Planting Seeds - Food & Farming News from CDFA

Author Archives: Office of Public Affairs

Draft industrial hemp regulations ready for review

CDFA has issued draft regulations for industrial hemp cultivation in California and is accepting public comments through December 24. After comments are considered CDFA will move to finalize the regulations and anticipates that county agricultural commissioners will begin accepting applications … Continue reading →

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CDFA and USDA join cotton industry to celebrate Pink Bollworm eradication – from Western Farm Press

By Todd Fichette For the second time in several years eradication of a vicious agricultural pest was achieved in the United States (and California) as the cotton industry hails elimination of the pink bollworm, a destructive pest that threatened to … Continue reading →

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Climate change: Bug-covered ‘bionic mushroom’ generates clean energy – from BBC News

By Matt McGrath, BBC US researchers have successfully tested the rather whacky idea of producing electricity from a mushroom covered in bacteria. The scientists used 3D printing to attach clusters of energy-producing bugs to the cap of a button mushroom. … Continue reading →

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CDFA at Latino Farmer Conference

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Videos with information about Virulent Newcastle Disease

CDFA and the USDA continue with their efforts to eradicate an outbreak of virulent Newcastle disease in Southern California – in Riverside, San Bernardino and Los Angeles counties. Here are some important reminders in English and Spanish.

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If you’re wasting food you’re making climate change worse – from USA Today

By Tia Nelson Wasting food has been called the “world’s dumbest environmental problem.” Every year, the average family of four in the U.S. tosses roughly $2,000 in food; 30 to 40 percent of food produced in this country ends up discarded. At dinner, our parents urged … Continue reading →

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New California law puts teeth into bee registration requirement – from Western Farm Press

By Todd Fichette California agricultural commissioners now have the regulatory “teeth” they sought to enforce bee registration each year – something they long complained was needed to protect the pollinators. Pest control advisors at the recent annual meeting of the … Continue reading →

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Video: CDFA and Secretary Ross featured in PBS program “Valley’s Gold”

The PBS program “Valley’s Gold” recently welcomed CDFA Secretary Karen Ross to discuss the agency’s many roles in facilitating farming and ranching, as well as its positive impacts on the daily lives of Californians. She is followed in the program … Continue reading →

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Cow power – Truck at Northern California dairy utilizes convenient fuel source

   

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Scientists push for a crash program to scrub carbon from air – from the New York Times

By Brad Plumer With time running out to avoid dangerous global warming, the nation’s leading scientific body  urged the federal government to begin a research program focused on developing technologies that can remove vast quantities of carbon dioxide out of … Continue reading →

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