Planting Seeds - Food & Farming News from CDFA

Monthly Archives: July 2017

State’s first water market for groundwater and agriculture – from the Ventura County Star

By Tyler Hersko Ventura County farmers can now buy and sell groundwater on a formal market. The market, the first of its kind in California, experts say will improve the economic value of farming and boost conservation efforts throughout the … Continue reading

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Cap and Trade funds ag innovation programs at CDFA

California’s Cap and Trade Program has been in the news a lot lately as elected officials consider its future. To further that discussion, the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) provides the following summary of activities that are supported … Continue reading

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Farm-to-School: getting nutritious food to the students who need it most

The California Department of Food and Agriculture’s (CDFA) Office of Farm to Fork was created with a mandate to increase access to healthier, California grown foods by supporting sales to school programs. The office has focused considerable effort on the Farm … Continue reading

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Farmworker literacy program and graduates lauded at Napa Valley Farmworker Foundation luncheon – from the Napa Valley Register

By Henry Lutz A decade ago, Silvia Ortiz was unemployed and desperate for work. But with scant grasp of English and unable to speak it, she remembers having to ask her then 6-year-old son: “How can I tell the winemaker … Continue reading

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CDFA Border Stations partner with CalFire for important fire safety reminders

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Fairs executive Stephen Chambers honored for 30 years of service to industry

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Crops, water and habitat are a California farmer’s winning trifecta – from the Environmental Defense Fund blog

By Ann Hayden During times of water scarcity, like California’s recent drought, it’s tempting to take on a binary view of the world.  This was definitely the case with agriculture, which appeared to be at odds with everyone: farms vs. … Continue reading

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Figs are ripe for the picking – from the Santa Rosa Press Democrat

By Jeff Cox How lucky we are to live in this region’s Mediterranean climate — because we can eat fresh, tree-ripened figs! Folks who live outside of (our region) may have never tasted a fig pulled right off the tree. … Continue reading

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Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research launches multi-million-dollar international effort to accelerate crop development

The Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR), a nonprofit organization established through bipartisan congressional support in the 2014 Farm Bill, has joined with a number of private sector partners to launch the Crops of the Future Collaborative, a new … Continue reading

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CDFA chemistry lab says farewell to Nirmal Saini after a 41-year career

Surrounded by his wife, four children, grandchildren, and extended family and friends, Nirmal Saini celebrated his retirement at a luncheon on Friday, June 30. A banquet room full of his colleagues and peers paid tribute to their friend, led by … Continue reading

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