Monthly Archives: February 2016

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and partners across the nation together will direct up to $720 million towards 84 conservation projects that will help communities improve water quality, combat drought, enhance soil health, support wildlife habitat and protect agricultural … Continue reading →

  Miranda Lopez c/o Jacqueline Terrazas, Principal Madonna del Sasso School 20 Santa Teresa Way Salinas, CA 93906 Dear Miranda: Congratulations on being the California State winner of the 2016 Bonnie Plants’ 3rd Grade Cabbage Program!  As Secretary of the … Continue reading →

The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has allocated $58.25 million from Section 10007 of the 2014 Farm Bill. This money will support 434 projects that prevent the introduction or spread of plant pests and diseases that threaten … Continue reading →

Researchers at the University of Minnesota have engineered a new synthetic biopathway that can more efficiently and cost-effectively turn agricultural waste, like corn stover and orange peels, into a variety of useful products ranging from spandex to chicken feed. The … Continue reading →

SACRAMENTO, February 10, 2016 – The 2015 crush totaled 3,862,385 tons, down 7 percent from the 2014 crush of 4,144,534 tons. Red wine varieties accounted for the largest share of all grapes crushed, at 2,037,083 tons, down 5 percent from … Continue reading →

By Stephanie Strom When Mark Anson came home with his hair on fire after a seminar on the seemingly soporific topic of soil health, his younger brother, Doug, was skeptical. What had Mark lit up was cover crops: fields of … Continue reading →

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has awarded $20.1 million in grants to university researchers for research and extension projects to help citrus producers fight Huanglongbing (HLB), commonly known as citrus greening disease. This funding is available through the Specialty … Continue reading →

Each Super Bowl season the charity organization Souper Bowl of Caring mobilizes to raise money to help fight hunger. The group came together in 1990, driven largely by the energy of young people collecting donations and sending the money directly … Continue reading →