Biden picks CEO of Modesto-based almond group for key post involving global trade [Modesto Bee]
President Joe Biden has nominated Elaine Trevino, leader of the Modesto-based Almond Alliance of California, to a key foreign trade position. She will be chief agriculture negotiator for Trade Representative Katherine Tai if the U.S. Senate confirms her. The pick drew praise from leaders hoping to boost sales of American farm products around the world. Among them is Denair-area grower Mike Curry, chairman of the Almond Alliance board. “We are thrilled to see Elaine nominated for this position,” he said in a news release, “and know that her experience with us at the Almond Alliance will carry over into her new role – working for farmers and ranchers, their families and the workers and businesses in the rural communities where we live.” Trevino, a Latina from Fresno, would be the first person of color to serve in this post. She would work under Assistant Trade Representative Julie Callahan on tariff, food safety and other agricultural issues. “Elaine Trevino understands the importance of America’s farmers and farming communities to the vitality of our economy,” Tai said in a news release. “Her experience will help the Biden-Harris Administration craft durable trade policy that creates broad-based prosperity.”
https://amp.modbee.com/news/business/agriculture/article254247343.html
Kern leads in production of California’s most lucrative crops [Bakersfield Californian]
A new report shows Kern leading other counties in production of California’s most lucrative crops, including three of the state’s top seven agricultural exports. The California Agricultural Statistics Review 2019-2020, released last week by the state Department of Food and Agriculture, indicates about a fifth of the almonds and grapes, and more than a third of the pistachios, grown in the Golden State originate in Kern. Each of those crops ranks highly by revenues paid to farmers, with almonds second statewide after dairy, grapes third and pistachios seventh. The figures suggest growers in Kern have generally succeeded in matching their efforts with market demand, including consumer preferences overseas, as shoppers increasingly turn to healthy snacks and cooking ingredients. “Growers respond to (demand for healthy nuts and fruit) and they’ll forgo doing the row crops and vegetables,” Kern Deputy Ag Commissioner Cerise Montanio said, adding that the county’s size and good farming conditions have been a big help. Although the state data is the latest available, it reflects results from the 2019 crop year and is therefore more than a year old. Kern County’s 2020 crop report is scheduled for release within two weeks.
Most national forests in California reopen early from wildfire closure [San Francisco Chronicle]
Most national forests in California have reopened two days earlier than planned after closing due to dangerous wildfire conditions, according to U.S. Forest Service officials. The closure, which began Aug. 31 and was originally scheduled to end Friday, ended Wednesday at midnight, the forest service confirmed. Several factors went into the decision to lift the closure early — including an increase in firefighting resources, improving weather conditions in some parts of the state, a tapering off of peak tourist season and a desire to open the forests back up for people’s “quality of life,” according to the forest service. “We are constantly evaluating weather and fire conditions in California, as well as regional and national firefighting resources available to us so that we can ensure the safety of the public and our firefighters,” Regional Forester Jennifer Eberlien said in a news release. “Some factors are more favorable now, which is why I decided to end the regional closure order.” But that doesn’t mean every national forest is open or free from wildfire danger. Closures remain in place — and have been extended until midnight on Sept. 22 — for the Los Padres, Angeles, San Bernardino and Cleveland National Forests in Southern California “due to local weather and fire factors, as well as a temporary strain on firefighting resources supporting large fires in other areas of the state,” the press release said.
Fire crews struggling to save California giant sequoias [The Associated Press]
Firefighters wrapped the base of the world’s largest tree in a fire-resistant blanket as they tried to save a famous grove of gigantic old-growth sequoias from wildfires burning in California’s rugged Sierra Nevada. The colossal General Sherman Tree in Sequoia National Park’s Giant Forest, some other sequoias, the Giant Forest Museum and other buildings were wrapped for protection against the possibility of intense flames, fire spokeswoman Rebecca Paterson said. The aluminum wrapping can withstand intensive heat for short periods. Federal officials say they have been using the material for several years throughout the U.S. West to protect sensitive structures from flames. Near Lake Tahoe, some homes that were wrapped in protective material survived a recent wildfire while others nearby were destroyed. The Colony Fire, one of two burning in Sequoia National Park, was expected to reach the Giant Forest, a grove of 2,000 sequoias, at some point within days, fire officials said.
Meet the hometown heroes who kicked off Sonoma County’s truffle revolution [Santa Rosa Press-Democrat]
It was the mid-1970s when the notion that there could be gourmet gold buried beneath our native North Coast oak trees set off what may have been the first truffle hunt in the area. It was a brief and presumably futile effort to see if an elusive underground delicacy might be another pricey agricultural product to enhance our very new but fast-growing “Wine Country” image. That burst of excitement came with the notion that delicious (and very expensive) European truffles — easily the most exciting addition to any dinner plate — might be found right here under our North Coast oak trees. Early next month, truffle farmers — that’s right truffle “farmers,” although some prefer “ranchers” — from the U.S. and Canada will meet in Santa Rosa and pay tribute to the contribution of a couple of hometown heroes who kicked off this Northern California agricultural adventure nearly 50 years ago. North American Truffle Growers Association delegates from Tennessee, the Carolinas, British Columbia and Ontario, and four Northern California locations — Sonoma, Mendocino, Lake and El Dorado counties — will gather at the Flamingo Resort for the three-day convocation.
At least two trucks now hauling water from Ukiah to the Mendocino Coast [Ukiah Daily Journal]
At least two large trucks are now hauling more than 20,000 gallons of water from Ukiah to the Mendocino Coast, Ukiah City Manager Sage Sangiacomo reported this week. “This is an unprecedented effort that has been made possible through a Mutual Aid agreement between the city of Ukiah, the county of Mendocino and the city of Fort Bragg,” Sangiacomo continued, explaining that the city of Ukiah is “simply supplying the water, (which) is then being picked up by haulers that the county is procuring, and then being delivered to the city of Fort Bragg and put into their system, and from there it is distributed to water haulers in the region for health and human safety purposes.” Sangiacomo also acknowledged actions by the California State Water Resources Control Board, which “has recognized how our pre-1914 water right provides critical value to Mendocino County,” referring to the amended curtailment order last week that will allow the city to draw a “very, very small amount” of water from the Russian River in order to provide water to coastal residents, particularly those in the village of Mendocino and other areas whose private wells have run dry.
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