Three years before the next gubernatorial election, Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom and his rivals are making inroads into inland California, touring farms, holding receptions and speaking to small crowds. In addition to Newsom, two other Democrats who are expected to run, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and former state Controller Steve Westly, have both
Whether Modesto-area farmers are willing to cover the cost of fancy water delivery meters – about $4.5 million – will be seen next year in a vote of Modesto Irrigation District growers. Particulars, including how much farmers might expect to see water bills rise, are unknown. They are bracing for a separate rate hike, probably
The Tulare County Board of Supervisors approved a joint exercise of powers authority agreement with four other counties to lobby together to get a portion of California’s $7.5 billion Proposition 1 dollars to fund Valley water-storage projects. In particular, officials in Tulare, Fresno, King, Madera and Merced counties could seek as much as $1.5 billion
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced USDA will invest about $8 million in the Ogallala Aquifer Initiative in Fiscal Year 2016 to help farmers and ranchers conserve billions of gallons of water annually while strengthening agricultural operations. The eight-state Ogallala Aquifer has suffered in recent years from increased periods of drought and declining water resources.
Two research sites in Central Valley have earned a $12.3-million dollar grant to study how the drought is triggering genetic changes in plants. The goal is to see how plants respond genetically to drought conditions and if more hardy plants can reveal the secrets of how they survive. The scientists will work at the UC
In a little-heralded move with potentially sweeping implications, the California Air Resources Board last month announced a push to halt disposal of nearly all organic waste by 2025. The shift would likely require building new processing facilities, prod cities and counties to develop ways to collect it, and add an extra trash-sorting step before Californians
McDonald’s is rolling out its first organic hamburger, called the “McB,” starting in October. The burger, sourced from organic farms in German and Austria, will be available in select restaurants in Germany from Oct. 1 to Nov. 18. Besides the organic beef, the burger—which come in two versions—is also accompanied by fancy fixings like Edam cheese,
Wall Street Journal excerpts, 9/24/15 International Business Machines Corp. announced a new San Francisco location for its artificial intelligence unit Watson, signaling an expansion of the business widely known for its artificial intelligence that beat human contestants on the “Jeopardy” quiz show. The new California location is the second for Watson, which has been based in
The Eastside Water District board voted to ask its farmers for $6 million for a groundwater recharge project. The system would eliminate no more than 10 percent of the overdraft in the 61,000-acre district, which straddles Stanislaus and Merced counties southwest of Turlock Lake in the San Joaquin Valley, but backers said it would be a
After four parched years, most California voters seem to be taking the drought in stride, saying it has had little to no effect on their daily lives. They oppose sacrificing environmental protections to expand water supplies and generally approve of how Gov. Jerry Brown has handled the crisis, according to a new statewide USC Dornsife/Los