A drought-stricken tree at sunset. (Photo: PG_Traveler, via Shutterstock)With the rainy season come and gone, drought’s withered hand remained firmly fixed on California this month, as it has been, with few exceptions, for the last decade. Woes pile up. Rain didn’t save us, the snowpack is all but gone, the Coastal Commission says no desalinating sea water, and urban-interface fires have already begun.
An indoor cannabis-growing operation in California. (Photo: Seastock, via Shutterstock)The flood gates are about to open for California’s new commercial cannabis industry, as the state rushes to assemble temporary licenses for businesses looking to open on Jan. 1. California delivered its first batch of commercial cannabis licenses last week with the approval of 30 temporary licenses for cannabis businesses across the state.
A tiny Asian citrus psyllid enjoying some eats. (Photo: UC Riverside)It’s a barely visible, tiny insect but it could be a huge headache for California’s $2 billion citrus industry. The Asian citrus psyllid, only few millimeters long, has turned up in the San Gabriel Valley and authorities are plotting a strategy to contain it.
An aerial view of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta.State water officials today ordered cuts in water to dozens of growers and ranchers, limiting supplies to farmers who have had rights to the water for more than a century. The cutbacks mark the first time since 1977 — also a severe drought year — that such reductions have been ordered.
Strawberries in a Castroville, Calif., fieldIt’s all berry interesting: Strawberry growers are literally being cheated out of the fruits of their labors by the University of California, according to a lawsuit filed against the Board of Regents by the California Strawberry Commission. UC Davis is ending its strawberry breeding program and replacing it with a private company created by its two long-time strawberry researchers. (Photo: Dana Payne)