Planting Seeds - Food & Farming News from CDFA

Monthly Archives: March 2015

Reminder – Ag Day today at State Capitol!

Please join us and tag your photos with #agday2015

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Ninety-seven percent of US farms are family-owned – from the USDA

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) reports that family-owned farms remain the backbone of the agriculture industry. The latest data come from the Census of Agriculture farm typology report and help shine light on the question, … Continue reading

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Soil health music video – “Don’t Treat it Like Dirt”

Ag Day 2015 is scheduled for tomorrow at California State Capitol. The theme this year, “Breaking New Ground,” includes soil health, and that’s the subject of this music video produced for the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service.

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Growing California video series – Cow Power

The next segment in the Growing California video series, a partnership with California Grown, is “Cow Power.”

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UC Davis Veterinary School named best in nation by US News and World Report – UC Davis news release

U.S. News & World Report has recognized the School of Veterinary Medicine at University of California, Davis, as the nation’s best veterinary school. The 2016 U.S. News & World Report Best Graduate Schools rankings also recognized many of UC Davis’ … Continue reading

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California Ag Day, National Agriculture Week just around the corner – from the California Foundation for Ag in the Classroom

Each year, more than one-million students learn about the importance of agriculture through the efforts of California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom. This spring, Agriculture in the Classroom will partner with CDFA and the California Women for Agriculture to … Continue reading

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Local Food Movement is Growing Up – op-ed in the Modesto Bee

By Krysta Harden, Deputy Secretary, USDA Recently, there has been a series of media reports suggesting the gangbusters growth in farmers markets is slowing, signaling a plateau in the local food movement. Not so. What we’re seeing is the evolution … Continue reading

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2014 Grape Crush Report Released

SACRAMENTO — The Final Grape Crush Report includes all grape tonnage crushed during the 2014 season.  Changes in tonnage, Brix and prices from the preliminary report to this final report were due to late reports and corrections to the original … Continue reading

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USDA announces funding for specialty crops and organics

USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack has announced the availability of more than $66.5 million in funding for research and extension activities to address the needs of America’s specialty crop industry and solve critical organic agricultural production issues. The grants will be … Continue reading

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Soil as food, and a cake

The UN has declared 2015 as the International Year of Soils. What is soil? Well, it’s simple – minerals derived from weathered rocks; and organic materials derived from living and dead organisms. Soil is also complex – it’s the “skin … Continue reading

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