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USDA Cancels Land Access Program for Young Farmers
Created with Inflation Reduction Act and American Rescue Plan funding, the Increasing Land, Capital, and Market Access (ILCMA) Program was championed by the National Young Farmers Coalition (NYFC), which has repeatedly found in national surveys that access to land and capital are two of the biggest barriers young farmers face. In June 2023, the USDA…
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How do you feel about bioengineered pest control to protect citrus trees?
The Asian citrus psyllid insect can spread huanglongbing disease from tree to tree as it flies about and feeds. Photo by Krystle Hickman, University of California Statewide IPM Program UC scientists seek consumers to weigh in on new method of controlling Asian citrus psyllids To understand consumers’ attitudes toward a bio-engineered crop pesticide, University of…
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11 Best Heirloom Tomatoes to Grow on the Farm
by Sarah Jay, Modern Farmer March 23, 2026 If you haven’t had the chance or pleasure to grow heirloom tomatoes, try it this year. There are slicers, beefsteaks, cherries, and more to explore when it comes to the passed-down, open-pollinated tomatoes out there. If you have grown them before, you may be interested in adding…
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Leading Controlled-Release Fertilizer Manufacturers in 2026
Controlled-release fertilizers used to feel like a niche, premium add-on, the kind of thing you only saw in a few high-value crops. Now they’re starting to look like a practical answer to a problem most growers wrestle with all the time: how do you grow more while losing fewer nutrients along the way? And that…
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Should Every State Have Its Own Farm Bill?
While many states can’t create their own farm bills because they don’t allow “omnibus” bills, legislators can pass multiple bills at the same time in a sort of package format, said Kendra Kimbirauskas, senior director of Food, Agriculture and Rural Economies at the State Innovation Exchange. Kimbirauskas, who works with state legislators on progressive food…
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Could tea be California’s next cash crop? Take a taste March 19
Tea is being grown at UC Kearney Agricultural Research and Extension Center to develop best varieties and production practices for California. Public invited to learn about potential for new crop at Kearney REC Tea Day Learn about tea culture and cultivation in California’s Central Valley climate at Tea Day on Thursday, March 19, at UC…
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What to Add to the Field in March
by Sarah Jay, Modern Farmer March 10, 2026 In March, winter is waning, even if your region has a long, cold season. In southern regions, March signals the end, whereas in the North, there may still be a few months of cold weather. Unless the ground is frozen solid, it’s a good time to include…
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Money Plant Not Growing? Here’s Exactly Why and How to Fix It Fast
If your money plant is not growing, you are not alone. This is one of the most searched complaints among Indian plant parents, whether you keep pothos on a shelf in Hyderabad, hang it near a window in Mumbai, or grow it in a dim Delhi apartment. The reassuring part is that money plant growth…
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Op-ed: State SNAP Could Be a Lifeline for College Students
“In theory, these students have done everything right,” says Jaime Lechner, a Class of 2025 graduate from Niagara University in upstate New York. “You know what we were told growing up: go to college, after college you get a job, start your life, that type of thing. But a lot of people now—current students [and]…
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Microirrigation School, starting March 30, offers guidance on maximizing water use efficiency and productivity
UC experts, partners, field visits to provide practical insights for optimizing irrigation In a time of increasing water scarcity and regulatory complexity, enhancing irrigation efficiency and improving on-farm water management practices are critical for California agriculture. Microirrigation – using highly efficient, low-flow and low-pressure systems that deliver water and nutrients close to plants’ roots –…