The US government doesn’t control California weather where we are clear to grow under full sun for 8 months in a year.
You are also wrong about Southern peach production vs California peach production. California produces the best and most of the peaches in the USA for fresh eating, varieties and also for canning. California produces five times more peaches than Georgia and South Carolina. NJ produces more peaches than the southern states. In CA, we do Ag well and have the best climate and soil. We are the number 1 Ag state in the USA with Ag income topping $45 billion. Why? Because we do Ag well...it’s unfair to strip away well earned meritocracy. You are wrong. You have no idea what you are talking about. Links below. I can’t get into a pissing match so you can bash CA Ag.
[..]Average Weather in Amherst Massachusetts, United States
In Amherst, the summers are warm and wet, the winters are freezing, and it is partly cloudy year round. Over the course of the year, the temperature typically varies from 17°F to 83°F and is rarely below 1°F or above 91°F.
The warm season lasts for 3.6 months, from May 28 to September 17, with an average daily high temperature above 73°F. The hottest day of the year is July 21, with an average high of 83°F and low of 63°F.
The cold season lasts for 3.3 months, from December 2 to March 12, with an average daily high temperature below 43°F. The coldest day of the year is January 30, with an average low of 17°F and high of 34°F.
[..]
[..]In Fresno, the summers are sweltering, arid, and clear and the winters are cold, wet, and partly cloudy. Over the course of the year, the temperature typically varies from 39°F to 99°F and is rarely below 31°F or above 106°F.
The hot season lasts for 3.5 months, from June 6 to September 21, with an average daily high temperature above 90°F. The hottest day of the year is July 29, with an average high of 99°F and low of 68°F.
The cool season lasts for 3.1 months, from November 20 to February 22, with an average daily high temperature below 64°F. The coldest day of the year is December 30, with an average low of 39°F and high of 55°F.
[..]
Also: South Carolina is more of a blueberry state than Peaches. Warm winters are compromising peach crop in Carolina and Georgia.
[..]California clingstone peaches are available from July 10 to mid-September, while California freestone peaches are harvested from April 20 to October 10. The Southern states of Georgia and South Carolina provide peaches from May to August. For all other states the marketing season is from July to September.[..]
[..]As of 2017, peaches are commercially produced in 20 states. The top four states in peach production are California, South Carolina, Georgia and New Jersey.
In 2017, California supplied nearly 56 percent of the United States fresh peach crop and more than 96 percent of processed peaches (NASS, 2018).
United States total peach production in 2017 was 690,100 tons valued at $599 million. California led the nation in peach production, with 541,000 tons valued at $376.5 million. New Jersey followed, producing 28,200 tons valued at $44 million. Pennsylvania produced 21,400 tons valued at $25.3 million, and Washington produced 12,770 tons valued at $12.3 million (NASS, 2018).[..]
I have often been amused by some of the delusions here on HN about food and farming. This one takes the cake.
Peaches grow on trees. Fruit orchards are not corn fields or thousands of acres of soy. They are perennial tree crops. We also sequester carbon much better than most other Ag states. We have a 8 month growing cycle without a drop of rain(that’s why almost all of processing tomatoes in the USA comes from California) while in the east, south and mid west, it’s not just the short growing season, but there is rain everyday in some parts that some don’t even irrigate.
If anyone thinks Georgia or South Carolina peaches are better than California ones..all I can say is ..Bless their hearts.
The USG doesn’t ‘subsidize’ water in California. California voters subsidize the cheap food the rest consume. California farmers have grandfathered water rights and we vote on it.
CA has contributed more to the GDP in Ag revenue and exports than ANY other state with $45 billion. Iowa lags behind at $22 million. Most of the Ag activities involving commodity crops..you know..those traded on the exchange..enjoy federal subsidies.
We grow fruits, nuts, vineyard crops and alfafa along with lettuce, strawberries and feed most of this country.
One of the federal subsidies doled out to mid west farms that grow gmo soy and corn (only 7% of which is for human consumption) is for Prevent Plant. Those farmers get subsidies if they don’t farm. (Channeling Major Major’s curmudgeon father from Catch-22.)
We do Ag brilliantly. We give much much more than we take. So much more. Our farms fed people during a long drought when we should be flushing our toilets. California voters paid dearly for water so the farmers can irrigate the fields.
But our farmers. Our votes. Our tiffs. It’s a family matter. As far as the rest of the country goes, a simple thanks would do.
Perhaps this kind of ignorance about what we do and the problems we face is why innovation and tech doesn’t serve CA farmers who grow the food we eat but millions are going into automating farms that grow crops receiving federal subsidies and commodities that are traded on the financial exchange. We are desperate for tech. We are on very thin margins. We get no help. We are not poor little rich princes.
Autonomous universal tool carrying platform to support minimal tillage protocols(7-10 functions..mechanical as well as monitoring and data collection) for sub 100 acre fields including perennials, orchards and annuals. A diverse farm has more than a few rotations per year. The platform cannot primarily be for data collection although that would be good too. The emphasis on data collection means huge data sets and clustering is mandatory and that would mean average field size should be several 100s or even 1000s of contiguous acres.
We are dependent on rain and the whims is climate every year..this year ..there was a 4-6 week late start and most nightshades are running late. And that means we had to quickly figure out and prepare for a diff pest and weed schedule than last year. So in built predictive systems is also useful. There are so many things we can do..but for now, I will take anything that will take reduce of mechanical and manual labour costs by automating field prep, transplant, cultivation and some of the harvest. Automation for large fields will fail. Too risky and costly. Small autonomous units swarming reduces risk and create multiple small data sets. This would also help small acreage farmers grow unique crops by giving them the attention they deserve. Mechanization is tyranny by conformity. Automation will help us experiment and create new germ lines and hybrids..I hope.
I speak for small acreage farms above.(that’s me)
California Ag needs harvest automation in the field. Field cultivation automation is already being developed. For larger farms, automation for harvesting soft fruits is tricky.
Orchard crops are a whole different matter. Personally..while there are many things to innovate, I think the issue of fire blight and replant pathogens are an issue. With perennials, data plays a far more important role because predictive systems will benefit permanent crops because they last longer and we get only one chance every year and being able to see what happened 6-7 years ago and what might happen 10 years from now is helpful for trees that have 30-40 lifespan.
And then there are things to disrupt with the supply chain and block chain etc. preventing wastage, traceability etc..and that’s being done but they are doing single crop as sectors at a time. But it doesn’t give farmers an edge as they are at the bottom most rung of the supply chain and value goes up at the top most rung of the supply chain ladder. For every penny we pay for traceability, the retailer profits rather than the grower. I don’t know how farmers can capture the cumulative value up the supply chain. They are just paying more for technology as they have new mandatory hoops to jump through now(traceability, block chain, certifications etc)
But I think I have digressed from what tech farmers need to what we’d like to rant about...
The US government doesn’t control California weather where we are clear to grow under full sun for 8 months in a year.
You are also wrong about Southern peach production vs California peach production. California produces the best and most of the peaches in the USA for fresh eating, varieties and also for canning. California produces five times more peaches than Georgia and South Carolina. NJ produces more peaches than the southern states. In CA, we do Ag well and have the best climate and soil. We are the number 1 Ag state in the USA with Ag income topping $45 billion. Why? Because we do Ag well...it’s unfair to strip away well earned meritocracy. You are wrong. You have no idea what you are talking about. Links below. I can’t get into a pissing match so you can bash CA Ag.
Amherst : https://weatherspark.com/y/25574/Average-Weather-in-Amherst-...
[..]Average Weather in Amherst Massachusetts, United States In Amherst, the summers are warm and wet, the winters are freezing, and it is partly cloudy year round. Over the course of the year, the temperature typically varies from 17°F to 83°F and is rarely below 1°F or above 91°F.
The warm season lasts for 3.6 months, from May 28 to September 17, with an average daily high temperature above 73°F. The hottest day of the year is July 21, with an average high of 83°F and low of 63°F.
The cold season lasts for 3.3 months, from December 2 to March 12, with an average daily high temperature below 43°F. The coldest day of the year is January 30, with an average low of 17°F and high of 34°F. [..]
Fresno, CA: https://weatherspark.com/y/1482/Average-Weather-in-Fresno-Ca...
[..]In Fresno, the summers are sweltering, arid, and clear and the winters are cold, wet, and partly cloudy. Over the course of the year, the temperature typically varies from 39°F to 99°F and is rarely below 31°F or above 106°F.
The hot season lasts for 3.5 months, from June 6 to September 21, with an average daily high temperature above 90°F. The hottest day of the year is July 29, with an average high of 99°F and low of 68°F.
The cool season lasts for 3.1 months, from November 20 to February 22, with an average daily high temperature below 64°F. The coldest day of the year is December 30, with an average low of 39°F and high of 55°F.
[..]
Also: South Carolina is more of a blueberry state than Peaches. Warm winters are compromising peach crop in Carolina and Georgia.
https://www.agmrc.org/commodities-products/fruits/peaches
[..]California clingstone peaches are available from July 10 to mid-September, while California freestone peaches are harvested from April 20 to October 10. The Southern states of Georgia and South Carolina provide peaches from May to August. For all other states the marketing season is from July to September.[..]
[..]As of 2017, peaches are commercially produced in 20 states. The top four states in peach production are California, South Carolina, Georgia and New Jersey.
In 2017, California supplied nearly 56 percent of the United States fresh peach crop and more than 96 percent of processed peaches (NASS, 2018).
United States total peach production in 2017 was 690,100 tons valued at $599 million. California led the nation in peach production, with 541,000 tons valued at $376.5 million. New Jersey followed, producing 28,200 tons valued at $44 million. Pennsylvania produced 21,400 tons valued at $25.3 million, and Washington produced 12,770 tons valued at $12.3 million (NASS, 2018).[..]