Category Archives: Uncategorized

                  On Monday, February 2, US Trade Representative Michael Froman spoke to the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture at its Winter Policy Conference.  Link to speech Excerpts of speech: …”American … Continue reading →

U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Deputy Secretary Krysta Harden (USDA) has announced more than $18 million in grants to educate, mentor, and enhance the sustainability of the next generation of farmers. The grants are available through the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development … Continue reading →

The California State Fair is expanding its commercial competitions for 2015 to include a competition for extra virgin olive oil. Of all the olive oil produced in the United States, California produces 99 percent of it. Extra virgin olive oils … Continue reading →

By Mike Hornick An effort to double California grower contributions to food banks is underway. The California Association of Food Banks and the California State Board of Food and Agriculture have set a goal to increase annual contributions from 100 … Continue reading →

California’s Strategic Growth Council has approved final guidelines for a new program that will integrate conservation of agricultural land into the state’s efforts to mitigate climate change and prevent urban sprawl. The Sustainable Agricultural Land Conservation (SALC) Program will use … Continue reading →

By Edward Ortiz A NASA satellite being launched into space Friday will measure moisture in the top layer of soil, including soil on California farm fields far below. The Soil Moisture Active Passive project is expected to provide crucial information … Continue reading →

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) just kicked off the Organic Survey to gather detailed data on U.S. organic agriculture production. The survey is a complete inventory of all known organic producers that are certified, exempt from certification, and transitioning … Continue reading →

By Mark Anderson The farm-to-fork movement has been good to many restaurants in the Sacramento region. Easy access to locally grown food has built revenue and reputations. But it’s not all about the fork. Some small farmers also are getting … Continue reading →

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has announced that applications are being accepted for up to $20 million in grants to facilitate the creation of new, innovative markets for carbon credits, providing additional revenue sources for producers to use to address natural … Continue reading →

———————————————————————————————————- Story from the Modesto Bee By Jeff Jardine One of the perils left over from the Gold Rush era in the Mother Lode is the number of mine shafts still exposed. The U.S. Bureau of Land Management in 2011 … Continue reading →