2018 nut crops imperiled by Valley hard freeze. A visit to Zaiger Genetics.

The fruit and nut tree blossoms on California’s farms look great right now, but how well will they bear fruit due to last week’s wide-spread hard freeze? California’s almond crop is especially at risk. Why are the state’s dairy producers at a competitive disadvantage? We explain their efforts to become part of the more lucrative Federal Milk Market Order. The fast riser in commercial almond orchards is the self-fertile Independence almond, a development of Zaiger Genetics in Modesto, which is also home to popular tree fruits such as the pluot and aprium. We learn about the extensive, decades-long hybridization successes of Floyd Zaiger and his family. Plus the latest NAFTA developments and how California farmers are attempting to sway Washington to adopt an ag-friendly immigration program, Coming up, on this edition of the KSTE Farm Hour.