The California Department of Food and Agriculture works to maintain organic integrity in California by enforcing regulations of the The National Organic Program (NOP). Last year, at the request of the organic industry, CDFA embarked on a pilot project to determine if genetically modified organisms (GMOs) were present in organic products. So far, the pilot project has involved 23 blind laboratory tests of various seeded commodities for the presence of GMO material. Testing will continue into next year.

At a meeting today of the California Organic Products Advisory Committee (COPAC), CDFA staff provided a progress report on the pilot project. Seven of the 23 samples sent to laboratories contained some level of GMOs in animal feed products – alfalfa, soy, corn and cottonseed. Two animal feed samples were 100 percent GMO.

NOP regulations prohibit the use of GMOs in organic production and handling. However, NOP regulations also state, “If all aspects of the organic production or handling process were followed correctly, then the presence of a detectable residue from a genetically modified organism alone does not constitute a violation of this regulation.”   

Going forward, CDFA will utilize a sampling process that is no longer blind. In a motion at today’s meeting, COPAC voted in favor of this step and reaffirmed its commitment to identifying and removing GMOs from the organic system. Any further positive GMO test results of certified organic products will result in notification to certifying agents for further investigation and appropriate action. Organic certifiers will be responsible for working with organic producers to identify the source of the GMOs and to implement improvements to avoid contact with GMOs in the future. CDFA will work in collaboration with certifiers and COPAC on identifying steps for future surveillance and enforcement actions to preserve the integrity of organic products.

CDFA has sent a letter to the organic industry to bring it up to date on the project.

The Sand County Foundation, the California Farm Bureau Federation and Sustainable Conservation are accepting applications for the $10,000 California Leopold Conservation Award. The award honors California farmers, ranchers, foresters and other private landowners who demonstrate outstanding stewardship and management of natural resources.

“Receiving the Leopold Conservation Award is an honor and a legacy that we value today and hope inspires our next generation,” said Dina Moore, owner of Lone Star Ranch – the 2016 recipient. “We encourage others to apply for this opportunity to tell their stories of the entwined relationship between working landscapes and conservation.”

Given in honor of renowned conservationist Aldo Leopold, the Leopold Conservation Award inspires other landowners by example and provides a visible forum where farmers, ranchers and other private landowners are recognized as conservation leaders. In his influential 1949 book, A Sand County Almanac, Leopold called for an ethical relationship between people and the land they own and manage, which he called “an evolutionary possibility and an ecological necessity.”

Nominations must be postmarked by July 14, 2017, and mailed to California Leopold Conservation Award c/o Sustainable Conservation, 98 Battery Street, Suite 302, San Francisco, CA 94111. The 2017 California Leopold Conservation Award will be presented in December at the California Farm Bureau Federation’s Annual Meeting in Garden Grove, CA.

For application information, please visit leopoldconservationaward.org.

Link to full news release

For the third year, the California Department of Conservation (DOC) has announced that funding will be available for projects that protect agricultural land and reduce greenhouse gases.

Cities, counties, and land trusts are invited to apply for grants that will help California reduce greenhouse gas emissions, strengthen the economy, and improve public health and the environment. Grants are made available through California’s Sustainable Agricultural Lands Conservation Program (SALC) and are funded through a portion of cap-and-trade auction proceeds dedicated to greenhouse gas reduction.

The amount available has yet to be determined, but totaled more than $37 million last year. While complete applications are due August 1, the DOC encourages submission of pre-proposals by June 1, so that the department can help guide applicants through the process.

Launched by the Strategic Growth Council (SGC) in 2015, the SALC Program dedicated $4.6 million to agricultural conservation easements and planning grants in its first year. In 2016, it awarded $37.4 million in grants to preserve 20 properties, protecting 19,000 acres of agricultural land.  The Department of Conservation’s Division of Land Resource Protection (DLRP) administers the program on behalf of the SGC, and contributes expertise to the SALC Program by developing the guidelines.

The SALC Program is part of the California Climate Investments Initiative, a statewide program that puts billions of cap-and-trade dollars to work reducing greenhouse gas emissions, strengthening the economy and improving public health and the environment—particularly in disadvantaged communities. The cap-and-trade program also creates a financial incentive for industries to invest in clean technologies and develop innovative ways to reduce pollution. California Climate Investment projects include affordable housing, renewable energy, public transportation, zero-emission vehicles, environmental restoration, more sustainable agriculture, recycling and much more. At least 35 percent of these investments are made in disadvantaged and low-income communities. For more information, visit California Climate Investments.

Link to full news release

Today is being widely acknowledged as Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day (also known as Bring Your Child to Work Day). More than 37 million Americans at more than 3.5 million workplaces are expected to participate. At CDFA we combined it with Ag Day festivities that occurred several weeks ago. Roughly 100 children and grandchildren of CDFA employees attended this year.

By Kevin McCallum

Often critiqued for their outsized impact on a changing environment, farmers are actually key to helping California achieve its aggressive conservation and greenhouse gas emission reduction goals.

That was the Earth Day message California Secretary of Agriculture Karen Ross brought to the sun-drenched Sonoma countryside Sunday.

Speaking at a private event on a hillside at Sebastopol’s Iron Horse Vineyards, Ross praised CEO Joy Sterling and her family for stewardship of their 300-acre property in the prized Green Valley appellation.

“We recognize that conserving our farmland, conserving our natural working landscapes and managing them in a way that stores carbon is the solution,” Ross said.

Sterling’s family has close ties to Gov. Jerry Brown’s administration, and she sits on the state’s Food and Agricultural Board.

Ross touted Brown’s environmental leadership, including his call for the state to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent by 2050, as well as the sustainability efforts of the wine industry, which she knows well from her 13 years heading the California Association of Winegrape Growers.

Ross reminded the assembled wine lovers that as consumers, they hold the power to ensure the climate accord struck in Paris last year — which many feel is now imperiled by the Trump administration — is ultimately successful.

“It was businesses and individuals and nonprofits that came together, which tells you no matter what the policies are in Washington, D.C., the market and the people at the grass roots are not going to allow it to change,” Ross said.

Ross noted that the state’s 77,600 farmers need the support of its 40 million residents if they are going to be successful in adapting to climate change.

“We need a partnership to support our farmers in the changes that they embody, and this farm is a perfect example,” Ross said.

“This region is a perfect example.”

Sterling cited just a few of the sustainability efforts the property has taken over the years, noting that state biologists released 8.400 juvenile coho into Green Valley Creek last month from the property.

She also noted the irony that while the menu for the event included veggie burgers, the property on which it was held was a 1920s cattle corral.

“That’s exactly how change happens — you repurpose things, and you rethink about them,” Sterling said.

In a nod to the importance of preventing food waste, Komal Ahmad, CEO of food-sharing app Copia, explained how her organization began as a way to get perfectly fine food that was going to waste at UC Berkeley into the hands of the homeless and is now on track to feed 1 million people this year.

“We really want to solve what we believe is the world’s dumbest problem,” Ahmad said of food waste.

Money from Sunday’s event will support the San Francisco-based nonprofit Sustainable Conservation, which works with businesses to promote an array of environmental initiatives, including waste-to-energy projects and habitat restoration.

“Farmers are at the interface of human society and the natural world, and they are there every day,” said Stacey Sullivan, policy director of Sustainable Conservation. “Who better to celebrate Earth Day with?”

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CDFA is observing Invasive Plant Pest and Disease Awareness Month throughout April. The USDA, CDFA and organizations across the agricultural spectrum are reminding the public about the risks that invasive plant pests, diseases and harmful weeds pose to America’s crops and forests—and how we all can prevent their spread.

Each year, harmful invasive plant pests and diseases cost the United States about $40 billion in crop losses, damage to forests and vulnerable ecosystems, and expensive eradication and control efforts. It only takes one person who moves one piece of infested firewood, one infected plant, or one piece of infested fruit to spread these invasive pests to a new area. That’s why USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has designated April as Invasive Plant Pest and Disease Awareness Month. Spring is the perfect time to remind everyone of the simple steps they can take to prevent the spread of harmful invasive plant pests.

For example, USDA believes Huanglongbing (HLB, or citrus greening) was spread from Florida to California by one person who likely mailed an infected plant to that State. HLB was first detected in Florida in 2005 and has since spread rapidly. A concerted effort by USDA, California and the citrus industry is underway to find new strategies in the fight against HLB.

The good news is that individuals can also stop the spread of invasive pests by looking for and reporting suspicious insects or signs of damage. For example, the Asian longhorned beetle was detected in Boston in 2010 when a single groundskeeper with a keen eye noticed and reported an unusual dime-sized hole in a tree. That one call provided early warning to jump-start an eradication effort that quickly eliminated this destructive pest from that city.

Here’s what you can do to help keep invasive pests from spreading as spring gets underway and all year round:

• Spring is a busy time for buying plants. Buy yours from reputable nurseries or online businesses. Ask if they comply with federal and state quarantine restrictions to ensure their plants are pest-free.
• Planning to travel? Whether it’s between states or to another country, check with your local USDA office before you bring back fruits, vegetables or plants so you know what’s allowed. And when returning from abroad, always declare all agricultural items to U.S. Customs and Border Protection so they can make sure items are free of harmful pests or diseases.
• When enjoying the great outdoors, don’t move untreated firewood. Instead, buy or responsibly gather firewood near the place you’ll burn it. Or, take certified, heat-treated firewood on your trip with you.
• If you live in an area under state or federal quarantine for an invasive pest, don’t move produce or plants off your property. Call your local USDA office to find out how to safely dispose of yard debris like trees and branches. Also, allow authorized agricultural workers access to your property for pest or disease surveys.
• Make sure to clean outdoor items before moving them. Wash dirt from outdoor gear and tires before traveling long distances to or from fishing, hunting or camping trips. If relocating to a new home, clean lawn furniture and other outdoor items before placing them in a moving van or storage pod.
• Finally, report any signs of invasive pests by going to http://www.HungryPests.com

To learn more, visit www.HungryPests.com or join the conversation on Facebook or Twitter. The website includes photos and descriptions of 19 invasive pests that can be moved easily by people, an online federal quarantine tracker by state, and phone numbers for reporting signs of invasive pests. Questions? Contact CDFA’s pest hotline at 1-800-491-1899.

By Susan Skiles Luke

If it seems to you advanced ag technology is invading farm fields across America, you should see Silicon Valley. Investors have poured more than $10 billion into agtech inventions since 2014, according to AgFunder, an online marketplace tracking the sector.

One thing that has become increasingly clear to many investors:  farmers are key to the process.

“We’re on the cusp of the next agricultural revolution, and this one is going to be digital as well as biological,” says Louisa Burwood-Taylor, AgFunder’s head of media and research. Just as the first relatively simple cell phones hit the market in the 1990s, touching off a race to innovation and fast adoption just a few years later, the same is happening in agtech, she says. “We’re just at the beginning.”

Of the $3.2 billion invested in 2016, the largest portion, 40%, went toward developing new food-service and e-commerce technologies, such as services that deliver fresh groceries and link consumers to food production, according to AgFunder. FreshDirect is one example. The second-largest chunk of investment, 22%, went toward coming up with new biotechnology tools, such as a new microbial seed coating for cotton. Indigo Agriculture is an example in this category. The third-largest portion of investment, at 11%, went toward farm-management software, according to AgFunder. FarmersEdge is an example in this group.

More than 300 start-up companies and investors gathered in Silicon Valley recently to showcase their inventions and look for opportunities.  Some (but not all!) of the new agtech creating buzz:

• FarmDog: An online tool that uses independent data to illustrate your (and your neighbors’) pest and disease management
• Benson Hill Biosystems: A ‘computational breeding’ platform that promises to breed new seed traits in half the time it typically takes
• Blue River Technology: Which has a robotic sprayer that recognizes and reacts to the needs of individual plants

One prominent theme of the conference was farmers. While Silicon Valley has plenty of data scientists, these start-ups are often short on real farmers to ground-truth the new technologies, says Kirk Haney, CEO of a new agtech acceleration fund called Radicle, whose major backers include Bayer CropScience, DuPont Pioneer and the agtech venture fund Finistere. That can be an obstacle when investors are accustomed to high-tech inventions going from drawing board to customer hands – and profitable mass adoption — in a year or less, he says.

“Investors have two enemies: time and money,” Haney says. “But once you involve venture capital, your enemy is time.”

Farmers interested in serving on user groups or otherwise volunteering to test new technologies – or who want to show off their own inventions — can visit Radicle’s website at http://radicle.vc and click on Contact. After all, says Haney, “You have to have dirt under your fingernails to know farming.”

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