Planting Seeds - Food & Farming News from CDFA

Monthly Archives: August 2018

Climate change: hotter weather turbocharges US West Wildfires – from Associated Press via ABC News

By Seth Borenstein, Associated Press science writer As temperatures rise in the U.S. West, so do the flames. The years with the most acres burned by wildfires have some of the hottest temperatures, an Associated Press analysis of fire and weather data … Continue reading

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New detections of West Nile Virus in California horses

A dangerous disease, west Nile virus, has returned to California this summer.  Last week, four horses were diagnosed with the disease – two in Sacramento County and one each in Kern and Placer counties. Two of the horses have been euthanized … Continue reading

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Growing together with community gardens – from the San Diego Union Tribune

By Nan Sterman If you dream of gardening but live in an apartment or a high rise or simply don’t have the space, don’t give up. Look for a nearby community garden — a piece of land from several acres … Continue reading

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Officials assess wildfires’ toll on agriculture – from Ag Alert

By Kevin Hecteman, Ag Alert / California Farm Bureau Federation As the Ranch Fire became California’s largest-ever wildfire during the past weekend, the county where it’s doing the most damage—Lake—continued assessing the toll on local farmers and ranchers. Keith Brandt, … Continue reading

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Street tree changes needed to adapt to climate

From Morning Ag Clips Many common street trees now growing in the interior of California are unlikely to persist in the warmer climate expected in 2099, according to research published in the July 2018 issue of the journal Urban Forestry & … Continue reading

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California groundwater law means changes above ground, too – from KQED

By Matt Weiser, Water Deeply The Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), adopted in 2014, will change more than groundwater. The requirement to end overdraft will also transform land use, a massive side effect yet to be widely recognized. Parts of California will … Continue reading

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Winners named in apple-picking robot competition; California schools show well

From Morning Ag Clips DETROIT — China Agricultural University (CAU) took home top honors in the 2018 ASABE Robotics Student Design Competition, held July 31 in Detroit. CAU teams won in both the advanced and beginner divisions. Among the advanced … Continue reading

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Secretary Ross discusses importance of upcoming Global Climate Action Summit and Sustainability Roadmap

CDFA Secretary Karen Ross joined other participants yesterday at AT&T Park in San Francisco to brief reporters on next month’s Global Climate Action Summit, and to release a Sustainability Roadmap for the event. The Roadmap lays out a plan to … Continue reading

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California joins nation in celebrating National Farmers Market Week

The USDA has designated the week of August 5-11 as National Farmers Market Week. California leads the nation with nearly 800 certified farmers markets – sales venues for certified agricultural producers selling healthy and high-quality produce directly to consumers. Until 1977, … Continue reading

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CDFA working with DWR on emerging groundwater recharge strategy

Later this month the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) is hosting a public workshop on Flood-MAR, an emerging water management strategy that could improve water-resources sustainability throughout the state. At CDFA, Dr. Amrith Gunasekara, Science Advisor to the Secretary and a … Continue reading

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