Author Archives: Office of Public Affairs

WASHINGTON, Oct. 7, 2014 – Agriculture Deputy Secretary Krysta Harden today announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will improve farm loans by expanding eligibility and increasing lending limits to help more beginning and family farmers. As part of … Continue reading →

By Angela Fritz Researchers studying the fingerprint of human-caused climate change on extreme weather events in 2013 have found that it played a role in half of the events that they looked at, including the California drought and extreme heat events. Climate … Continue reading →

This is a reprise post from our Growing California video series. Apple Hill is now open for its annual fall run in El Dorado County. This video content is no longer available.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that the nation’s farmer, rancher and fishery cooperatives set a new sales record in 2013, with total business volume of more than $246 billion. That surpasses the previous record, set in 2012, by $8 billion, … Continue reading →

By David Karp Bringing to fruition a decade-long campaign by farmers market stakeholders, on Friday, California Gov. Jerry Brown signed AB 1871, which for the first time provides what supporters say is adequate funding to ensure that growers at certified farmers markets produce … Continue reading →

By Dale Kasler It’s harvest time in much of California, and the signs of drought are almost as abundant as the fruits and nuts and vegetables. One commodity after another is feeling the impact of the state’s epic water shortage. The great Sacramento … Continue reading →

The Obama Administration today announced the launch of the Global Alliance for Climate Smart Agriculture, a new effort to promote greater international engagement on ways agriculture can help mitigate the impact of climate change. The announcement, during the United Nations … Continue reading →

With the massive King Fire northeast of Placerville continuing to burn, the El Dorado County Fairgrounds continues its critical role as a nerve center for fire fighters as they work to gain the upper hand. The fairgrounds are serving as … Continue reading →