Category Archives: Uncategorized

By Marybeth Bizjak Kurt Spataro and Suzanne Peabody Ashworth at Peabody Ranch in West Sacramento. Photography by Marc Thomas Kallweit   It’s 4 p.m. on a Tuesday at Formoli’s Bistro in East Sacramento, and farmer Susan Hanks has just dropped … Continue reading →

A farm in Davis has started a new program allowing people to rent chickens to get a first-timer’s taste of backyard chicken farming. For those still trying to find a place in the pecking order of backyard chicken farming, this … Continue reading →

State Climatologist Michael Anderson issued the following statement on potential El Niño conditions: “California cannot count on potential El Niño conditions to halt or reverse drought conditions.  Historical weather data shows us that at best, there is a 50/50 chance … Continue reading →

As this nearly 60-year-old video shows, times have changed, but the need for an accurate system of measurement has not. The demands of California’s sealers of weights and measures are the same as for English practitioners in 1956 – take … Continue reading →

Gov. Jerry Brown signed into law Senate Bill 65, legislation by Senator Lois Wolk, D-Solano, changing an outdated labeling law that enabled olive oils to say they were produced in California, or a region of California. “As California’s olive oil … Continue reading →

By Katie Shepard As California moves through its fourth summer of drought, cutting back on water use means shorter showers, fuller dishwashers and drier lawns for most people living in urban areas. But for small farms nestled between city streets, … Continue reading →

By Katie L. Strong Humans love Sriracha sauce, and the pleasurable, painful sensation that makes us want to slather tacos, rice and barbecue with it and other spicy condiments comes down to one molecule: capsaicin. Professors Jie Zheng and Vladimir … Continue reading →

I am happy to announce the launch of the California Farmer Marketplace, www.cafarmermarketplace.com, by the California Department of Food and Agriculture’s Office of Farm to Fork. The Marketplace is a free statewide website that will feature fresh California produce, grains, … Continue reading →

During the next five years, U.S. college graduates will find good employment opportunities if they have expertise in food, agriculture, renewable natural resources, or the environment. Between 2015 and 2020, we expect to see 57,900 average annual openings for graduates … Continue reading →