Rocky Mountain Voice

Tag: Food Supply

Colorado Farmers Light 100 Fires To Defend Orchards From Sudden Freeze
CBS Colorado, Approved, Local

Colorado Farmers Light 100 Fires To Defend Orchards From Sudden Freeze

By Christa Swanson | CBS Colorado A cold snap moved through Colorado on Friday, bringing snow and freezing temperatures to areas where many spring plants are already in bloom. That led a business on the Western Slope to get creative in order to save its orchards. The Sanders family opened the Palisade Peach Shack 17 years ago and has seen the farm grow from 8 to over 80 acres, but they say that this year's warm weather, coupled with the sudden freeze, nearly spelled disaster. Owner James Sanders told CBS Colorado that they have never had a freeze when the fruit is in this stage of growth. At the moment, the fruit is at the stage they would normally see in the middle of May, with peaches the size of thumbs and hardened seeds. Sanders says this could ...
San Luis Valley Growers Face Massive Potato Surplus Crisis
Alamosa Citizen, Approved, Local

San Luis Valley Growers Face Massive Potato Surplus Crisis

By The Citizen | Alamosa Citizen An estimated hundred million pounds will need to be disposed of after overproduction and a warm March ruin potatoes in storage. he San Luis Valley has an overabundance of potatoes in storage here in mid-April that, because of the warm winter, is leading to concerns about what happens as a new growing season begins. An historically hot March that punctuated a warm winter overall is creating quality standard problems in the potato bins of the Valley. If a potato bin doesn’t meet the quality standard, it doesn’t ship. “When we start to lose a bin, a bin can be 5,000 sacks, 10,000 sacks, up to 100,000 sacks … then we look at a really gigantic pile of potatoes that has to be managed,” explains Jeff McCullough, who operates Spud Sell...
Local Farmers Battle Dry Conditions and Higher Costs Ahead of Market Openings
DENVER7, Approved, State

Local Farmers Battle Dry Conditions and Higher Costs Ahead of Market Openings

By Ethan Carlson | Denver7 Unseasonably warm weather and expensive water are forcing local farmers to adapt. LONGMONT, Colo. — Farmers markets are set to open across Colorado in the coming weeks, but local growers are facing a tough season marked by drought, rising fuel and fertilizer costs, and warm weather. The City Park Farmers Market starts Saturday, May 2, and the Lafayette Farmers Market opens Sunday, May 3. Shoppers may see a different selection of goods than usual for this time of year. Peter Wanberg, co-owner of the City Park and Lafayette Farmers Markets, noted that the weather has affected what crops are going to be available. “Normally, there’s a lot of greens and there’s not a huge amount of those really big harvest mid-seaso...
U.S. Dairy Industry Faces Tight Herd Numbers Until 2027
National, Approved, The Fence Post

U.S. Dairy Industry Faces Tight Herd Numbers Until 2027

By Colbank | The Fence Post The U.S. dairy industry is facing a potential shortage of its most important resource — milk cows. The number of replacement heifers available to enter the dairy herd as milk producing cows has already fallen to a 20-year low. Based on new CoBank research, replacements could fall even further over the next two years before a recovery begins in 2027. These declining heifer inventories could limit growth in the milk supply, a looming concern for dairy processors with expansion plans underway. The U.S. is currently experiencing an historic $10 billion investment in new dairy processing facilities expected to come online through 2027. The decline in dairy heifers over the last several years is closely tied to beef and dairy market dynamics. Tight cattle suppli...
Chinese nationals caught smuggling pathogens as General Keane warns of full-scale infiltration
Approved, Fox Business, National

Chinese nationals caught smuggling pathogens as General Keane warns of full-scale infiltration

By Taylor Penley | Fox Business Three Chinese nationals recently caught attempting to smuggle biological materials into America The U.S. is "target one" for the Chinese Communist Party, and retired Gen. Jack Keane says that beefing up defenses to stand up against the threat should be high on the list of priorities. "China is conducting the most comprehensive penetration of our society since we were formed 250 years ago, 249 years now, and we've never seen anything quite like this," he said Tuesday, weighing in on news that a third Chinese national has attempted to smuggle biological materials into the U.S. within the past week. The Fox News senior strategic analyst joined "Mornings with Maria" where he spelled out the severity of the "comprehensive" threat – cyber esp...

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