Monthly Archives: October 2011

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/money_co/2011/10/california-cantaloupes-listeria-safe.html Federal regulators’ pinpointing of a deadly listeria food poisoning to a single packing shed in Colorado provides evidence that the outbreak was an isolated case of poor sanitation practices, according to California’s biggest trade group for fresh fruits, nuts and vegetables. On Wednesday, the Food and Drug Administration linked the bad cantaloupes to Jensen Farms in Holly, Colo. Water …

The California Department of Food and Agriculture is preparing for a quarantine and treatment program to eradicate an Oriental fruit fly (OFF) infestation in the Anaheim area of Orange County. The quarantine will also affect an adjacent portion of southern Los Angeles County. “Our system to detect invasive species like the Oriental fruit fly is working well and according to …

The California State Board of Food and Agriculture will discuss policies for agricultural water transfers at its regularly scheduled meeting on October 26th in Sacramento. The meeting will be held from 10:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the California Department of Food and Agriculture, 1220 ‘N’ Street – Main Auditorium, Sacramento, CA 95814. “As policy discussions continue about California’s water …

The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) has prepared a Scoping Report for its Statewide Plant Pest Prevention and Management Program Environmental Impact Report (EIR).  This Scoping Report summarizes the comments and questions raised during the public scoping period for the preparation of the EIR. Scoping is the process conducted to determine the coverage, focus and content of the …

Apple Hill just finished its busiest weekend of the year,  said Ann Wofford, director of the Apple Hill Growers Association, a collection  of 55 orchards and other agricultural businesses in El Dorado County. Liz Applegate, a Ph.D. nutritionist at the University of California, Davis, is promoting the apple as  vigorously as she does all year. “It does more than keep …

When the Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District (AC Transit) in Emeryville recently introduced twelve new hydrogen fuel cell buses and a fueling system, CDFA’s Division of Measurement Standards (DMS) was alongside to make sure the dispensing equipment was accurate.  All new retail hydrogen dispensers must first be evaluated by DMS to ensure accuracy and repeatable performance, just like dispensers for gasoline and …

California has submitted recommendations to Congress on the upcoming Farm Bill – to inform discussions of the Joint Committee on Deficit Reduction, known as the Committee of 12 and tasked with making recommendations to reduce the federal deficit.  California’s recommendations focus on job creation, protecting the environment and natural resources, revitalizing rural economies, making investments in education, promoting renewable energy, …

Nearly 150 farm-to-consumer marketing projects across the country have received funding under the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farmers Market Promotion Program (FMPP), including 19 projects in California drawing total funding of more than $1 million. CDFA Secretary Karen Ross is applauding the diversity of this year’s awardees and a rise in urban projects. “The diversity of funded programs is critical for …

The California Department of Food and Agriculture’s (CDFA) Fertilizer Research and Education Program (FREP) and the Western Plant Health Association (WPHA) have teamed up to present their annual conference on fertilizing techniques on November 16-17 in Tulare, CA. The agenda is geared toward a wide range of agriculturalists, including agricultural supply and service consultants, growers, university extension specialists, crop advisers …

California farmers and ranchers, as well as fertilizer manufactures and handlers, may be impacted by new federal regulations that will require registration with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). In August, DHS announced a proposed rule, via the Federal Register, which will create an Ammonium Nitrate Security Program. This program would require that persons engaged in the use, transfer …