Planting Seeds - Food & Farming News from CDFA

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Secretary Ross remembers produce industry leader Hank Giclas

Hank Giclas, who tirelessly served the produce industry for 30 years at Western Growers, has passed away. CDFA Secretary Karen Ross remembers Giclas with deep appreciation: “Hank was a very special kind of leader – one of the quiet ones, … Continue reading

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CDFA’s Office of Pesticide Consultation and Analysis receives prestigious award for study on bee impacts

Scientists from CDFA’s Office of Pesticide Consultation and Analysis (OPCA) have been recognized by the Agricultural & Applied Economics Association (AAEA) for co-authoring a paper recently published in the Journal of Economic Entomology.  The paper, titled Balancing Bees and Pest … Continue reading

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CDFA’s SWEEP program provides key water savings assistance to farmers and ranchers

CDFA’s State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program (SWEEP) provides financial assistance in the form of grants to implement irrigation systems that allow California farmers and ranchers to reduce greenhouse gases and save water. In this video we see how University … Continue reading

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Sonoma growers put vineyard employees on a path toward leadership

By CDFA Secretary Karen Ross The first cohort of the Sonoma County Winegrape Growers Foundation Leadership Academy for Vineyard Employees has graduated! I spoke to this group at their first get-together several months ago, and their final installment for this … Continue reading

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Public Service: CDFA Personnel Officer Gay Faivre retires after 47-year career

The California Department of Food and Agriculture’s (CDFA) Personnel Officer Gay Faivre (right), pictured with CDFA Secretary Karen Ross, is retiring today after a career spanning 47 years with the department, including 45 years in the human resources office after … Continue reading

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USDA announces local food purchase agreement with California

From a USDA news release Today, during a visit to the Yolo County Food Bank in Woodland, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) has signed a cooperative agreement with California … Continue reading

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First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom visits Farm to School summer program

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Secretary Ross welcomes Kayla Ungar to CDFA

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CDFA Undersecretary Christine Birdsong Highlights CA GROWN as part of USDA Trade Mission to the Philippines

CDFA Undersecretary Christine Birdsong recently joined representatives from the California Fresh Fruit Association, California Olive Committee, California Milk Advisory Board, Raisin Administrative Committee, Wine Institute and the California Agricultural Export Council in promoting California Grown agricultural products in the Philippines. … Continue reading

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Barbecue, Wasabi and ‘Culinary Diplomacy’ come together in Half Moon Bay

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