Planting Seeds - Food & Farming News from CDFA

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Governor Newsom Signs Executive Order on Actions in Response to COVID-19, Including Extending Housing for Migrant Ag Workers

Governor Gavin Newsom today issued an executive order addressing a variety of issues in response to the pandemic, including extending the availability of housing for migrant agricultural workers, providing a 90-day extension on tax returns and tax payments for small businesses and … Continue reading

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California Farmworker Foundation partnering with state to administer COVID-19 tests

The California Farmworker Foundation has joined a pilot project with the state of California to administer COVID-19 tests in the field for farmworkers. On October 30th, Governor Newsom announced the opening of the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) Valencia … Continue reading

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12 days of Gratitude with Secretary Karen Ross – Day #4, gratitude for partnerships dedicated to poultry health

Some of the good news to emerge from 2020 included the eradication of Virulent Newcastle Disease (VND), a deadly bird illness that poses a threat to avian populations across the country. The outbreak began in Southern California in 2018 and … Continue reading

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12 days of Gratitude with Secretary Karen Ross – Day #3, gratitude for commitments to food security

One of the first issues to emerge in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic was a food emergency. Farmers and ranchers who supplied restaurants, hotels, schools and other institutional food service customers suddenly saw those channels shut down. On the … Continue reading

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12 Days of Gratitude with Secretary Karen Ross – Day #2, gratitude for CDFA employees

The many challenges of 2020 have included dramatic changes in the ways that CDFA employees—as well as a large number of workers in the public and private sectors—do their jobs. We have asked our employees to telework, or work from … Continue reading

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California Horticulture Sales reach $2.63 Billion in 2019

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) has released the 2019 Census of Horticultural Specialties report, the only source of detailed production and sales data for floriculture, nursery, and specialty crops for the entire United States. The … Continue reading

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Introducing 12 Days of Gratitude with CDFA secretary Karen Ross – Day #1, gratitude for farmers, ranchers and farmworkers

As challenging a year as 2020 has been, there is much to be grateful for, and I would like to share that with all of you in the “12 Days of Gratitude,” between now and December 24th. Our first day … Continue reading

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Sometimes, “retirement” means another opportunity for public service

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Beneficiaries of CDFA’s California Nutrition Incentive Program report lower levels of food insecurity

California Nutrition Incentive Program (CNIP) beneficiaries report lower levels of food insecurity, greater ability to consume fruits and vegetables, and overwhelmingly positive appreciation for the program. This is according to an evaluation by the University of California Agriculture and Natural … Continue reading

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Vegetable ice cream? Yes, and it wins Snackcelerator dairy snack competition- from Perishable News

Peekaboo Organics’ ice cream featuring hidden vegetables was named the grand prize winner of the Real California Milk Snackcelerator dairy snack innovation competition created by the California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB) and VentureFuel. The competition will provide Peekaboo with $200,000 in resources and funding to bring a … Continue reading

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