Planting Seeds - Food & Farming News from CDFA

Monthly Archives: December 2014

Sacramento Valley’s powerhouse rice crop one step closer to cap and trade – from the Sacramento Bee

By Edward Ortiz California environmental regulators are exploring how rice farmers can reduce carbon emissions, paving the way for crops to become part of the state’s greenhouse gas reduction program and affecting one of the Sacramento Valley’s powerhouse agricultural industries. … Continue reading

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And the winner is…

Thanks to everyone for playing in CDFA’s first-ever caption contest. We had nearly 60 entries! Congratulations to our winner, Harold Hackett. His caption is on the left. This nine-and-a-half foot ceramic cow is named Daisy, and it comes from the … Continue reading

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Holiday spirit shines at CDFA

One of the perks of my job as Secretary of Agriculture is my annual visit to several of our department’s offices in the Sacramento area. The holidays are a traditional time of giving and my staff at the California Department … Continue reading

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Stingerless wasps released in Asian citrus psyllid fight – from the San Bernardino Sun

By Sandra Emerson RIVERSIDE – Hundreds of wasps imported from Pakistan were released into a 7.5-acre biocontrol grove of citrus trees near the UCR Botanic Gardens by entomologists Tuesday. The wasps, Diaphorencyrtus aligarhensis, are a natural known predator of the … Continue reading

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What’s the deal with that cow? It’s CDFA’s first-ever caption contest.

Please make your caption entries in the comments section. When we announce a winner we’ll explain why the cow is here at CDFA headquarters. Thanks for playing!    

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More than just a job to do

Our general counsel here at CDFA, Michele Dias, came into my office last Friday with an excitable look on her face. I think most people in positions of organizational leadership would agree that when your lawyer does that, it may … Continue reading

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Festive Farm Dinners Always in Season – from the Growing California video series

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Rice farms could provide offsets in carbon market – op-ed by CDFA Secretary Karen Ross in the Sacramento Bee

Sometimes it takes a crisis like climate change to reveal a golden opportunity. Our rice farmers in Northern California have long been exemplary stewards of their land, both in terms of providing habitat for waterfowl and other wildlife and for … Continue reading

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USDA provides greater protection for fruit, vegetable and other specialty crops growers

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that greater protection is now available from the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program for crops that traditionally have been ineligible for federal crop insurance. The new options, created by the 2014 Farm Bill, provide … Continue reading

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USDA Seeks Public Comment on New Environmental Quality Incentives Program Rule

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is publishing a rule that outlines how it will improve the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), one of USDA’s largest conservation programs. The interim final rule includes program changes authorized by Congress in the 2014 … Continue reading

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