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Monthly Archives: October 2011

From the SF Chronicle – State asks for funds for healthy food in new Farm Bill

Posted on October 31, 2011 by Office of Public Affairs

Read the original story on SF Gate A patchwork of food, farming, conservation and environmental groups fear that lawmakers could act on the 2012 Farm Bill as early as this week with no input from California – the largest agricultural … Continue reading →

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California farmers grow pumpkins for fun, not profit

Posted on October 28, 2011 by Office of Public Affairs

Read the original story from the LA Times Pity folks carving faces on skinny old zucchini or trying to make watermelons look fearsome this Halloween. There’s a pumpkin shortage plaguing parts of the country this year, because of drought and … Continue reading →

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

Posted on October 28, 2011 by Office of Public Affairs

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

Posted on October 27, 2011 by Office of Public Affairs

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

Posted on October 26, 2011 by Office of Public Affairs

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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Support Ag Education – Reserve a Plate Today!

Posted on October 25, 2011 by Karen Ross, California Agriculture Secretary, and Linda

Californians have great opportunity to support agricultural education and leadership programs by reserving a California special interest license plate. This initiative creates a continuous funding stream, through annual license plate renewals, for programs dedicated to enriching the agricultural education of … Continue reading →

Posted in Agricultural Education | Tagged | 1 Comment

Food Day is for everyone

Posted on October 24, 2011 by Karen Ross, California Agriculture Secretary, and Linda

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 →

Posted in AG Vision, Agricultural Education, Community-based Food System, Food Access, Specialty Crops, Uncategorized | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Talking food in Northern California

Posted on October 21, 2011 by Karen Ross, California Agriculture Secretary, and Linda

A great part of my job is the opportunity to meet Californians and talk to them about food and agriculture. We have quite a story to tell as the leading farming state in the country. Our best opportunities to spread … Continue reading →

Posted in Agricultural Education, Food Access | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Update – Oriental Fruit Fly Quarantine in Place in Orange County

Posted on October 20, 2011 by Office of Public Affairs

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

Posted on October 20, 2011 by Office of Public Affairs

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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