Planting Seeds - Food & Farming News from CDFA

Monthly Archives: January 2012

Profile: CDFA’s Bureau of Livestock ID

Is California still the Wild West?  For the men and women of the Bureau of Livestock Identification here at the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), the days of cattle rustling never ended. More than two thousand head of … Continue reading

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Sacramento to host inaugural bacon fest

http://www.sacramentopress.com/headline/62222/Sacramento_hosts_inaugural_Bacon_Fest Local musician Brian Guido and Nick Miller, Managing Editor for Sacramento News & Review, have joined forces with five local restaurants to put together the first Sacramento Bacon Fest, held from Jan. 20 – 22. Guido said he got … Continue reading

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From Merced Sun-Star/Poultry producer demonstrates larger chicken cages

http://www.mercedsunstar.com/2012/01/11/2187706/js-west-demonstrates-larger-chicken.html By JOSHUA EMERSON SMITH C J Brantley, sales representative for JS West Milling Company, Modesto, visited Merced High school Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2012 morning and talked about business model, which highlights the relationship between state regulation and private industry. JS … Continue reading

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From Ag Alert – Livestock groups welcome end of ethanol policies

http://agalert.com/story/?id=3719 By Steve Adler When the clock struck midnight on Dec. 31 to usher in 2012, not everyone was singing “Auld Lang Syne.” Livestock and poultry producers—particularly those in California—were singing goodbye to ethanol subsidies and tariffs. The start of … Continue reading

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From Redding Record-Searchlight – Ranchers concerned about lone wolf in north state

http://www.redding.com/news/2012/jan/10/a-wolf-at-the-door-county-talks-options/?print=1 By Ryan Sabalow Tuesday, January 10, 2012 YREKA — Ranchers and Siskiyou County’s supervisors told state and federal wildlife biologists Tuesday they were concerned livestock and the public would be put at risk if a pack of wolves moves … Continue reading

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From NY Times – Thieves Seek Restaurants’ Used Fryer Oil

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/08/us/restaurants-used-fryer-oil-attracting-thieves.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=steven%20yaccino&st=cse Thieves Seek Restaurants’ Used Fryer Oil By STEVEN YACCINO Companies that collect used cooking grease from restaurants across the country have turned to all forms of sleuthing in recent years. Private investigators. Surveillance cameras. Rigged alarms. And still, containers … Continue reading

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From the California Report – Fighting Citrus Pests with a Natural Predator

http://www.californiareport.org/archive/R201201050850/b Scientists from the University of California are releasting minute, stingerless wasps in Los Angeles to counter the spread of the Asian citrus psyllid, a pest that carries a disease that threatens California’s citrus farmers. UC Riverside entomologist and researcher Mark Hoddle was a … Continue reading

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SF Chronicle – California’s young farmers break traditional mold

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/12/25/MNK81MDGNQ.DTL Stacy Finz, Chronicle Staff Writer Sunday, December 25, 2011 The average age of a farmer in California is creeping toward 60, and the California Department of Food and Agriculture is trying to attract newcomers to work the land. The … Continue reading

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California Grown at the Rose Parade

The Rose Parade in Pasadena is a unique California experience. I was thrilled to be part of pre-parade festivities on Sunday, January 1st, when I made presentations to the first two floats to be certified California Grown for using all … Continue reading

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The Grower – Report backs California farmers’ efficient use of water

http://www.thegrower.com/issues/the-grower/Report-backs-California-farmers-efficient-use-of-water-135867553.html?ref=553 Over the years, growers—particularly those who farm in the arid West—have gotten a bad rap as water-wasters. Nowhere are the voices louder than in California, which has faced droughts over the past three decades as well as escalating competition … Continue reading

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