Planting Seeds - Food & Farming News from CDFA

Category Archives: Agricultural Education


CDFA employees get into the spirit of giving

I don’t know about you, but my office is filled with holiday spirit this year! Ornaments abound, along with snowy gnomes, red and green stockings, even little reindeer made with chocolate bars and pipe cleaners – the stuff of celebration … Continue reading

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Video – Farm field trip program provides Ag education in Sonoma County

The Gold Ridge Resource Conservation District, based in Sebastopol (Sonoma County), sponsors a popular school field trip program to teach children about the origins of food and the need to preserve the resources that help produce it. TEAM 2013 from … Continue reading

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Calling Small Farmers! California Small Farm Conference now accepting applications for scholarships

APPLICATION DEADLINE:  December 6, 2013 CONFERENCE: March 9-11, 2014 The California Small Farm Conference is a unique opportunity for small-acreage farmers and ranchers to get a leg up – and you might even qualify for a scholarship to attend. Small … Continue reading

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USDA Releases Farm to School Census – California’s profile is encouraging

In celebration of National Farm to School Month, the USDA has released the first ever Farm to School Census – capturing the survey results from more than 13,000 public school districts nationwide. Check out how California and your local school district … Continue reading

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Protecting the Promise of California Agriculture – a report

View the report here. In turbulent economic times, assessing a government agency’s effectiveness can be a trying task. Our nation’s and indeed the world’s recent financial history did more than force government to cut budgets; it forced many great industries … Continue reading

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Back To School: MyPlate Helps Teach Our Kids to Make Healthy Choices

“Back to school” is an exciting time. Summer may be drawing to a close, but our kids miss their friends and they’re filled with nervous energy about all that awaits them. I remember – do you?  Of all the important … Continue reading

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State Fair Farm a valued partner in ag education, food bank support

I was pleased this week to make a return visit to the California State Fair, which is now 160 years old and still going strong as a vibrant destination and showplace for the best that California has to offer. From the very beginning, … Continue reading

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Robots to Revolutionize Farming, Ease Labor Woes – From the Associated Press via SF Gate

  http://www.sfgate.com/business/technology/article/Robots-to-revolutionize-farming-ease-labor-woes-4665421.php#photo-4914491 By GOSIA WOZNIACKA and TERENCE CHEA, Associated Press SALINAS, Calif. (AP) — On a windy morning in California’s Salinas Valley, a tractor pulled a wheeled, metal contraption over rows of budding iceberg lettuce plants. Engineers from Silicon Valley … Continue reading

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Growing California video series – “Fun, Food, Festivals”

The next segment in the Growing California video series, a partnership with California Grown, is “Fun, Food, Festivals,” a celebration of California agriculture.

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State Fair Wine Competition a welcome sign of fair season

  As we look forward to the start of another State Fair season in California (July 12-28), an annual hallmark of preparation has already passed – the State Fair Wine Competition. Each year, wine experts from around the state gather … Continue reading

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