Planting Seeds - Food & Farming News from CDFA

Category Archives: Farmers’ Markets


CDFA Promotes Nutrition and Farmers’ Markets at Senior Rally Day at the Capitol

Seniors from all over California traveled to the State Capitol this week for Senior Rally Day, an annual gathering led by the Seniors Count Coalition. CDFA’s Office of Grants Administration was there to spread the word about the Senior Farmers’ … Continue reading

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Governor Brown approves bill that could improve food access for needy families – from the San José Mercury News

  By Annie Sciacca California Gov. Jerry Brown has approved a bill that could boost a program increasing access to healthy food for low-income families through farmers’ markets that has already grown considerably in the Bay Area. The governor has … Continue reading

Posted in Farmers' Markets, Food Access, Uncategorized | 2 Comments

GMO Testing Pilot Project to ensure compliance with National Organic Program

By Karen Ross, Secretary, California Department of Food and Agriculture and Jenny Lester Moffitt, Deputy Secretary, California Department of Food and Agriculture It has been said that “California is the capital of organic.” The strength of that statement is a … Continue reading

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Food hubs a valuable tool for farmers and consumers – from the Sacramento Bee

By Edward Ortiz, Sacramento Bee When employees at technology giant Oracle sit down to lunch, they often eat produce grown in Yolo County’s Capay Valley. The fruits and veggies come from the Capay Valley Farm Shop, which buys from more … Continue reading

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USDA announces grants to enable more farmers’ markets to serve low-income families

USDA Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services Under Secretary Kevin Concannon announced the availability of up to $3.3 million in competitive funding to support the ability of farmers markets to accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits (CalFresh in California). These … Continue reading

Posted in Farmers' Markets, Food Access, Nutrition | 1 Comment

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

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

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Farmers’ Markets Credited in Fitness Survey – California Cities Place High

Four California communities have placed in the Top-15 fittest cities in the country, according to the 2013 American Fitness Index. The Bay Area, defined as San Francisco, Oakland and Fremont, placed fourth; the Sacramento area was seventh; the greater San … Continue reading

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Still the People’s Agency 150 Years Later – Happy Birthday, USDA!

For producers and consumers of food, this is a sesquicentennial like no other. Two weeks ago, we celebrated the 150th anniversary of the signing of the Morrill Act, the single piece of legislation that laid the foundation for the modern … Continue reading

Posted in AG Vision, Agricultural Education, Agricultural Marketing, Alternative Fuels, Asian Citrus Psyllid, Climate Change, Community-based Food System, Dairy, Environment, Farm Bill, Farmers' Markets, Food Access, Food Safety, Glassy-winged Sharpshooter, HLB, Integrated Pest Management (IPM), Invasive Species, Pierce's Disease, Specialty Crops, Trade, Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Secretary Ross – We must work together to help prevent invasive species

The USDA has announced that it’s dedicating the month of April to sharing information about the threat that invasive plant pests, diseases and harmful weeds pose to America’s fruits, vegetables, trees, and other plants—and how the public can help prevent … Continue reading

Posted in AG Vision, Agricultural Education, Asian Citrus Psyllid, Community-based Food System, Farmers' Markets, Integrated Pest Management (IPM), Invasive Species, Specialty Crops, Trade | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Ag Alert – Agriculture must engage in conversations about change

http://www.agalert.com/story/?id=3761 By Tom Nassif and Paul Wenger Increasingly, people want a say in how we produce and distribute food in the United States. We’ve long heard from environmental and animal rights groups. Now, the voices of celebrity chefs, authors and … Continue reading

Posted in AG Vision, Agricultural Education, Community-based Food System, Farmers' Markets, Food Access, Food Safety, Trade, Uncategorized | Leave a comment