Planting Seeds - Food & Farming News from CDFA

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NY Times/Reuters – French classify ancient vines as national treasure

http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2012/06/26/world/europe/26reuters-wine-plague.html A wine plague spread by lice destroyed vines in France in the 19th century but a small area in the Pyrenees, which contains plants up to 200 years old, was spared and is being classified as a national heritage … Continue reading

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Parody video – “I’m Farming and I Grow it”

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USDA – Child born in 2011 will cost $234,900 to raise

http://content.govdelivery.com/bulletins/gd/USDAOC-44ad97 WASHINGTON, June 14, 2012 — Today, USDA released the annual report, Expenditures on Children by Families, finding that a middle-income family with a child born in 2011 can expect to spend about $234,900 ($295,560 if projected inflation costs are … Continue reading

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California Food in China – A Reputation for Safety and Quality

In the many meetings I’ve attended in Shanghai this week, one theme resonates over and over again – the excellent quality and food safety provided by California farmers and ranchers. California products have a strong reputation, which has helped generate more than … Continue reading

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Of Canadian geese, worker training and record-keeping – building a culture of food safety on the farm

Last week, a group of Canadian food writers and bloggers, accompanied by staff of the California Leafy Green Products Handler Marketing Agreement (LGMA), toured two leafy greens fields and a processing facility in the Salinas area. The group was there … Continue reading

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California comes to Shanghai

I am making my first-ever visit to Shanghai, China and I’m very impressed with the quality and reputation of California grown food products here. I’m joining 27 California food companies as part of a trade mission supported by the California … Continue reading

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Sacramento Bee-Chinese wine buyers visit Lodi

http://www.sacbee.com/2012/06/12/4554935/lodi-vintners-welcome-chinese.html LODI – With bottles ready for tasting, a group of Lodi wine producers waited anxiously Friday morning for a delegation of monied business people they hoped to impress. The vintners burst into applause when the group finally arrived, over … Continue reading

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Secretary Ross in video urging participation in Census of Agriculture

CDFA Secretary Karen Ross appears in a short video PSA reminding California farmers and ranchers to participate in the USDA’s 2012 Census of Agriculture. July 1 is the deadline for signing up for the census, which is intended to be … Continue reading

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CBS News/Associated Press – Bees pollinate the Big Apple

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57448205/urban-beekeeping-all-the-buzz-among-posh-hotels/ (CBS/AP) NEW YORK – An iconic hotel in the heart of midtown Manhattan is buzzing with thousands of tiny new visitors. But watch out: They’ll sting if you get too close. Honeybees have taken up residence at the Waldorf-Astoria … Continue reading

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New York Times reports on upcoming foie gras ban

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/06/dining/california-chefs-mount-a-repeal-of-foie-gras-ban-set-for-july-1.html?_r=2&scp=5&sq=agriculture&st=nyt Waddling Into the Sunset By JESSE McKINLEY PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. THE countdown to foie-mageddon has begun. With less than a month until California’s first-in-the nation ban on foie gras takes effect, fans of the fattened duck and goose liver … Continue reading

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