Monthly Archives: July 2012

West Nile virus in horses – first case of 2012

Posted on July 31, 2012 by Dr. Annette Whiteford Jones, California State Veterinarian

An unfortunate annual event occurred last week – for the first time in 2012, a horse in California was found to have west Nile virus. The two-year old filly from Stanislaus County wasn’t vaccinated and had to be euthanized.  Each … Continue reading →

Posted in Animal health, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

Farmers help save rare tricolored blackbirds by delaying harvests- Fresno Bee

Posted on July 30, 2012 by Office of Public Affairs

http://www.fresnobee.com/2012/07/28/2927254/valley-farmers-help-save-tricolored.html Shortly before harvest this spring, thousands of rare birds suddenly flocked to a Tulare County wheat field and nested — setting the stage for a vast killing field with baby birds. But the dairy farmer who was growing the … Continue reading →

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California State Fair brings together farming, heritage and communities

Posted on July 26, 2012 by Karen Ross, California Agriculture Secretary

I had a chance to visit the California State Fair this week and, as the fair nears the end of another successful run at Cal Expo, I thought I would take a moment to share my thoughts about its meaning … Continue reading →

Posted in Agricultural Education, Fairs, Uncategorized | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Solar panels and onion power show the way to Ag energy self-sufficiency

Posted on July 25, 2012 by Karen Ross, California Agriculture Secretary

One of the strategic objectives of Ag Vision: Strategies for Sustainability is to achieve the maximum usage of renewable energy by agriculture, thereby increasing economic productivity while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving air quality.  Governor Brown has demonstrated important leadership with policy … Continue reading →

Posted in AG Vision, Alternative Fuels, Climate Change, Environment, Specialty Crops, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

USDA Secretary Vilsack Announces New Drought Assistance Efforts

Posted on July 24, 2012 by Office of Public Affairs

http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?contentid=2012/07/0247.xml&contentidonly=true WASHINGTON, July 23, 2012 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced new flexibility and assistance in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s major conservation programs to get much-needed help to livestock producers as the most wide-spread drought in seven decades … Continue reading →

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Antelope Valley Fair leads the way with commitment to help develop future farmers and ranchers

Posted on July 18, 2012 by Karen Ross, California Agriculture Secretary

One of the most serious challenges facing farming is a world food demand that is expected to double by 2050. And while it’s true that there are opportunities within any challenge, this particular one is made more complex by the … Continue reading →

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In Defense of Genetically Modified Crops – from Mother Jones

Posted on July 17, 2012 by Office of Public Affairs

http://www.motherjones.com/blue-marble/2012/06/gmo-bt-pesticides-crops Cotton bolls in the field Heather Ingram/Flickr Genetically modified Bt crops get a pretty bad rap. The pest-killing Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) bacteria protein these plants are bioengineered to make has been accused of harming monarch butterflies, honey bees, rats, … Continue reading →

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Foie Gras Goes Underground at California “Duckeasies” – from Bloomberg News

Posted on July 17, 2012 by Office of Public Affairs

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-07-17/foie-gras-goes-underground-at-california-duckeasies-.html Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images A Foie gras dish is prepared at a restaurant in California.   On July 15, about a dozen people walked into a cozy San Francisco restaurant with a window sign reading “private event” to savor foie … Continue reading →

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USDA declares largest natural disaster area ever due to drought. With thanks to the Atlantic Wire

Posted on July 12, 2012 by Office of Public Affairs

 http://www.theatlanticwire.com/national/2012/07/us-declares-largest-natural-disaster-area-ever-due-drought/54479/ The blistering summer and ongoing drought conditions have the prompted the U.S. Agriculture Department to declare a federal disaster area in more than 1,000 counties covering 26 states. That’s almost one-third of all the counties in the United States, … Continue reading →

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A world free of foot-and-mouth disease within sight – from the Homeland Security News Wire

Posted on July 9, 2012 by Office of Public Affairs

http://www.homelandsecuritynewswire.com/dr20120708-a-world-free-of-footandmouth-disease-within-sight The Departments of Homeland Security and Agriculture have developed a novel vaccine for one of the seven strains of the dreaded foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), paving the way for the development of the others; FMD is one of the most … Continue reading →

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