Monthly Archives: July 2011

News Release – Beneficial bugs for water hyacinth control in Delta

July 28, 2011   Office of Public Affairs

SACRAMENTO, CA, July 28, 2011 – A small insect, native to South America, has been brought to California waterways thanks to its voracious appetite for water hyacinth, an invasive aquatic plant that chokes the sloughs and canals of the San Joaquin/Sacramento River Delta. Scientists with the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) have begun releasing hundreds of water hyacinth …

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News Release – CDFA announces vacancies on organic and farmers market advisory committees

July 28, 2011   Office of Public Affairs

SACRAMENTO, July 28, 2011 – The California Department of Food and Agriculture is announcing 18 vacancies on two advisory committees overseen by the department’s Inspection and Compliance Branch. Vacancies are available on the California Organic Products Advisory Committee and the Certified Farmers’ Market Advisory Committee.  The California Organic Products Advisory Committee advises the CDFA secretary on current issues related to …

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State Ag Board Focuses on Farm Animal Welfare

July 28, 2011   State Board of Food and Agriculture President Craig McNamara

Our last state board meeting generated a lot of discussion and feedback from farmers and ranchers from across the state. Farm animal welfare is a passionate issue on all sides of the discussion. It is a topic important to California agriculture and an important topic for the public. Speakers at the board meeting educated all of us on a controversial …

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Secretary Ross, CDFA Unveil “Planting Seeds” Blog

July 26, 2011   Karen Ross, California Agriculture Secretary, and Linda

Welcome to Planting Seeds, CDFA’s new blog about food and farming! The people of CDFA are engaged in a wide variety of programs that help us protect the food supply and natural resources of California. We plan to use Planting Seeds to introduce you to as many staff members and programs as we can. We’ll also take every opportunity to highlight what is happening today in farming, and …

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Update – Statewide Plant Pest Prevention and Management Program Environmental Impact Report (EIR)

July 26, 2011   Dr. Robert Leavitt, Director, CDFA Plant Health and Pest Prevention Services

Public scoping comments for the draft EIR were accepted through Monday, June 25, 2011. CDFA thanks those who took the time to attend five scoping sessions held throughout the state. The department also received written comments from stakeholders and members of the public. Next in the process – a review of the scoping comments and development of a draft EIR. …

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Beneficial Bugs: USDA releasing hundreds of thousands of sterile LBAM in Long Beach

July 20, 2011   CDFA Staff

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has begun a five-month pilot project in Long Beach, California to determine whether sterile insect technology (SIT) can be an effective tool in agricultural officials’ ongoing effort to control the invasive light brown apple moth (LBAM) in California. SIT is a proven and environmentally friendly method of controlling a pest infestation by introducing …

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National Ag Association Surveys States’ Raw Milk Regs

July 19, 2011   CDFA Staff

The National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) has released its latest iteration of a recurring survey of state laws governing raw milk. Five states have strengthened standards for how much bacteria is permitted in government sampling of raw milk, including New Hampshire, Pennsulvania, Idaho, Vermont and South Dakota. No states have relaxed their standards since 2008. The survey …

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