What's being harvested now?

With Fresno County‘s diverse agriculture, some type of crop is harvested every month.

Harvest of the San Joaquin Valley Navel orange crop is underway in Fresno County. The orange crop suffered major losses from a devastating freeze last January, but the trees have recovered for the most part and a new crop of delicious oranges is making its way to grocery stores across the nation and world. Fresno County has more than 30,000 acres of Navel oranges, grown primarily for the fresh market.

Other crops currently being harvested include many Farmers' Market - type crops such as basil, bok choy, beets, broccoli, head and napa cabbage, cauliflower, cilantro, and lemon grass.

January 2008 -- Winter on the Farm

Against a snow-capped Sierra Nevada mountains, landscape turf is grown in the Sanger riverbottom area at the Kings River Turf farm.

Beef cattle and calves are the number five crop in Fresno County, valued at more than $317 million in 2006.

A small blanket of snow is the first to appear on the Sierras in early January. A big rain/snow event is predicted for Jan. 4-7 with hopes of creating a larger, wetter snow pack. The snow in the Kings and San Joaquin rivers watersheds will serve as farmers' irrigation water supply during the summer, and will help with efforts to recharge the underground aquifer which benefits all of Fresno County.

Winter is the time to make changes in permanent crop plantings. This deciduous tree fruit orchard north of Reedley has been "pushed" to make way for a new crop.

Archive: November