Category Archives: Specialty Crops

Road Trip! “Scrumptious California Tour” shows foodies the salad bowl of the world

Posted on April 11, 2018 by Office of Public Affairs

Get your foodie passport ready to tour scrumptious California veggie country! With over 970 thousand acres of harvested vegetables, melons, and strawberries, the just released USDA NASS Vegetables 2017 Summary places California at a whopping $7.85 billion in vegetable production – over … Continue reading →

Posted in Agricultural Education, Agricultural Marketing, Specialty Crops | Leave a comment

California-grown coffee generating a buzz – from NPR

Posted on February 26, 2018 by Office of Public Affairs

By Jodi Helmer In most coffee shops, you can choose a cup of joe brewed with beans from countries like Ethiopia, Colombia, Costa Rica and Yemen. Now, a new crop of coffee growers is working to get coffee brewed from … Continue reading →

Posted in Agricultural Marketing, Specialty Crops | 1 Comment

Climate Smart Agriculture – Chile trip concludes

Posted on December 5, 2017 by Karen Ross, Secretary, California Department of Food and Agriculture

We ended our Climate Smart Agriculture delegation visit last week by visiting the La Serena region of Chile. This region, North of Santiago, is a cool season agricultural region very similar to Ventura and Salinas, California. This region received little rain during … Continue reading →

Posted in Climate Change, Climate Smart Agriculture, Specialty Crops | Leave a comment

California and Australia – a continuing partnership

Posted on March 30, 2017 by Karen Ross, Secretary, California Department of Food and Agriculture

Our visit to Australia was another step in furthering California’s commitment on climate smart agriculture. The trip not only allowed us the opportunity to meet with government officials and academia, but also to see on-farm adaptations related to water management … Continue reading →

Posted in Climate Smart Agriculture, Healthy soils, Specialty Crops | 1 Comment

Climate Smart Agriculture Online Webinar: Netherlands & California Discuss Saline Agriculture

Posted on August 17, 2016 by Office of Public Affairs

Last month CDFA hosted a climate smart agriculture webinar in partnership with the Netherlands and the University of California’s World Food Center addressing salinity in specialty crops within California’s Central Valley and along coastal areas. The webinar is now available … Continue reading →

Posted in Climate Change, Drought, Specialty Crops | 1 Comment

Farm-to-Food Bank Month a time for sharing and caring

Posted on November 16, 2015 by Karen Ross, Secretary, California Department of Food and Agriculture

More than four-million people in California are food-insecure and need a little help. It just doesn’t seem right to have that many people lacking nourishment in a state that produces such a bounty of healthy food. In recognition of that need, … Continue reading →

Posted in Community-based Food System, Food Access, Nutrition, Specialty Crops, State Board of Food and Agriculture | Tagged , | Leave a comment

From the Growing California video series – Drought Landscaping

Posted on August 26, 2015 by Office of Public Affairs

The latest segment in the Growing California video series, a partnership with California Grown, is “Drought Landscaping.”

Posted in Climate Change, Drought, Specialty Crops | 1 Comment

Export Training Course Comes to CDFA

Posted on February 25, 2015 by Office of Public Affairs

This April, CDFA will be jointly hosting CALAGX 2015 – the only comprehensive export training program available to California’s specialty crop growers.  The program provides intensive training to help companies move their products into foreign markets, led by instructors who … Continue reading →

Posted in Agricultural Marketing, Specialty Crops, Trade | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

USDA Reopens Chinese Market Access for California Citrus

Posted on August 22, 2014 by Office of Public Affairs

USDA News Release Washington, D.C. – Aug. 22, 2014 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that California citrus farmers will be able to resume exports to China this season. California citrus exports are valued at $30 million annually. “Resuming … Continue reading →

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Want to be happier? Eat your vegetables! – from the Silver Lining Psychology blog

Posted on May 27, 2014 by Office of Public Affairs

By Patricia Thompson When you were a kid, did your mother urge you to eat your vegetables?  If your home-life was anything like mine, you were presented with a constant array of veggies at dinner time.   Some, like corn … Continue reading →

Posted in Farmers' Markets, Nutrition, Specialty Crops | Tagged , | 1 Comment