Planting Seeds - Food & Farming News from CDFA

Monthly Archives: September 2021

Secretary Ross visits Caldor fire camp at El Dorado County Fairgrounds; views burn area

The US Forest Service and the California Conservation Corps (CCC) continue to use the fairgrounds as a base of operations. In this photo, Secretary Ross visits with CCC employees helping with bagged breakfasts and lunches for crews working on the … Continue reading

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National Hispanic American Heritage Month – meet Joe Del Bosque, a cantaloupe farmer in the Central Valley

For Joe Del Bosque, a California Central Valley farmer, planting and picking cantaloupes has been part of his entire life. His parents immigrated from Mexico to the United States and Joe learned what it takes to grow delicious melons by … Continue reading

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Junior livestock auction in Placer County goes big to help feed the hungry — from Gold Country Media

By Bill Poindexter Meat, it’s going to be what’s for dinner for quite a while in these parts – and beyond. Feed the Hungry of Auburn has attended the Gold Country Fair Junior Livestock Auction for 30 years, supporting the … Continue reading

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#ClimateWeek: Governor Newsom signs climate action bills, outlines historic $15 billion package to tackle climate crisis — $1.1 billion for Climate Smart Agriculture

The largest climate package in state history, Governor Newsom highlights transformative $15 billion in funding to tackle wildfire and drought challenges, build climate resilience in communities, promote sustainable agriculture and advance nation-leading climate agenda Governor signs 24 bills focused on … Continue reading

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#ClimateWeek — Alternative Manure Management Program helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions

When livestock manure decomposes in wet conditions, it produces methane, a greenhouse gas25 times more powerful than carbon dioxide. Changing manure management practices so thatmanure is handled in a dry form can help reduce methane emissions and limit the effects … Continue reading

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#ClimateWeek — State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program (SWEEP) helps farmers and ranchers save water

CDFA’s State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program (SWEEP) was created to provide financial incentives for agricultural operations to invest in irrigation systems that save water and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Eligible system components include soil moisture monitoring, drip systems, switching … Continue reading

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Small Farm Innovation Challenge — from the Community Alliance of Family Farmers (CAFF)

Farmers need right-sized technology. Tools and technology can help farmers improve efficiency, save labor and connect with their customers. But many of the innovations in agriculture today are built for large-scale production, out of reach for most family farms. From hardware to … Continue reading

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#ClimateWeek — CDFA’s Healthy Soils Program helps to conserve water and sequester carbon

In recognition of Climate Week (Sept 20-26), here’s a video of some of the practices utilized in CDFA’s Healthy Soils Program — helping sequester carbon and save water.  Over the life of the program, CDFA has funded nearly 650 projects … Continue reading

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Application period open for “AgSharks” competition

From a Western Growers news release Western Growers (WG) and S2G Ventures are now accepting applications for the 2021 AgSharks Competition, a unique event where start-up companies pitch their innovations in front of a live audience of the world’s largest … Continue reading

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Central Valley Farmers Weigh-In on California’s Historic Drought — from KQED, San Francisco

Unless you have a personal connection to the Central Valley or work in agriculture, chances are you haven’t been able to speak directly to a farmer about how they’re experiencing this year’s historic drought. Recently on  KQED Forum, three farmers from … Continue reading

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