CDFA Secretary Karen Ross (center in photo) met chefs from around the world–and an international sommelier–as they began an agritourism tour of California this week.
The tour is sponsored by California Grown and program partners and is intended to introduce the delegation to producers and culinary experts to develop stronger connections to California foods, wines, and culinary destinations.
The visitors are from Singapore, Dubai, Turkey, South Africa, Hong Kong, South Korea, China and India, and they plan to utilize ingredients they learn about during the tour for recipes to be published in a coffee table-style cookbook that will be used as a protocol gift by US embassies around the world.
The tour is in partnership with the USDA’s Foreign Agriculture Service as part of “My Food Story with a Fork and the Road,” celebrating the diversity of U.S. food, agriculture, farmers, producers, and cuisine.
Individual grant applicants can receive up to $2.85 million in awards per project. The awards would fund the installation of equipment and implementation of practices that result in long-term methane emissions reductions and maximize environmental co-benefits. The application deadline is 5 PM PT on Monday, August 28, 2023.
CDFA is offering grants for the Alternative Manure Management Program (AMMP) and the Dairy Digester Research and Development Program (DDRDP). The programs are both are supported by funding from the Budget Act of 2022, with $48 million appropriated for livestock methane reduction and an additional $20 million specifically for AMMP through the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. AMMP will make approximately $20.9 million available, and DDRDP approximately $11.4 million available for 2023 awards, with remaining funds available in a subsequent solicitation expected in 2024.
New this year — the Dairy Plus Program offers the opportunity to amplify the reach and scope of traditional AMMP and DDRDP projects through contributions from the USDA Partnerships for Climate Smart Commodities program. CDFA and the California Dairy Research Foundation joined forces to secure funding for this program, which will reduce greenhouse gas emissions while expanding markets for climate-smart commodities. Dairy Plus will fund advanced manure management practices that reduce GHG emissions and address nutrient surpluses.
New AMMP and DDRDP applicants and previous AMMP and DDRDP recipients with completed projects are all eligible to apply to the Dairy Plus Program.
Prospective applicants can find individual program details below:
Alternative Manure Management Program (AMMP) Applications are due Monday, August 28, 2023, by 5:00 PM PT. Detailed information is available at www.cdfa.ca.gov/oefi/AMMP.
Dairy Digester Research and Development Program (DDRDP) Applications are due Monday, August 28, 2023, by 5:00 PM PT. Detailed information is available at www.cdfa.ca.gov/oefi/ddrdp.
Dairy Plus Program Applications are due Monday, August 28, 2023, by 5:00 PM PT. Detailed information is available at https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/oefi/dairyplus/.
Since 2015, CDFA’s dairy and livestock methane programs have funded 271 incentive projects that will result in the reduction of more than 24.3 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MMTCO2e) once completed through their expected minimum lifetime. This is equivalent to removing a total of 5.4 million gasoline-powered cars from the road.
CDFA Secretary Karen Ross today met participants in the Miss (and Mr.) Agriculture America Pageant. The organization is committed to promoting agriculture in California and around the nation. In a meeting at CDFA headquarters, Secretary Ross spoke to the visitors about their experiences with the pageant and asked them about their future aspirations, in the hope that some will choose one of the many career pathways available in agriculture and food production. The participants each shared products from their home farms or regions, including nuts, fruits, beef jerky, honey, coffee, and jams and jellies.
Agriculture interests from around the world gathered in Rome this week for a United Nations Food Systems Summit. The topics included reducing food waste, which, as shown in this video, can be a key element in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
https://youtu.be/ison6lQozDU
The USDA and the FDA are working together to try to reduce U.S. food waste by 50 percent by 2030. Californians generate approximately 6 million tons of food waste annually. Among the ways CDFA supports the reduction effort is a web page providing information about the issue and potential solutions.
M 80-style firecrackers are among illegal fireworks commonly seen in California
CDFA teamed up with the San Bernardino County Fire Department over a series of weekends in May, June and July to intercept illegal fireworks at the Mountain Pass Border Station (I-15).
The effort resulted in more than three-tons (6,133 lbs) being confiscated, the great majority intended for destinations in Southern California. Drivers of the vehicles were cited.
The team was on the lookout for items not classified as “safe and sane” by the California State Fire Marshal, and confiscated items were handed over to the Fire Marshal for disposal.
California’s Border Protection Stations (BPS) are the first line of defense in California’s pest exclusion efforts, and stations occasionally partner with other government agencies to focus on types of contraband outside of agriculture, like illegal fireworks.
Field training for the Nitrogen and Irrigation Initiative
As part of CDFA’s work to facilitate stewardship of water and natural resources, the agency is pleased to discuss recent developments in the Nitrogen and Irrigation Initiative.
A three-year, collaborative effort between CDFA’s Fertilizer Research and Education Program, UC Agriculture and Natural Resources, and UC Davis, the initiative is supporting research at seven UC Cooperative Extension (UCCE) county offices.
The objective is to assist farms and ranches of all sizes through educational materials, on-farm trials, training events, and grower consultations aimed at establishing nutrient management and irrigation practices that produce fruits, nuts or vegetables without the overuse of fertilizer or water.
Significant milestones in the first quarter of 2023 included field staff training in conjunction with the UCCE Climate Smart Agriculture and Small Farms Community Education programs. Staff visited two Fresno County Asian vegetable operations to learn more about their irrigation systems and toured UCCE research fields.
Another milestone was the initiative’s first Stakeholder Advisory Group meeting. The group includes water coalitions, commodity organizations, resource conservation districts, Certified Crop Advisors, and environmental organizations. The purpose of the group is to enhance communication between program partners and organizations that work directly with farmers and ranchers.
A recent evaluation of GusNIP impacts shows how it increases fruit and vegetable consumption as well as food security
Two recently released reports detail how CDFA’s California Nutrition Incentive Program (CNIP) improves opportunities for healthy diets and food security by helping more people purchase fruits and vegetables.
“CDFA is a proud partner in helping California’s underserved populations afford healthy produce grown by our farmers,” said CDFA Secretary Karen Ross “These reports from our state and national partners further demonstrate the importance of helping all Californians obtain access to a balanced and nutritious diet.”
CNIP addresses food insecurity and access to fresh fruits and vegetables among low-income Californians while simultaneously supporting and expanding markets for California farmers. This is done by offering a dollar-for-dollar match for every nutrition benefit dollar spent on California-grown produce at participating Certified Farmers’ Markets and other retail outlets, within specified parameters. CNIP supports shoppers using nutrition benefits such as CalFresh, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Farmers Market Nutrition Program, and the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program.
CNIP funding comes from the State of California and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program (GusNIP). A recent GusNIP evaluation found that participants receiving assistance through GusNIP projects reported higher fruit and vegetable intake than the average U.S. adult.
A recent University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources (UCANR) Nutrition Policy Institute study discovered through surveys and interviews with CalFresh shoppers and food store managers that CNIP influenced the kinds of fruits and vegetables shoppers bought and allowed them to buy more.
“I feel like the … program has incentivized us to buy locally grown produce,” one CalFresh shopper told the Nutrition Policy Institute. “I also feel like the … program has made locally grown produce more affordable. And I most likely wouldn’t have made the effort to choose those products before.”
CNIP has “enabled me to double my purchases,” another CalFresh shopper said. “Not only can I get my regular staples, but I can also try new products or new fruits and vegetables that I never thought to use in my everyday cooking.”
“Everyone in the store really likes the program,” a store manager told the Nutrition Policy Institute. “It feels good to press that button and see $20 come off someone’s produce bill.”
Click here to learn more about CDFA’s California Nutrition Incentive Program.
