Valley, started as an organic farm three years ago growing herbs such as lavender, rosemary, peppermint and sage that are used to make essential oils. ..."
  
• Includes interview with Kristin Reynolds

• Local research helps blueberries become lucrative county crop (scroll down)
  by Miles Shuper, The Valley Voice
  "Visalia - It’s no secret that blueberries are a good health food. But recently, the fruit has begun to help the economic health of California farmers, especially in Tulare County which is known for its agricultural productivity and diversity. ..."
  
• Includes interview with Manuel Jimenez