The state is reminding farmers and other outdoor employers of rules to protect workers from heat. The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health plans meetings in the Modesto area and elsewhere to prepare for the warm months ahead.

Wine-grape growers in California and around the world will be forced to move their vineyards north to cooler environments within the next few decades as climate change causes temperatures to rise, conservation biologists say in a study published this week.

A proposal to raise farmers' water bills by 10 percent failed Tuesday at the hands of a sharply divided Modesto Irrigation District board.

OK, so the Easter rain made for some sloppy egg hunts, but we should feel blessed by the early spring storm that helped make up for a dry stretch and could keep grass green for longer in the nonirrigated hills that flank the valley.

Decades after César Chávez organized workers in the dusty fields of California, his grandson walked into a posh re- ception room in the Napa Valley.

The Modesto Certified Farmers Market, which will launch its 35th season Saturday, looks as healthy as ever. It will offer fruits, vegetables, nuts, cheese and other foods to people who — if they know what's good for them — will make it to the 16th Street location.

California's huge dairy industry, which has played by its own rules since the 1930s, could partially end its unique way of doing business under new legislation that has united lawmakers throughout the state.

At an Oakdale luncheon Thursday, people in food processing talked about exports involving Stanislaus County: Walnuts, almonds, tomatoes, salmon … Yes, salmon.

Spring started at 4:02 a.m. today, according to scientists who track Earth's axis, but cattle ranchers wouldn't mind if winter stayed around for a little while. They hope the storm that was expected to arrive overnight will boost grasses that have had little rain since late December.

People wanting a ride to Wednesday's important water board hearing in Sacramento can catch an early morning bus chartered by local water agencies. The bus departs at 7 a.m. from the Turlock Irrigation District, 333 E. Canal Dr., and will pick up other passengers by 7:30 a.m at the Modesto Irrigation District, 1231 11th St.

Pitman High School found space, between the baseball field and the track, for students to plant a vegetable garden. It is the work of the FFA, which teaches agricultural and leadership skills to about 550,000 members across the nation.

Farmers, anti-hunger groups, environmentalists, and people in the retail and restaurant industries came together Tuesday to talk about how reduce food waste and get that food into the hands of the hungry.

When people call in sick, co-workers might try to pick up the slack. Almond growers hope the same is true for the worker bees in their orchards.

You won't need mud on your tires or hay bales in your pickup bed to show other motorists that you support farming. You can do it with a commemorative license plate to be launched this month by the California Department of Motor Vehicles.

Three weeks ago, the Got Milk? people talked about how their product would fuel up the Super Bowl quarterbacks on game day. Now they have a message on how milk can help calm children at bedtime.