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Republicans are calling on Democratic leaders to invest the $31 billion surplus in water storage and easing tax and debt burdens.

The San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District is considering ways to promote a more widespread adoption of conservation tillage practices to reduce dust.

Reservoirs are filling, the state has eased curtailments, and water districts are banking excess flows. But the state has far to go to exit the drought.

Two scourges that sometimes appear together but have not been definitively linked to each other continue to threaten lettuce: Pythium wilt and Impatiens Necrotic Spot Virus. The state budget allocated $1 million in new research funding aimed at developing more strategies to effectively protect the major crop.

California’s new House district map will impact battleground races in the valley, while Democrats look to further solidify control of the Legislature.

Brian Kocher has been named president and CEO of Calavo Growers and Ippolito International has hired Jeff Feldeisen as the company’s new sales and commodity manager.

The new $52 million state-of-the-art SMUD Museum of Science and Curiosity in Sacramento offers consumers a chance to learn more about how much water is required to grow their food and how California farmers are working to produce more crop per drop.

The state water board has outlawed wasteful use of water by residents and businesses in towns and cities.

Congress heads into an election year with clouds over two major pieces of legislation that are seen as critical to helping farmers benefit from efforts to cut greenhouse gas emissions. Lawmakers also are expected to begin farm bill hearings this year, and they will have to keep the government funded for the rest of the fiscal year.

The Biden administration is set to direct millions of dollars toward boosting the diversification of the nation’s meat processing capacity, but facilities planning on processing cattle could be timing their entry into the market at a difficult time.