February 7,2018-
Despite pleas CDFA turns down request for higher milk prices
On February 2 the California Department of Food and Agriculture denied a request for a hearing to consider a temporary increase on all classes of milk. The CDFA reasoned that the state’s dairy famers are determining if they will join federal order or not.But the decision could be many months away.
Meanwhile Kings County milk production keeps shrinking, down 2.7% for 2017, and prices are poor. Meanwhile another local dairy is selling out.This month the Matt Evangelho dairy in Hanford will disperse their cows at auction and put the land up for sale.
Fish & rice farming?
A UC Davis study is evaluating the introduction of fish in rice fields with a goal of reducing methane emissions from rice production. The study is being carried out near Marysville. Samples that were taken from flooded rice fields over the past two months verify an abundance of zooplankton, a significant source of protein for fish. The practice could potentially reduce methane emissions from rice by 90 percent.