crops News

Half of California Freed From Drought Thanks to Rain, Snow

Tremendous rains and snowfall since late last year have freed half of California from drought, but low groundwater levels remain a persistent problem, U.S. Drought Monitor data showed. The latest survey found that moderate or severe drought covers about 49% …

An Invasive Creature is (Again) Threatening Florida Crops, Buildings, Trees

Invasive giant African land snails that can eat building plaster and stucco, consume hundreds of varieties of plants and carry diseases that affect humans have been found once again in Florida, where officials said that work has begun to eradicate …

Possible Water Crisis for Ag Operations on Oregon-California Border

Hundreds of farmers who rely on a massive irrigation project that spans the Oregon-California border learned Wednesday they will get a tiny fraction of the water they need amid the worst drought in decades, as federal regulators attempt to balance …

New Rules for Idaho Potato Field Quarantines

U.S. officials have released a new plan involving methods to deal with a microscopic pest in southeastern Idaho that threatens the state’s billion-dollar industry that supplies a third of the nation’s potatoes. The U.S. Department of Agriculture late last week …

Disaster Declaration For Most of Nevada Due to Drought

The U.S. Agriculture Department has declared most of Nevada a natural disaster area due to lingering drought. And state water officials say more trouble is brewing for ranchers and farmers in western Nevada where cutbacks have been ordered in irrigation …

With $100M In Crop Losses USDA Grants Eight Idaho Counties Disaster Status

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has granted disaster area status to eight counties in central and eastern Idaho, clearing the way for farms to receive low-interest loans for operating costs. USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack made the declaration for Bonneville, Jefferson, …

Drought Threatens To Dry Up California Farm Wells

Farmers in pockets of California hardest hit by the drought could begin to see their wells run dry a year from now if rain and snow remain scarce in the agriculturally rich state, according to a study released Tuesday. Richard …

Some Illinois Corn Fields Hit Hard by Storms

The U.S. Department of Agriculture said this week that most of Illinois’ corn crop is in great shape. But some farmers in western and central Illinois suffered extensive damage from storms on Monday. Ryan Mueller farms near Joy in western …

New El Nino Warnings Could Help Farmers Withstand Drought, Floods

Scientists have found a way to forecast El Nino weather events in the Pacific a year in advance, long enough to let farmers plant crops less vulnerable to global shifts in rainfall, a study showed on Monday. While far from …

Drought Costs Wyoming County its No. 1 Hay Spot

Fremont County has lost its spot as Wyoming’s No. 1 alfalfa-producing county, growing only two-thirds of the hay in 2012 than it did in 2011. The Riverton Ranger reported local farmers produced 157,000 tons of the crop, topped only by …