In the July-September 2003 issue of the University of California’s California Agriculture journal, UC experts explain why California consumers can choose from a growing selection of high-quality, low-cost wines and more locally produced farmstead or “artisan� cheeses when filling their picnic baskets this summer. California’s wine industry is fragmenting into distinct price and quality sectors, UC researchers report, while artisan cheeses — and many other value-added products and specialty crops — are creating important new markets for small farmers. The current issue of California Agriculture, including PDF-versions of peer-reviewed research articles in full, can be viewed online at: http://danr.ucop.edu/calag/

In the wine industry analysis, experts explain how market trends such as increased imports, globalization and the current grape glut have transformed the state’s wine industry, while providing consumers with higher-quality, lower-cost wines. Philip Martin and Dale Heien, UC Davis professors of agricultural and resource economics, explain that consumers are drinking less but better wine, causing some grape growers to upgrade their crops. Consequently, “if demand for jug or generic wines continues to fall, the 21st-century wine industry may operate at very different speeds, with one segment enjoying record profits while another uproots unprofitable grapes,� Martin and Heien report. Contact: Martin, (530) 752-1530, martin@primal.ucdavis.edu.

Another article describes the rapid expansion in California’s specialty cheese production over the past decade. In a new project on artisan cheeses, UC dairy advisor Barbara Reed interviewed California cheese makers and found that some have experienced annual sales growth of 40% or more over the past 2 years. In survey research and focus groups, Reed and UC Davis consumer researcher Christine Bruhn found that specialty cheese consumers enjoy sampling cheeses in an unhurried retail environment; are attracted to romantic narratives about how, where and by whom the cheese was made; and are not price-sensitive when making purchases. “Although the California artisan cheese industry is still in its infancy, like the wine industry of the 1970s, it has lots of room for growth,� they conclude. Contact: Reed, (530) 865-1107, bareed@ucdavis.edu.

Premium wines and artisan cheeses are part of a growing array of value-added, farmstead products that have been a boon to California’s small farmers. While market trends have squeezed small farmers, some have developed profitable niches — including olive oil, grass-fed beef and specialty crops such as blueberries or passion fruit. In the California Agriculture editorial Ellen Rilla, UC Cooperative Extension director for Marin County, describes how small farmers are increasing profits by marketing their unique wares directly to consumers on the farm or at farmers’ markets. Rilla notes, “The renaissance of specialty foods has not only been a boon to growers and consumers, it has also revitalized rural communities and in some cases improved the environment.� Contact: Rilla, (415) 499-4204, erilla@ucdavis.edu.

Other peer-reviewed articles in the July-September 2003 issue:

Low-income consumers want labels on genetically modified foods: In focus groups conducted around the state, the vast majority (80% to 85%) of low-income consumers were not aware of genetically modified foods. But after the concept was introduced, 25% to 30% were concerned about safety or ethics. The focus-group participants strongly (80%) supported labeling foods as genetically modified, including information on the source of the DNA and nutritional comparisons to unmodified products. “The lack of solid information could make this audience even more susceptible to misinformation and mistrust of the food production system,� UC Cooperative Extension specialist Nicelma King found. Contact: King, (530) 752-3863, njking@ucdavis.edu.

BIOS fights pests, maintains walnuts yields: In a 3-year comparison with conventionally managed walnuts, Biologically Integrated Orchard Systems (BIOS) provided similar yields and nut quality while effectively combating important walnut pests such as codling moth, aphids and mites. BIOS uses principles of integrated pest management (IPM) to reduce the environmental impacts of farming. In the study, conducted by UC Cooperative Extension farm advisor Joe Grant and colleagues, growers used cutting-edge, pheromone-based mating-disruption technologies to combat codling moth, significantly reducing the number of insecticide applications during the growing season. However, mating disruption is still considered prohibitively expensive by many walnut growers. Contact: Grant, (209) 468-9490, jagrant@ucdavis.edu.

Dairy flow meters aid in nutrient management: Dairy operators are under increasing pressure to reduce the environmental impacts of dairy manure, which they mix with water for application to irrigated crops as fertilizer. Flow meters allow dairy operators to measure the amount of manure water that is being applied to fields, thereby reducing the amount of excess nutrients such as nitrogen that may reach groundwater. In tests, UC Davis irrigation specialist Larry Schwankl and colleagues found that Doppler and electromagnetic flow meters, though expensive, were accurate and dependable for measuring manure-water flow rates. Contact: Schwankl, (530) 752-4634, ljschwankl@ucdavis.edu.

California Agriculture is the University of California’s peer-reviewed journal of research in agricultural, human and natural resources. For a free subscription, call (510) 987-0044 or write to calag@ucop.edu.