Planting Seeds - Food & Farming News from CDFA

Category Archives: Healthy soils


Innovative collaborations boost soil health outreach — CDFA funding helps make it happen

Collaborative Project in Sacramento Valley increased outreach, regional cooperation Note — CDFA will join partners from around California to observe Healthy Soils Week, Dec 4 – 8. By Linda J. ForbesDirector of Strategic Communications, UC Agriculture and Natural Resources In … Continue reading

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Building Belowground Biodiversity: A Free Webinar for Healthy Soils Week 

Healthy Soils Week is December 5-9, 2022 More than a quarter of the world’s biodiversity lives belowground, in our soils. And about a third of the biodiversity in the United States is right here in California. California farmers and ranchers … Continue reading

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Climate Week 2022 – Meet CDFA Senior Environmental Scientist Elizabeth Hessom and learn about her work on the Healthy Soils Program

Elizabeth Hessom, a senior environmental scientist at CDFA, has been with the agency for a year and a half and currently works on the Healthy Soils Program, which helps producers to improve soil health, sequester carbon, and reduce greenhouse gas … Continue reading

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CDFA Secretary Karen Ross discusses climate smart, resilient and regenerative food systems with New Zealand’s Minister of Agriculture

On Tuesday, CDFA Secretary Karen Ross and State Board of Food and Agriculture President Don Cameron met with New Zealand Minister of Agriculture Damien O’Connor to discuss a variety of agricultural issues related to climate and trade. The meeting also … Continue reading

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Join CDFA in Celebration of National Pollinator Week, June 22-28, 2020

In honor of National Pollinator Week, California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Secretary Karen Ross will kick off a webinar on Thursday, June 25, 2020 entitled, “California’s Efforts to Restore and Protect Pollinator Populations.” The webinar, set for 10-11:30 … Continue reading

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2019 in Review: Climate Smart Agriculture

Visit CDFA’s Office of Environmental Farming Innovation website for more information.

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Healthy Soils Week: Legislative briefing demonstrates, explains the value of healthy soil

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USDA report takes stock of cover crop benefits

A new USDA report finds that farmers are likely to see returns from planting cover crops within three years if the practice is used to deal with herbicide-resistant weeds, to graze livestock or to reverse soil degradation. The report is … Continue reading

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Public invited to visit San Joaquin Valley soil health demonstration site in Five Points

UC Cooperative Extension cropping systems specialist Jeff Mitchell is issuing a standing invitation to the public to visit the site of an ongoing conservation agriculture research project and see for themselves the results of long-term soil-building practices. “Every Friday morning … Continue reading

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Healthy Soils: CDFA hosts Chinese delegation

CDFA recently hosted a Chinese delegation visiting to learn more about the department’s Healthy Soils Program. The delegation was comprised of directors and agronomists from China’s agricultural extension services, similar to the University of California Cooperative Extension service. The delegation was … Continue reading

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