Planting Seeds - Food & Farming News from CDFA

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UC Davis study questions link of fast food to lower-income obesity

http://www.sacbee.com/2011/10/28/4012891/uc-davis-study-questions-link.html Fast food alone cannot be blamed for high obesity rates among people with low incomes, according to a new UC Davis Center for Healthcare Policy and Research study. The research calls into question stereotypes that have led some cities … Continue reading

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Guarding the grease – CDFA teams with law enforcement to stop thefts of inedible kitchen grease

Inedible kitchen grease (IKG), once regarded as a waste product and used primarily as an additive for animal feed, has become an elixir in the booming green economy.  The grease’s value as a biofuel is being increasingly recognized.  IKG is now coveted, which makes it a target … Continue reading

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News Release – Secretary Ross welcomes USDA funding for organic research

CDFA Secretary Karen Ross is congratulating the University of California at Santa Cruz for winning a grant of more than $2.6 million from the USDA for organic research.  The grant is among $19 million being issued nationally by the USDA … Continue reading

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Food Day is for everyone

The inaugural Food Day celebration occurring today is an idea whose time has come.  While, in fact, every day is “food day” for the nearly seven-billion people on Earth, the topic of local food production is hotter than ever in … Continue reading

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Update – Oriental Fruit Fly Quarantine in Place in Orange County

A 75-square mile quarantine is now in place in the Anaheim area of Orange County, due to an Oriental fruit fly infestation. For more information, including a map of the quarantine zone, please visit this CDFA Internet page .

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Statewide agritourism concepts to be explored at upcoming UC conference – Secretary Ross scheduled to speak

The UC Small Farm Program and UC Cooperative Extension invite agritourism leaders, advisors, promoters and regulators from all over the state to strategize about building better support for California agritourism operators at a statewide agritourism summit to be held November … Continue reading

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Update – California farmers call Colorado cantaloupe incident isolated – from the Los Angeles Times

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/money_co/2011/10/california-cantaloupes-listeria-safe.html Federal regulators’ pinpointing of a deadly listeria food poisoning to a single packing shed in Colorado provides evidence that the outbreak was an isolated case of poor sanitation practices, according to California’s biggest trade group for fresh fruits, nuts … Continue reading

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News Release – Oriental fruit fly detected in Anaheim

The California Department of Food and Agriculture is preparing for a quarantine and treatment program to eradicate an Oriental fruit fly (OFF) infestation in the Anaheim area of Orange County. The quarantine will also affect an adjacent portion of southern … Continue reading

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News Release – Food and Ag Board meeting on Oct 26 to discuss water transfers

The California State Board of Food and Agriculture will discuss policies for agricultural water transfers at its regularly scheduled meeting on October 26th in Sacramento. The meeting will be held from 10:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the California Department … Continue reading

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Scoping report complete for Statewide Plant Pest Prevention and Management Program EIR

The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) has prepared a Scoping Report for its Statewide Plant Pest Prevention and Management Program Environmental Impact Report (EIR).  This Scoping Report summarizes the comments and questions raised during the public scoping period … Continue reading

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