Planting Seeds - Food & Farming News from CDFA

Monthly Archives: January 2024

California State Employees Food Drive raises 11,604 pounds of food and $89,000

The California State Employees Food Drive, led by CDFA’s Office of Farm to Fork, resulted in California state agencies donating 11,604 pounds of food, $89,089 in monetary donations, 784 turkeys, 461 Run to Feed the Hungry registrations (money goes to … Continue reading

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Secretary Ross praises groundwater recharge as a key drought strategy

From a California Water Commission News Release The California Water Commission has approved a white paper that contains potential strategies to protect communities and fish and wildlife in the event of drought. The white paper is in support of Water … Continue reading

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CDFA participates in 44th annual EcoFarm Conference

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USDA seeks applications for value-added grant program to help farmers and ranchers seek new markets

The USDA is now accepting applications for grants to help agricultural producers maximize the value of their products and venture into new and better markets. The USDA is making the grants available under the Value-Added Producer Grants program. The grants … Continue reading

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New resource on sustainability for urban farmers

Story from Morning Ag Clips For decades, urban farms and community gardens have helped meet demand for fresh and local produce. Urban farming creatively utilizes limited space, conserves land and transforms vacant lots or buildings into productive greenspaces. Farming in … Continue reading

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National Milk Day — honoring 100 years of the Pasteurized Milk Ordinance

This is National Milk Day in the US, and in recognition of that, here’s a video produced by the Food and Drug Administration noting that 100 years have passed since the establishment of the Pasteurized Milk Ordinance (PMO). In connection … Continue reading

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Farmers and Central Valley water district work to provide monarch butterfly habitat

By Patricia Bohls, CDFA Biodiversity Coordinator Monarch butterflies and their host plant, milkweeds, have historically been prevalent throughout California. In recent decades the monarch population has significantly declined, and the population is now a fraction of its size compared to … Continue reading

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Sacramento brings “Farm to Fork” to local schools — from the Sacramento Bee

Opinion piece by Kelsey Nederveld and Patrick Mulvaney *Note – the Sacramento City Unified School District received $376,500 in 2021 and $466,570 in 2022 through CDFA’s California Farm to School Incubator Grant Program to source local produce and help students … Continue reading

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CAGROWN acknowledges 75 years of Cal Poly Universities’ student-built floats in Rose Parade!

By CDFA Secretary Karen Ross This was an especially notable year for the Cal Poly Universities at the Rose Parade — the 75th anniversary of their first float entry! It is always a treat to be a part of the … Continue reading

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