Planting Seeds - Food & Farming News from CDFA

Monthly Archives: July 2011

News Release – Beneficial bugs for water hyacinth control in Delta

SACRAMENTO, CA, July 28, 2011 – A small insect, native to South America, has been brought to California waterways thanks to its voracious appetite for water hyacinth, an invasive aquatic plant that chokes the sloughs and canals of the San … Continue reading

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News Release – CDFA announces vacancies on organic and farmers market advisory committees

SACRAMENTO, July 28, 2011 – The California Department of Food and Agriculture is announcing 18 vacancies on two advisory committees overseen by the department’s Inspection and Compliance Branch. Vacancies are available on the California Organic Products Advisory Committee and the … Continue reading

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State Ag Board Focuses on Farm Animal Welfare

Our last state board meeting generated a lot of discussion and feedback from farmers and ranchers from across the state. Farm animal welfare is a passionate issue on all sides of the discussion. It is a topic important to California … Continue reading

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Secretary Ross, CDFA Unveil “Planting Seeds” Blog

Welcome to Planting Seeds, CDFA’s new blog about food and farming! The people of CDFA are engaged in a wide variety of programs that help us protect the food supply and natural resources of California. We plan to use Planting Seeds to … Continue reading

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Update – Statewide Plant Pest Prevention and Management Program Environmental Impact Report (EIR)

Public scoping comments for the draft EIR were accepted through Monday, June 25, 2011. CDFA thanks those who took the time to attend five scoping sessions held throughout the state. The department also received written comments from stakeholders and members … Continue reading

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Beneficial Bugs: USDA releasing hundreds of thousands of sterile LBAM in Long Beach

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has begun a five-month pilot project in Long Beach, California to determine whether sterile insect technology (SIT) can be an effective tool in agricultural officials’ ongoing effort to control the invasive light brown … Continue reading

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National Ag Association Surveys States’ Raw Milk Regs

The National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) has released its latest iteration of a recurring survey of state laws governing raw milk. Five states have strengthened standards for how much bacteria is permitted in government sampling of raw … Continue reading

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