Planting Seeds - Food & Farming News from CDFA
  1. CDFA Home
  2. 2012 JanuaryCDFA's Planting Seeds Blog

Monthly Archives: January 2012

CDFA Protects – Making sure cheese is wholesome and safe

Posted on January 31, 2012 by Office of Public Affairs

As part of its mission to protect the food supply and consumers, The California Department of Food and Agriculture educates about the health risks of consuming cheese produced by unlicensed manufacturers and sold through underground operations. Licensed, safe and wholesome cheese is regularly … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Sacramento Bee – Capital-area matchmakers link would-be farmers with plots of land

Posted on January 31, 2012 by Office of Public Affairs

http://www.sacbee.com/2012/01/31/4226717/capital-area-matchmakers-link.html Published Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2012 Putting farmers onto underused land was once a matter of creating homesteads. Now it has entered the computer age, with nonprofits using the Internet to match farmland with growers. The need, advocates say, comes … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

California Welcomes Dozer, Our Newest Detector Dog

Posted on January 30, 2012 by CDFA Staff

Dozer the detector dog has reported for duty!  He brings our total to 13 dogs throughout the state that spend their working hours sniffing around package-delivery facilities, detecting parcels that contain fruits, vegetables, plants and other agricultural materials.  These dogs … Continue reading →

Posted in Invasive Species | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Agricultural Education and Our Moment to Shine

Posted on January 27, 2012 by Karen Ross, California Agriculture Secretary, and Linda

Over the last year I have seen a great effort by the FFA, 4-H and other agricultural education associations in raising the visibility and interest in the California Special Interest License Plate for Agriculture (CalAgPlate). This program is a great … Continue reading →

Posted in Agricultural Education, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

San Francisco Chronicle – USDA releases new plant hardiness zone map

Posted on January 26, 2012 by Office of Public Affairs

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2012/01/26/BU011MUBO0.DTL Stacy Finz, Chronicle Staff Writer Thursday, January 26, 2012 A new Plant Hardiness Zone Map released by the federal government Wednesday shows that temperatures across the country are getting warmer and could affect gardens and crops. The map is … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Future is bullish for Ag graduates

Posted on January 26, 2012 by Karen Ross, California Agriculture Secretary, and Linda

My email in-box lit up last week after Yahoo! published a story claiming that college degrees in agriculture are useless.  It certainly is a counterintuitive statement. Across our country, farming is hotter than ever. Agricultural exports broke records in 2011, and … Continue reading →

Posted in AG Vision, Agricultural Education, Community-based Food System, Food Access, Trade, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

NY Times – Fewer Cows’ Hides May Bear the Mark of Home

Posted on January 26, 2012 by Office of Public Affairs

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/26/us/ear-tagging-proposal-may-mean-fewer-branded-cattle.html?_r=1 By ERICA GOODE MORGAN HILL, Calif. — In the half-light of a winter evening here, a tawny calf skitters across the pasture after its mother, a Lazy T brand visible on its right hip. The brand, used by the … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Ag Alert – Agriculture must engage in conversations about change

Posted on January 26, 2012 by Office of Public Affairs

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

USDA Blog – First Lady Michelle Obama introduces new nutrition standards for school lunches

Posted on January 25, 2012 by Office of Public Affairs

http://blogs.usda.gov/2012/01/25/healthy-meals-and-healthy-kids/ Healthy Meals and Healthy Kids Posted by Rebecca [USDA Moderator], on January 25, 2012 at 11:38 AM Today we celebrate an historic achievement on behalf of kids across America. We have accomplished a critical step on the road to … Continue reading →

Posted in AG Vision, Agricultural Education, Food Access, Uncategorized | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Firewood Videos Urge Californians to Buy it Where They Burn it.

Posted on January 24, 2012 by Office of Public Affairs

CDFA is a partner in the California Firewood Task Force, which initiates and facilitates efforts within the state to protect our native and urban forests from invasive pests that can be moved on firewood.  The following link takes you to videos promoting the … Continue reading →

Posted in Agricultural Education, Environment, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment