The USDA joins nations from across the globe to kick off the International Year of Soils, an effort to highlight the importance of soil in everyday life. Undersecretary for Natural Resources and Environment Robert Bonnie will address members of the 68th United Nations General Assembly, which designated 2015 for the yearlong celebration.

“We are excited to be working with the United Nations to help raise awareness and promote the importance of conservation of our soil resources,” Bonnie said. “USDA is embracing this unique opportunity to tell the world about the importance of soil conservation and how we’ve worked with private landowners since 1935 to protect and improve this priceless natural resource.”

UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization spearheaded the global International Year of Soils campaign within the framework of the Global Soil Partnership. The year of awareness aims to increase understanding of the importance of soil for food security and essential ecosystem functions. Soils play a crucial role in food security, hunger eradication, climate change adaptation, poverty reduction and sustainable development.

Bonnie is one of several leaders who will address the assembly today, on World Soil Day, about the importance of soil. USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) – America’s agency for soil conservation, classification and studies – plans to make the year a memorable one.

NRCS works hand-in-hand with producers through technical and financial assistance programs and services to help ensure their success. The agency was born amid the Dust Bowl era of the 1930s, the nation’s largest environmental disaster caused by over cultivation, drought and record-breaking temperatures.

“NRCS conservationists work with America’s farmers and ranchers to take care of the soil, ensuring agricultural operations are sustainable for many years to come,” NRCS Chief Jason Weller said.

For more information on International Year of Soils, visit www.nrcs.usda.gov/.

Link to news release

By Paul Rogers

The last three years of drought were the most severe that California has experienced in at least 1,200 years, according to a new scientific study published Thursday.

The study provides the state with breathtaking new historical context for its low reservoirs and sinking water tables, even as California celebrated its first good soaking of the season.

Analyzing tree rings that date back to 800 A.D. — a time when Vikings were marauding Europe and the Chinese were inventing gunpowder — there is no three-year period when California’s rainfall has been as low and its temperatures as hot as they have been from 2012 to 2014, the researchers found.

“We were really surprised. We didn’t expect this,” said one of the study’s authors, Daniel Griffin, an assistant professor in the University of Minnesota’s department of geography, environment and society.

The report, published in the journal of the American Geophysical Union, was written by researchers at Massachusetts’ Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and the University of Minnesota.

The scientists measured tree rings from 278 blue oaks in central and southern California. Tree rings show the age of trees, and their width shows how wet each year was because trees grow more during wet years.

The researchers compared the information to a database of other tree ring records from longer-living trees like giant sequoias and bristlecone pines, dating back 1,200 years.

Link to full story

 

 

The latest segment in the Growing California video series, a partnership with California Grown, is “Fairview Farms,” a profile of an urban farm near Santa Barbara – a farm with an educational mission.

Positive. Productive. Creative, collaborative, cooperative … CDFA staff, from scientists and veterinarians to inspectors and technicians, embody these characteristics as they undertake a variety of projects and programs on behalf of the agriculture industry and the people of the Golden State. A new report, Agriculture Emerging: Balanced Budgets, Big Decisions, Bright Future, is our opportunity to share our recent successes and provide updates on many ongoing efforts.

Agriculture has its share of challenges, starting with the drought. Looking ahead, though, global demand for California’s commodities is on the rise, and food and nutrition are front-and-center in the media and on the minds of consumers. Whether their crops, livestock and other products are headed for the produce aisle, the commodity exchange, international export or the local farmers’ market, California’s farmers are well-positioned to take advantage of these conditions.

Among the most significant changes at CDFA is the department’s addition this year to the governor’s Strategic Growth Council, which also includes agencies and departments within Business, Consumer Services and Housing, Transportation, Natural Resources, Health and Human Services, and Environmental Protection, along with the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research. This core group provides local assistance grants and coordinates activities that support sustainable communities by emphasizing strong economies, social equity and environmental stewardship. When diverse agencies embrace these fundamental values and goals, the results are powerful. The inclusion of agriculture in this process is an important step as we embrace the challenges and opportunities of the 21st Century.

With Governor Brown’s leadership, the State of California is again on the rise. The budget is balanced. Businesses are getting back on track. Slowly but steadily, confidence is being restored. Throughout this recovery, agriculture has been a steady fixture in the state’s economy.

This report is by no means a full account of the department’s activities, but it does take stock of many of our efforts and achievements over the past few years. Like the farmers we support, CDFA has earned a reputation for innovation and effectiveness. I am proud of the people here who make that possible.

Sand County Foundation, the California Farm Bureau Federation and Sustainable Conservation are proud to announce Full Belly Farm as the recipient of the prestigious 2014 California Leopold Conservation Award^®. The award honors private landowner achievement in the voluntary stewardship and management of natural resources.

Full Belly Farm is co-owned by Andrew Brait, Paul Muller, Judith Redmond and Dru Rivers plus second-generation owners Jenna Clemens and Amon Muller. It has been a certified organic farm since 1985 and is a pioneer for Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) marketing. Located near Guinda in Yolo County, Full Belly Farm produces a variety of crops sold year-round directly to consumers through their CSA program, at farmers markets, in restaurants and stores, and to distributors.

The owners are dedicated to exceptional land stewardship and strive to balance the farm’s bottom line with environmentally sound practices. They are committed to fostering sustainability on all levels, from soil fertility and care for the environment to stable employment for their employees. Full Belly Farm has an extensive education and outreach program, including popular on-farm tours, events, children’s summer camp and a farm internship program.

“When it comes to farming in ways that promote the long-term health of California’s land, water, wildlife and food economy, there’s no better example than Full Belly Farm,” said Ashley Boren, Executive Director of Sustainable Conservation. “They’ve pioneered a truly sustainable approach to growing food that prioritizes soil health, natural inputs, water efficiency, and wildlife-friendly practices. They also have a long history of inspiring new generations of California farmers to find innovative ways to balance a healthy environment with thriving agriculture.”

“Responsible care for our land and other natural resources has allowed California farmers and ranchers to sustainably produce the food and farm products we all depend upon,” California Farm Bureau Federation President Paul Wenger said. “The Leopold Conservation Award recognizes outstanding examples of the stewardship that family farmers and ranchers perform every day.”

Given in honor of renowned conservationist Aldo Leopold, the Leopold Conservation Award recognizes extraordinary achievement in voluntary conservation. 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.”

The Leopold Conservation Award program inspires other landowners through these examples and provides a visible forum where farmers, ranchers and other private landowners are recognized as conservation leaders.

The 2014 California Leopold Conservation Award will be presented December 8 at the California Farm Bureau Federation’s Annual Meeting in Garden Grove.

Link to news release

ABOUT THE LEOPOLD CONSERVATION AWARD ®

The Leopold Conservation Award is a competitive award that recognizes landowner achievement in voluntary conservation. The award consists of a crystal award depicting Aldo Leopold and $10,000. Sand County Foundation presents Leopold Conservation Awards in California, Colorado, Kentucky, Nebraska, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Wisconsin and Wyoming.