Planting Seeds - Food & Farming News from CDFA

Author Archives: Office of Public Affairs

State Board of Food and Ag to focus on water at Sept. 11 meeting in Mendota

http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/egov/Press_Releases/Press_Release.asp?PRnum=12-032 The California State Board of Food and Agriculture will discuss a variety of water issues at its upcoming meeting on September 11, 2012. The meeting will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Spreckels Sugar Company … Continue reading

Posted in AG Vision, Environment | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Celebrate National Honey Month by Learning about Honey Bee Haven at UC Davis

With the month of Septepmber–National Honey Month–just ahead, it’s a good time to feature The Häagen-Dazs Honey Bee Haven -a half-acre bee-friendly garden next to the Harry H. Laidlaw Jr. Honey Bee Research Facility at UC Davis.  The garden is designed to provide bees with a year-around … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Rooftop farms flourish in space-starved Hong Kong

http://phys.org/news/2012-08-rooftop-farms-flourish-space-starved-hong.html   Against a backdrop of skyscrapers and jungle-clad hills, earth-filled boxes are spread out on the roof of the 14-storey building, where a wide variety of produce including cucumbers and potatoes are cultivated. It is one of several such … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments

News Release – Medfly Infestation Triggers Quarantine in Rancho Cucamonga Area

http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/egov/Press_Releases/Press_Release.asp?PRnum=12-031 A quarantine has been declared due to a Mediterranean fruit fly infestation detected in the Rancho Cucamonga area of San Bernardino County. Three adult males and one unmated female were detected in two traps on August 16, 2012. The … Continue reading

Posted in Agricultural Education, Invasive Species, Specialty Crops | Tagged , | Leave a comment

News Release – California Releases 2012 Bioenergy Action Plan

http://www.resources.ca.gov/docs/Final_Bioenergy_Action_Plan_Release_8-22-12.pdf California state agencies today released the 2012 Bioenergy Action Plan to accelerate clean energy development, job creation, and protection of public health and safety. Bioenergy is energy produced from organic waste such as agricultural, forest and urban wastes that … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

News Release – Vacancy on Fertilizer Technical Advisory Committee

http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/egov/Press_Releases/Press_Release.asp?PRnum=12-030 SACRAMENTO, August, 15, 2012 – The California Department of Food and Agriculture is announcing a vacancy on the Fertilizer Research and Education Program’s Technical Advisory Subcommittee. This subcommittee reviews and recommends fertilizer research and education programs to CDFA’s Fertilizer … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Steam shown to kill sudden oak death pathogen- From SF Chronicle

http://www.sfgate.com/science/article/Steam-shown-to-kill-Calif-plant-disease-3788696.php Scientists say they have discovered a new way to kill California’s most virulent forest- and plant-depleting disease, and it turns out the technique is as old as steam cleaning. Steam, in fact, is what researchers at Dominican University in … Continue reading

Posted in AG Vision, Environment, Invasive Species | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Hollywood is Buzzing with Food … But Where are the Farmers? From the Food Dialogues

http://www.fooddialogues.com/posts/2012/08/06/hollywood-is-buzzing-with-food-but-where-are-the-farmers By George Motz Unlike stars in Hollywood, “food” may not have an agent, but it has definitely reached celebrity status across America. From documentary films to reality culinary challenges to stand-‘n-stir TV shows, the entertainment industry has created a … Continue reading

Posted in AG Vision, Agricultural Education, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Climate change is another reason to protect farmland – From the Sacramento Bee’s “Viewpoints” section

One of the co-authors of this story, Richard Rominger, is a former CDFA director (now secretary) and USDA deputy secretary. The other co-author, Renata Brillinger, is executive director of the Climate and Agriculture Network.   http://www.sacbee.com/2012/08/02/4684014/climate-change-is-another-reason.html By Rich Rominger and Renata Brillinger … Continue reading

Posted in AG Vision, Climate Change | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

What happens to school gardens in summer?

http://grist.org/food/no-more-trowels-no-more-roots-what-happens-to-school-gardens-in-summer/ The biggest irony of the school garden is that it often goes untended during summer, the peak season. This is no coincidence; what we now call “summer vacation” used to be the time when most parents needed their children … Continue reading

Posted in AG Vision, Agricultural Education, Community-based Food System, Food Access, Uncategorized | Tagged | Leave a comment