Civil Eats

This is the second year that the European Grapevine moth has been found in California, putting grapes, the top crop in the state—with $3.9 billion in annual gross production revenue—at risk in six counties. Napa County, where the $462 million grape crop commands the highest prices in the nation, has by far the greatest infestation. Now thousands of acres from Mendocino to Monterey have been quarantined and the federal government has announced $1 million in contingency funds to help nip this moth in the bud. Read More

As California teeters on the brink of fiscal disaster, yet another new budget proposal has arisen. State Senator Dean Florez (D-Shafter) will hold hearings in Sacramento today.  The topic: discussing whether key functions of the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) can be eliminated or transferred to other state agencies. Read More