The decline of Delta asparagus. Giant swamp rat found near Stockton farm.

The annual Stockton Asparagus festival is happening this weekend, but how many more years can it exist with the steep decline in Delta-area asparagus production? Why has this popular vegetable fallen on hard times locally? As if our fragile waterway systems in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta didn’t have enough problems, a nutria - a 20-pound, levee-devouring swamp rodent - has been found in the area west of Stockton…We have an update on the northward spread of this dangerous pest. What are the chances for a U.S. return to membership in the Trans Pacific Partnership, a vital component for California’s agricultural export industry? All that, crop reports, and more…on this week’s KSTE Farm Hour.