Planting Seeds - Food & Farming News from CDFA

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Healthy Cal – Farmers slow to adopt new pesticide

http://www.healthycal.org/archives/6783/print/ A year after environmentalists lost a regulatory battle to keep controversial pesticide methyl iodide off the California market, they appear to be winning the ground war against the chemical. Only six California growers have used methyl iodide—marketed as Midas—to … Continue reading

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Fresno Bee – Raw milk dairy could resume production soon

http://www.fresnobee.com/2011/12/06/2640248/organic-dairy-near-kerman-could.html Organic Pastures dairy near Kerman – under state quarantine for three weeks – could resume producing its raw milk products soon, if it passes a final round of testing by the state. The dairy’s products were recalled by the … Continue reading

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Environmental stewardship commitment reflected on CDFA web site

http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/environmentalstewardship/index.html CDFA joins the farmers and ranchers of California in a commitment to produce and protect a consistent, high quality food supply for all Californians, and for distribution throughout the world. Farmers and ranchers are stewards of the land and … Continue reading

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News Release – Oriental fruit fly treatment program in Los Angeles County

The California Department of Food and Agriculture is preparing for an Oriental fruit fly (OFF) eradication program in the North hollywood/Burbank area of Los Angeles County. Treatment of the Oriental fruit fly  primarily relies upon a process known as “male … Continue reading

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News Release – Members sought for 2012 Specialty Crop Block Grant Review Committee

California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Secretary Karen Ross is pleased to announce the opportunity to serve as a reviewer on the 2012 Specialty Crop Block Grant Technical Review Committee. The role of the Technical Review Committee is to … Continue reading

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LA Times – California Farms Looking Greener Than Ever

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-california-ag-boom-20111124,0,7022738.story By Diana Marcum, Los Angeles Times Reporting from Fresno— As Californians savor their Thanksgiving feasts, the states’ farmers are especially thankful. California’s agriculture sector is on track for a record year, a rare bright spot in the state’s economy. … Continue reading

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California Watch – More Californians struggle to afford food

http://californiawatch.org/dailyreport/more-californians-struggle-afford-food-13730 November 28, 2011 | Bernice Yeung, California Watch On a recent November afternoon, Hermelinda Hernandez, who had spent 27 years packing cauliflower and cantaloupes from the farms of the Imperial Valley, found herself fourth in line for the monthly … Continue reading

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California Watch – Study disputes need to conserve farm water

http://californiawatch.org/dailyreport/study-disputes-need-conserve-farm-water-13777 November 29, 2011 | Tia Ghose, California Watch A new report suggests that California agriculture already uses water efficiently and disputes the notion that conservation could free up large amounts of water for other uses. Increasing water efficiency would … Continue reading

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Opinion from Minneapolis Star-Tribune – Which came first: factory chicken farm or egg demand?

http://www.startribune.com/opinion/otherviews/134428783.html Article by: NICOLE WYATT Updated: November 23, 2011 – 8:20 PM Factory farming may not be pretty, but we all need to take a step back, look at how we got here and try to understand the industry on … Continue reading

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From the LA Times – Alice Waters brings Chez Panisse experience to Beijing

http://articles.latimes.com/2011/nov/22/world/la-fg-china-restaurant-20111123 November 22, 2011|By Barbara Demick, Los Angeles Times Reporting from Beijing — Here is a nightmare assignment for a restaurateur: Cook for 250 people using all-organic ingredients procured locally in a country infamous for its tainted food supply. Create … Continue reading

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