Governor Gavin Newsom announced a new effort during his press conference on Friday to protect essential workers in the state, including California's 625,000 agriculture and farmworkers.

The COVID-19 pandemic has hit the agricultural industry hard just like everyone else, but a couple of developments last week will certainly be helpful to those in agriculture.

The final weigh-ins for the Bid for the Kid livestock sale took place on Saturday morning at the Porterville Fairgrounds barn, where there was a long line of trucks waiting even before the 9 a.m start time hit.

The Tulare County Sheriff’s Office recognizes these are times of prolonged isolation, making it important for people to get outside and enjoy the sunshine. That being said, TCSO wants to make sure they’re doing it without interfering in the day to day operations of the agricultural industry.

By ALEXIS ESPINOZA 

All four Miller children — senior Abigale, sophomore Kaydence, eighth-grader Isabelle and fourth-grader Elijah — are part of the Pleasant View 4-H Club and were planning to show their hogs and goats at the Porterville Fair in May, until it was canceled on March 25 because of the coronavirus pandemic.

One element of the fair remains with the Save our Sale and Bid for the Kid allowing 4-H and FFA exhibitors to receive add-ons or sell one animal each. Buyer information must be received by 4 p.m. or postmarked Friday, May 1, for purchase or add-ons to sale animals, according to the Porterville Fair website. Visit portervillefair.com for more information. 

EDITOR'S NOTE: All animals listed in this story with tag numbers available for purchase through the Porterville Fair's Save our Sale and Bid for the Kid. Buyers have until 4 p.m. on Friday, May 1, to submit purchase or add-on forms.

Trinity Avila hates raising hogs. She has three lambs: Shelton (7619), Blake and Gwen. 

Her big brother, Tyler Avila, strongly dislikes lambs. He has three hogs: Johnny (778), Calvin and Klein.

But with six animals and busy athletic schedules for both siblings; the brother and sister, their parents and grandparents come together to take care of all the animals, regardless of if they like one species a lot more than the other.

Hailey Henschel knows these are her last few days with her pig, Banks (797).

The two are close and it’s obvious in the way they interact. Whether they’re separated by the bars of Banks’ pen or side-by-side in open area at the Strathmore High School farm, one thing is certain — Banks loves Henschel and Henschel loves Banks. 

But their time is short and Henschel is selling her swine project through the Porterville Fair’s Save our Sale and Bid for the Kid livestock sale. Buyers and those wanting to donate via add-on must submit their paperwork by Friday, May 1. Visit portervillefair.com for more information.

Thirteen-year olds, Cameron Shelton and Hailey Carothers, were planning to make the most of the Porterville Fair this year and raised new species to show and sell at the fair, but the coronavirus pandemic and stay-at-home orders shut down their plans. 

Once stay-at-home orders began going out in response to the coronavirus pandemic mid-March, Elizabeth Steenbergen knew there was a chance she wouldn’t be able to sell her hog, Wild (1018).

“When businesses and other places started closing down I was worried about being able to sell him at the fair,” Steenbergen said in an email. “We invested a lot of money into my hog and we were hoping to sell him and break even or make a little bit of profit off of him.”

Thankfully, Steenbergen still has an opportunity to sell her hog through the Porterville Fair’s Save our Sale and Bid for the Kid. Buyers can purchase or donate through add-ons for any animal or exhibitor by Friday, May 1. Visit portervillefair.com for more information.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced a $19 billion Coronavirus Food Assistance program to assist farmers and ranchers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

California Citrus Mutual officials and those from other fresh produce industries were in Washington D.C. recently to express their concerns over such issues trade, the budget, and the workforce in the fresh produce industry.

Thursday turned out to be a delightfully warm day, a great way to end the 2020 World Ag Expo in Tulare at the International Agri-Center. 

Driving along rural highways to get to the World Ag Expo on Wednesday, February 12, was a thrill. Abundant crops in neat checkerboard fields were thrilling to see, and bee boxes were set out in the almond and walnut orchards that lined the roadway intermittently.

TULARE — Traditionally the Farmer’s Almanac predicts rainy weather during early to middle February said Lt. Boatman from the Tulare Police Department, who was helping on the first day of the 2020 World Ag Expo on Tuesday, at the International Agri-Center in Tulare. 

The Porterville Unified School District has provided information on its Facebook page about the $33.4 million bond that will be placed on the March 3 ballot during the primary election for voters in the district to consider.

Despite the frigid temperatures over the weekend, the 32nd annual Sierra Winter Classic cattle show kicked off on Saturday morning at the Porterville Fairgrounds. 

It was begun by a small group of cattle breeders, 4-H leaders and parents but has now grown into major event for young beef exhibitors.

On September 23, 2019, the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office Ag Unit responded to a call for someone embezzling money from Best Agri Marketing along Highway 99 in Traver.

The Ag industry saw many changes over the course of the last decade. Despite the drought, which lasted a few years, and the discovery of many Psyllids in the citrus groves, overall ag has been booming in the area. Here’s a look at some major stories that made headlines over the past 10 years.

The Porterville Fair Heritage Association held its annual Roundup Dinner a the Porterville Fairgrounds on Saturday, with a different twist this year as a Ranch Sorting Competition was held in which 23 teams moved 10 head of cattle within a 75 second time limit. 

On Thursday, September 12, Armando Robles from Vandalia 4-H, showed his pig “Black Beauty” in the Novice Swine Showmanship class at the Tulare County Fair. He competed against 12 other individuals. 

There’s just something about these little kids even if Tyler Skiles had a little trouble at first explaining why she wanted to show pygmy goats.

Antique Farm Equipment Show steals hearts, brings memories

People came from all over the United States for a walk down memory lane at the 27th annual California Antique Farm Equipment show at the International Agri-Center in Tulare, which began Friday and runs through the weekend.

Walter Watte is the show chairman, and he said there is an antique tractor and truck parade on both Saturday and Sunday, and a special steak dinner fundraiser. Watte is featuring his Uncle George Watt’s 1947 two-cylinder John Deere in the show, but invited all makes and models. George was one of the show founder’s in 1993.

Pleasant View students apply technology in a handy way with H2O on the GO project

An ag technology project that started as a simple sensor to detect moisture in the soil for farmers became something else when eighth grade students at Pleasant View Elementary met with cowboys at Merritt Ranch in Strathmore and found out what they had to do to take care of the cattle and check the water levels daily on the huge ranch.

In charge of the project is Vahid Motazedian, Director of Rural Community and Research Initiatives for the Foundation for the Application of Science. (FAS)