Megadrought Poses 'Existential' Crisis in California and the WestA scorching "thousand-year" drought made worse by climate change is draining reservoirs at an alarming pace, fueling massive wildfires and withering California's crucial Central Valley agriculture economy.
Drought-Plagued Western U.S. Stuck in Vicious Climate Feedback LoopMore than 30 million people are under heat warnings and advisories with more than 93 percent of the West in drought this week. Scientists say heat and drought are inextricably linked in a vicious feedback loop that climate change makes even harder to break.
City Slickers Lose Their Cool Picking Cherries in Brentwood During Heat WaveFor many in the Bay Area, harvesting their own cherries at you-pick farms like the Bacchini Fruit Tree in Brentwood is a Memorial Day weekend tradition. But temps over 100 degrees? Not so much.
Bay Area Sikh Protest Outside SF Indian Consulate; Continued Calls for Sovereign NationMany Punjabi Sikhs farmers have reached a breaking point, with thousands reportedly committing suicide. Protestors were also demanding independence and the re-establishment of a sovereign nation of Khalistan.
South City Company Grows Greens Indoors to Counter Farm Land LossesA company called Plenty in South San Francisco is proving the value of low-water, controlled cultivation of leafy greens.
Self-Driving Farm Tractor Rolls Into Service at California VineyardAn Alameda County winery has become the first customer to try out a major new improvement in high-tech farm equipment: the world's first autonomous electric tractor.
Point Reyes Protest Calls Out Park Service Over Tule Elk Water SupplyOn Sunday, protesters staged an unusual photo op to highlight the conflict between cattle ranchers and a herd of elk at Point Reyes National Seashore.
Wine Country Grape Growers Fear Significant Damage From Wildfire SmokeThe smoke and ash from the wildfires seem to permeate every corner of the Bay Area but this is also home to one of the most renowned wine regions in the world and that’s presenting a tough choice for grape growers.
Federal Judge Rules California Can't Require Cancer Warning on Roundup Weed KillerCalifornia can’t require a cancer warning label on Roundup, the world’s most widely-used weed killer, U.S. District Judge William Shubb ruled on Monday.
Grass Valley Animal Sanctuary Rescues 1,000 Chickens Set to Be Euthanized in IowaA Northern California farm animal sanctuary is spending thousands of dollars to send two cargo planes to Iowa to rescue 1,000 chickens that were going to be euthanized at a struggling egg farm.
Coronavirus Changed Life For Thousands Of Bay Area Horses And Their HumansEleven-year-old Rocky hasn’t seen his family since the lockdown to stop the spread of the coronavirus began, on March 17. That’s because he’s an off-track thoroughbred, aka 'Rockzig,' and one of the hundreds of thousands of horses whose humans and handlers are sheltering in place across the Bay Area.
California Farmworkers Essential to U.S. Food Supply During Growing Coronavirus CrisisWorking from home for farmers means getting out in the field, operating as essential businesses in the heart of California's Central Valley, supplying food to much of the U.S. even as schools, restaurants and stores have closed because of the coronavirus.
Plant-Based Food Company In Sonoma Sues State Over Using Term 'Butter'A North Bay vegan foods business is suing California food regulators after being told it cannot use the word "butter" on its packaging.
Study Shows Tons Of Unharvested Produce In California Left To Rot In The FieldsA groundbreaking study of farming practices in the nation's breadbasket of Northern and Central California shows that, after harvesting, there are tons of food left over and left to rot in the fields while Bay Area families are going hungry.