Articles Tagged With ‘Agriculture’




Water bankers purchase Paso Robles’ Hardham Ranch

By DANIEL BLACKBURN One of the nation’s most controversial and wealthiest farm operators has quietly acquired a sprawling 742-acre parcel of prime ranch and agricultural property adjacent to the southeast edge of the Paso Robles city limits — causing some... (Continue reading)

USDA declares SLO County agriculture disaster area

The United States Department of Agriculture has declared San Luis Obispo County an agricultural disaster area due to a recent drought. On April 10, the USDA designated San Luis Obispo and Monterey counties as primary natural disaster areas because of... (Continue reading)

Marijuana farmers’ market buds in Northern California

A farmers’ market for marijuana has sprouted in Northern California’s Sonoma County. [Modern Farmer] The Organicann Harvest Market takes place every third Saturday of the month in a purple warehouse in unincorporated Sonoma County. The Organicann dispensary operates the farmers’... (Continue reading)

Foes say animal bill chills free speech

California’s agriculture and cattle industries are backing a proposed state law requiring that persons taking photographs, videotapes, and other documentation depicting animal cruelty turn those materials over to authorities within 48 hours. The bill, AB343, was introduced by Assemblyman Jim... (Continue reading)

California sells record amount of wine in 2012

Wine sales in California reached a record high last year, totaling about $22 billion. [LA Times] California accounted for 58 percent of United States wine sales in 2012, shipping 250.2 million 9-liter cases nationally and internationally, according to the Wine... (Continue reading)

Nipomo cockfighting ring uncovered

Sheriff’s deputies discovered a cockfighting ring while serving a search warrant at Orchard Road in Nipomo on Friday morning. During their search, deputies from San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s offices discovered two large compounds that were walled... (Continue reading)

Hill concerned with “local fringe”

San Luis Obispo County Supervisor Adam Hill is requesting citizen input about a “local fringe.” Last week, Hill appointed human resources consultant Betsey Nash to the county Civil Service Commission. Prior to the appointment, the Coalition of Labor, Agriculture and... (Continue reading)

Environmental hazards of pot farms

Marijuana growers  are siphoning water, spraying pesticides, chopping down trees and leaving California’s wilderness areas strew with litter, scientist said. [LATimes] State scientists recently studied aerial imagery of a small tributary of the Eel River, the spawning grounds for endangered... (Continue reading)

Did supervisors dump ag ordinance to protect Gibson?

By CalCoastNews staff The San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors meeting did not proceed as scheduled Tuesday. After a late start to the meeting, Supervisor Adam Hill petitioned to move the 18th item on the agenda, the controversial agriculture... (Continue reading)

Supervisors battle property advocates on ag ordinance

The San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors is trying to finalize revisions to a contentious “ag cluster” ordinance before Debbie Arnold replaces Jim Patterson in January. [Tribune] Proposed changes to the ordinance make it more difficult for rural landowners... (Continue reading)