Planting Seeds - Food & Farming News from CDFA

Category Archives: Food Access


CDFA Undersecretary Birdsong applauds partnership as USDA announces funding for schools to purchase locally grown foods  

California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Undersecretary Christine Birdsong spoke at an event yesterday held by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service at Waggoner Elementary School in Winters to announce the award of more than $23 … Continue reading

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Expanding Food Bank Service Capabilities in Contra Costa/Solano and Beyond

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Sacramento schools are giving kids farm-fresh meals – and California is following the lead – from the Sacramento Bee

By Benjy Egel Alfred Melbourne tromped through Three Sisters Gardens’ half-acre urban farm on a recent Friday morning dressed in black Ray-Ban sunglasses, cut-off shorts and a black tank top showing off his lean build and many tribal tattoos. Hummingbirds … Continue reading

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Secretary Ross tours San Francisco wholesale produce market

CDFA Secretary Karen Ross, CDFA Inspection Services Director Natalie Krout-Greenberg, and California State Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) visited San Francisco’s SF Market early this morning (May 20) to learn how the Market–a wholesale produce market–provides food and relationships that … Continue reading

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Donating farm products to food banks – upcoming webinar

CDFA partners with California Association of Food Banks to provide resources and information to  farmers, ranchers and food processors Webinar – Wednesday, April 8 from 10-11 a.m. Join CDFA and the California Association of Food Banks (CAFB) to discuss resources and funding … Continue reading

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Food and Agriculture is critical infrastructure for California and the nation

Note – Last night, as California Governor Gavin Newsom issued a stay-at-home order for state residents due to COVID-19, his office released an executive order providing additional details. The executive order includes this: “The federal government has identified 16 critical … Continue reading

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USDA Announces Feeding Program Partnership in Response to COVID-19

Collaboration will provide nearly 1,000,000 meals to rural children USDA News Release U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today announced a collaboration with the Baylor Collaborative on Hunger and Poverty, McLane Global, PepsiCo, and others to deliver nearly 1,000,000 meals … Continue reading

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Secretary Ross recaps annual State Employee Food Drive

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Statement by Don Cameron, President of the California State Board of Food and Agriculture on the Governor’s Proposed Budget

As a farmer, the investments by Governor Newsom in the proposed budget to our rural communities, the food and agricultural sector and for climate resilience is a strong step forward for a “California for All.” This is especially true for … Continue reading

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CDFA Supports National Farm to School Month

When a child briefly holds a cherry tomato before biting down to enjoy its sweet taste, does the student wonder about the tomato’s origin? Who grew it? Is this a healthy treat for me to eat? The California Department of … Continue reading

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