Food & Farm News
Real Audio» May 11, 2007 «
UC Davis to boost bee research
With bee populations under attack from mites, beetles and the malady known as colony collapse disorder, a University of California campus says it will revitalize its bee research program. UC Davis announced yesterday (Thursday) a series of steps to rebuild the program, which it says has been hurt by budget cuts and faculty retirements. The university has hired a respected bee-breeding expert and will renovate its bee biology lab.
The rainfall year: dry, drier, driest
How dry is it? In California this year, it's a matter of degree. The state Department of Water Resources says runoff projections make this a dry year in the Sacramento River watershed … and a critically dry year along the San Joaquin River. In Los Angeles County, a farmer who grows crops on the edge of the Mojave Desert says it's the driest it's been since his family began farming there in 1898.
California cherry production accelerates
Production increases each day from California cherry orchards. The California Cherry Advisory Board says farmers have been planting more early-maturing varieties, allowing the cherry season to start earlier each year. At the same time, farmers in Washington have planted more late-maturing varieties, which could extend the Western cherry season until August. The advisory board reports that the quality of the California crop has been excellent.
Experimenting consumers drive wine sales
Because so many wine consumers like to experiment, new brands often attract their attention in retail displays. The consulting firm MKF Research says a Nielsen Company analysis shows that wine sales are growing as assortment grows. According to the study, more than 60 percent of the most active wine brands at grocery stores are brands that were introduced after 1999.
Top
