Food And Farm News
03-12-2025
Adding automation helps lower farm risk
To address labor shortages, reduce costs and improve efficiency, farmers are looking for ways to add more mechanization. Tim Chiala, chief operations officer of Morgan Hill-based George Chiala Farms Inc., has invested in more technology at his family-run farming and food-processing company. Chiala Farms is testing machines such as an automatic jalapeño de-stemmer and another with robotic arms that remove the tops, tails and peels of bulb onions. “The supply of labor fluctuates like crazy, but hopefully by adding robotics, it will give us some stability,” Chiala said.
State Senate hears about response to bird flu outbreak
With California’s robust investment and experience in animal disease surveillance and detection, there’s little disagreement in agricultural circles that the state was well prepared for bird flu. But agricultural officials, farmers and other industry representatives also acknowledge that the latest outbreak—which began in 2022 and has become the largest in U.S. history—has been no cakewalk. They spoke during an informational hearing last week on the state’s response to bird flu, which has led to the destruction of more than 166 million birds nationwide, record-high egg prices and the disease infecting most of the state’s dairies.
Initial Central Valley Project water allotment may not increase plantings
Farmers south of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta who irrigate with water supplied by the federal Central Valley Project say they are thankful for a 35% water allocation announced in February. But due to the timing of the announcement and lower crop prices, they say the initial allocation by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation may not lead to more planted acres. “Water use factors a little bit into it as far as what crop you’re going to grow,” Stanislaus County farmer Daniel Bays said. “With the current condition of the ag economy, a lot of it just depends on what we can get contracts for.”
Young farmers fight hunger through Harvest for All
People facing hunger are being fed, young farmers are honing their skills, and communities throughout the state are engaging with agriculture and learning more about its importance. These accomplishments are made thanks to members of Farm Bureau’s Young Farmers & Ranchers program and its Harvest for All campaign, which began nationally in 2003 in collaboration with local Feeding America affiliates across the country. Last year, members of California Farm Bureau Young Farmers & Ranchers logged more than 1,500 volunteer hours, donated 78,839 pounds of food and raised more than $95,300 in monetary contributions.
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.
.svg.png?cacheid=0.9616018850896426)
