Food And Farm News
2-18-2026
Tricolored blackbird conservation funding threatened
A U.S. Department of Agriculture program that pays farmers to protect tricolored blackbirds nesting on their land could be significantly impacted due to the omission of the program’s primary payment scenario in a recent draft released by the Natural Resources Conservation Service. Tricolored blackbirds, which gained protection as threatened under the California Endangered Species Act in 2018, often nest in winter silage fields planted by dairy farmers. By agreeing to delay harvest where the birds nest, California farmers have helped save a species that once faced potential extinction. The tricolored blackbird Regional Conservation Partnership Program typically pays farmers $700 to $1,100 per acre to delay harvest of their silage crops. “The omission of silage delay as a payment scenario for the 2026 season would significantly hinder the ability to effectively protect tricolored blackbird colonies,” said Richard Filgas, assistant director of policy advocacy for the California Farm Bureau.
'Unrelenting' fog aids Central Valley fruits and nuts
Farmers and researchers say persistent tule fog throughout the Central Valley in recent months could help the region’s fruit and nut trees achieve the chilling hours they need to go into an effective winter dormancy, setting the trees up for a successful bloom and crop set. The low-lying fog layer, named after a sedge native to Central Valley marshes, is created by moist soils capped by a high-pressure weather system. NASA described a tule fog blanket stretching 400 miles from Redding to Bakersfield from Nov. 24-Dec. 9, 2025, as “unrelenting.” The dense fog returned in January for several more days. “I do believe that the chill may have been more effective this year because of so many days with fog,” said Ted De Jong, a University of California, Davis, pomology professor emeritus. Around Davis, he said, “this has been one of the foggiest years since the ‘90s.”
Transplant nurseries celebrate seed improvements
The supply chain for California-grown vegetables runs year-round thanks to a beneficial partnership between seed companies and transplant nurseries, whose products allow growers to gain a head start on the season, ensuring earlier harvests and higher, more uniform yields. Since the 1990s, transplant nurseries have provided vegetable growers a shortcut from seed germination to harvest, shaving up to 60 days off the time that leafy greens, cauliflower, melons, processing tomatoes and other vegetables are in the field. According to the Vegetable Transplant Nursery Association, seed quality is the single most important input for vegetable transplant production, and recent improvements have made a difference for nurseries. “Seed quality is a top priority, and the science behind today’s seed makes it far more reliable and productive than it once was,” said Nicole Nicks, general manager of Westside Transplant based in Los Banos.
Farmer: Wine market woes mean less farm work in vineyards
A recent downturn in global wine consumption has created ripple effects throughout the supply chain in California’s grape-growing regions. Since 2024, farmers have torn out tens of thousands of acres of vineyards. Despite the reduction in acreage, roughly a quarter of last year’s crop went unpicked due to a lack of demand, according to industry estimates. With less vineyard acreage and growers cautious about investing in a crop that might not get sold, San Joaquin County grower Bruce Fry said work opportunities for vineyard crews have become scarcer. “There are lots of labor contractors looking for work,” Fry told Ag Alert® in a field report. “There seem to be more people looking for work because so many vineyards have been taken out.” Fry added he was “being cautious about our costs and inputs” such as pruning and herbicide applications this year. “We started pruning a little bit late compared to years past due to unknown markets for our grapes,” he said.
For more information about any story in Food and Farm News, contact the California Farm Bureau Marketing/Communications Division at 916-561-5550 or email news@cfbf.com. Connect with us on Facebook, X, or Instagram: @CAFarmBureau.
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