Sustainable Agriculture

A Rancher’s Guide to Understanding the Economics of Direct MarketingWhen the live cattle market isn’t at record high levels (as it is currently), direct marketing beef from your ranch seems like an attractive (and profitable!) option. Even during these record prices, most of us remember the difficult years…

  Where does the time go? Cover cropping season is upon us, again. After three years of running a cover trial in a walnut orchard in eastern Contra Costa County (at the northwestern reach of the San Joaquin Valley), there are some exciting results to share that could be helpful if you are deciding…

Two worms and one idea (monitoring):     One of the main challenges to growing tree fruits are pests that can destroy the fruit or make it unmarketable. Some pests can injure the trees directly, affecting their growth.  The oriental fruit moth (scientific name, Grapholita molesta)…

Moringa known as a “miracle tree,” is fast growing, drought tolerant plant native to India and now widely cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions around the world, including parts of California. It could be grown in USDA zones 9b and warmer and is successfully cultivated in the Central Valley by Hmong…

Farmers in the Western region including California can select and decide the recommended cover crop which is suitable for their farm by using an online tool and clicking 5 simple steps. The Western Cover Crops Council with a collaboration between Precision Sustainable Agriculture, and the U.S…