Member News

There’s an agricultural region in Argentina that is almost perfect for growing winegrapes.  Mendoza is located just east of the Andes, and just enough cool air flows down into it to balance the heat of the valley and ripen Malbec … Continue reading →

On Sunday night, many of you were in disbelief when darkness descended upon us at the too-early hour of 5:45 or so.  “That extra hour of sleep, it wasn’t worth it!”.  “I hate Winter.”  Etc. The early risers among you … Continue reading →

Some years we don’t really get “Fall” in the Sacramento Valley.  Instead, we just go straight from hothothot to non-stop rain — last year, for example. We might have had a great summer this year, but it ended up being … Continue reading →

Friends, Subscribers, Countrymen and Countrywomen…the time has come. In just a few weeks, the US Food and Drug Administration will close the comment period on the regulations governing the growing of fresh fruit and vegetables, also known by the unfortunate … Continue reading →

A friend of mine is in charge of the “organic program” for one of the largest carrot producers in the world.  I remember when I first met him I sheepishly asked him about a problem we were having growing the … Continue reading →

Dear (Contact First Name), On the largest farms in California and the rest of the U.S., harvest is completely mechanized.  For commodity crops like corn and soybeans as well as canning tomatoes, almonds and walnuts, a handful of workers operating … Continue reading →

Last year, cantelopes grown on a Colorado farm and sold at Walmart sickened hundreds of people.  Thirty three of those people died.  The culprit was listeria, a pathogen that is more commonly associated with dairy products than fresh produce.  It … Continue reading →

Dear (Contact First Name), 2013 send a pretty strong message on Saturday, the day before the Fall Equinox, i.e., the first day of fall:  Attention Northern California, it is now fall. The “Harvest Moon” setting last week We got over … Continue reading →

When I was two years old, my parents bought their first house and planted a pine tree in the sideyard.  There is a picture of my mom holding me next to the tree, which was about her size.  By the … Continue reading →

You may have read a humorous blog post a few weeks back spoofing kale’s exploding popularity as a trendy food.  In these last few years, certain vegetables have been included on the list of so-called Superfoods — foods packed not … Continue reading →