Planting Seeds - Food & Farming News from CDFA

Monthly Archives: September 2016

#Farm2Fan video series – Porterville’s hand-harvested olives

California Grown and Visit California are teaming up to produce the #Farm2Fan video series, profiling farms throughout California and fans of those farms who stop by for a visit.  

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Secretary Ross at kick-off event for 2016 California State Employees Food Drive

CDFA Secretary Karen Ross appeared today at the kickoff event for the annual California State Employees Food Drive, a fresh fruit and vegetable donation opportunity at the Capitol Mall Farmers’ Market in Sacramento. Secretary Ross serves as chair of the food … Continue reading

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California to receive $11.7 million in grant funding for FSMA produce safety rule

CDFA was recently awarded $11.7 million for state-level implementation of the Produce Safety Rule under the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). This follows the recent Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) announcement to invest $21.8 million in 42 states. In order … Continue reading

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An overlooked water resource – from the Christian Science Monitor

By Diana Donlon In bone-dry California we are counting the days until October when the rainy season should begin. When wells run dry in the Central Valley, fires rage in Big Sur and pine forests in the Sierra Nevada die … Continue reading

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Why industrial farms are good for the environment – op-ed in the New York Times

By Jayson Lusk, professor of agricultural economics, Oklahoma State University There is much to like about small, local farms and their influence on what we eat. But if we are to sustainably deal with problems presented by population growth and … Continue reading

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USDA awards nearly $300K to regional organizations for programs serving new and underserved farmers

The U.S. Department Agriculture (USDA) has announced that nearly $300,000 will be awarded to regional organizations in California to train and educate new and underserved farmers and ranchers on Farm Service Agency (FSA) programs and services. The University of California-Davis … Continue reading

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Elementary school students learn about critters at CDFA lab

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Apple Hill – the season is upon us

With the first day of Fall arriving this week, Californians are again starting to turn their attention to El Dorado County’s Apple Hill, which is now in the midst of its 2016 production season. From CDFA’s award-winning Growing California video … Continue reading

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CDFA participates in American Heart Association Heart Walk

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CDFA joins partnership to study nitrate leaching from irrigated agriculture in Central Valley – from the Fresno Bee

By Robert Rodriguez The Kings River Water Quality Coalition along with several other South Valley water quality coalitions received a $2 million grant from the federal government to address nitrate leaching from irrigated agriculture. The U.S. Department of Agriculture grant … Continue reading

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