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Outdated Water Regulations: A Call for Action
Despite the fact that California has very full Northern California reservoirs and plenty of capacity in the major aqueducts and space to store water south of the delta, the state and federal delta pumping plants sit virtually idle, allowing tens of thousands of acre-feet of fresh water to flow out to the ocean every day. As the Water Blueprint for the San Joaquin Valley pointed...
Apr 25, 20252 min read


Milk, Dairy and Grain Market Commentary
The cheese markets moved from strength to strength after the early-spring selloff energized exports. U.S. cheese is the cheapest in the world, and shipments to key markets – including Mexico and South Korea – remained formidable through February. USDA’s Dairy Market News reports that, more recently, export orders have been stronger than expected, as Mexican buyers have not been deterred by trade war uncertainty. American exporters are hustling to move cheese abroad, which has
Apr 18, 20253 min read


Milk, Dairy and Grain Market Commentary
Spring has sprung and the resurgence of allergies isn’t the only sign of the season. Milk volumes are also expanding in most regions as the spring flush moves across the country. Seasonal increases are compounding milk volumes that are growing year over year both in liquid terms and in component values. As a result, milk supplies are plentiful in most parts of the U.S. Demand from bottlers has generally been upbeat, especially as many educational institutions are wrapping up
Apr 11, 20254 min read


Milk, Dairy and Grain Market Commentary
Tariff drama took center stage again this week as the long-awaited “Liberation Day” arrived. Speaking from the Rose Garden, President...
Apr 4, 20254 min read
California Dairy Sustainability Summit Includes Dairy Water Panel
A well-attended panel discussion on water for dairy operations was part of the program for the California Dairy Sustainability Summit...
Mar 28, 20258 min read


Milk, Dairy and Grain Market Commentary
Dairy producers are doing all they can to keep their barns and milk tanks full, and it shows. In the week ending March 15, they sent just...
Mar 28, 20253 min read


Milk, Dairy and Grain Market Commentary
The days are getting longer and milk production is climbing. It’s officially spring. The Midwest welcomed in the new season with a few...
Mar 21, 20254 min read


Milk, Dairy and Grain Market Commentary
The dairy markets are adjusting to the new regime. Trade threats – and new tariffs on U.S. dairy exports to Canada and China – have...
Mar 14, 20253 min read
SGMA Roundup
Semitropic Water Storage District in Kern County approved paying its share of the planning and permitting cost for the delta tunnel this...
Mar 14, 20254 min read


Milk, Dairy and Grain Market Commentary
Like a teenager in a bad relationship, U.S. tariffs on goods from Canada and Mexico are on-again, off-again, and then changing their...
Mar 7, 20254 min read


CDFA Announces Plans for Referendum to Terminate QIP
On February 21, the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) announced that it is their intention to schedule a referendum...
Feb 28, 20251 min read


Milk, Dairy and Grain Market Commentary
Red ink flooded Chicago this week. The dairy markets suffered a deluge of data and news that invigorated the bears. The trade war heated up.
Feb 28, 20255 min read


Milk, Dairy and Grain Market Commentary
U.S. milk production may have changed its tune. After slipping in the final months of 2024, output appears to have grown in January,
Feb 21, 20254 min read
Kern Subbasin Probationary Hearing Scheduled for February 20
I attended two separate Kern Subbasin GSA board meetings this past week. The Kern folks are ready for their hearing. A tremendous amount...
Feb 15, 20251 min read
Pumping 1/100th of Available Water: A Case Study in Regulatory Constraints
On February 10, 2025, flows from the Sacramento River through the Delta were increasing following a series of storms in Northern California.
Feb 15, 20253 min read


Milk, Dairy and Grain Market Commentary
Love is in the air. And while folks across the country may be looking forward to preparing a special date night dinner for their...
Feb 15, 20254 min read
President Trump is the Great Disrupter and California Water Management Needs Disruption
California is in a situation right now where the northern part of the state (above Sacramento) is very wet, and the rest of the state...
Feb 7, 20252 min read


Milk, Dairy and Grain Market Commentary
It was a truly wild week on LaSalle Street. The dairy markets swung violently back and forth amid the on-again, off-again trade war.
Feb 7, 20254 min read


Milk, Dairy and Grain Market Commentary
This week may have been light on USDA reports, but there was no shortage of news for the dairy markets to digest. Developing stories...
Jan 31, 20254 min read
White House Releases Memo on California Water
On January 20, the White House released a Presidential Action memo on California water (see below). While the intent of the memo is...
Jan 24, 20252 min read
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