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Category Archives: Uncategorized

State Fair Wine Competition a welcome sign of fair season

Posted on June 27, 2013 by Karen Ross, California Agriculture Secretary, and Linda

  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 →

Posted in AG Vision, Agricultural Education, Agricultural Marketing, Trade, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Supporting bees with pollinator hedgerows – a video from the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service

Posted on June 26, 2013 by Office of Public Affairs

“Pollinator Hedgerows” is one of a series of videos on conservation from the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service. The series is called, “There’s a Plan for That.” This segment discusses the benefits of foraging plants for honeybees and other pollinators … Continue reading →

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Letter to dairy stakeholders from CDFA Secretary Karen Ross

Posted on June 24, 2013 by Office of Public Affairs

What follows is a letter from CDFA Secretary Karen Ross to the dairy industry that was sent as CDFA announced a determination that market conditions warrant a temporary adjustment to the minimum milk prices. After a late December hearing, CDFA … Continue reading →

Posted in Dairy, Trade, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Snails – an ancient invasive species? From the Los Angeles Times

Posted on June 21, 2013 by Office of Public Affairs

Scientists study modern snails, shed light on ancient humans? By Eryn Brown Genetic analysis of certain snails in Ireland suggests that the creeping mollusks may have arrived on the Emerald Isle when humans carried them there some 8,000 years ago … Continue reading →

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Diesel Fuel Substitute Shows Promise – CDFA Partnering in Test Project

Posted on June 20, 2013 by Kristin Macey, Director, CDFA Division of Measurement Standards

A new fuel will soon be powering some vehicles in a test project in California. Volvo’s heavy truck division is partnering with an innovative California start-up, Oberon Fuels, to develop Dimethyl Ether (DME) as a diesel engine fuel replacement, at … Continue reading →

Posted in AG Vision, Alternative Fuels, Environment, Measurement Standards, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Huell Howser and California’s Golden Fairs – Alameda County

Posted on June 19, 2013 by Office of Public Affairs

Several years ago, the late public television personality Huell Howser produced a series of reports called California’s Golden Fairs. One of the segments featured the Alameda County Fair in Pleasanton, which begins its 17-day run today. California’s Golden Fairs #109 – … Continue reading →

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Growing California video series – For the Love of Olives

Posted on June 18, 2013 by Office of Public Affairs

The next segment in the Growing California video series, a partnership with California Grown, is “For the Love of Olives.”

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California State Board of Food and Agriculture Continues its Work to Cultivate New Farmers and Ranchers

Posted on June 12, 2013 by Office of Public Affairs

Farm demographics continue to change in California. The average age of a farmer is 58 years old, relatively few heirs are willing to take over farms, and fewer people are interested in becoming farmers because of a variety of challenges. This dynamic is … Continue reading →

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Growing California video series – “Blossom Buddies,” part two

Posted on June 11, 2013 by Office of Public Affairs

The next segment in the Growing California video series, a partnership with California Grown, is part two of “Blossom Buddies,” a story about honey bees in California and the challenges to their health in recent years.

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Turning Cow Dung into Electricity – From the Los Angeles Times

Posted on June 11, 2013 by Office of Public Affairs

    http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-dairy-digester-20130609,0,878419.story By Ricardo Lopez, Los Angeles Times Dairy farmer Ron Koetsier’s 1,200 cows produce roughly 90 tons of manure daily, and for the last three decades, he has tried unsuccessfully to turn the stinky dung into energy to … Continue reading →

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