Monthly Archives: August 2012

Creative Solutions Bring National Recognition for CDFA’s Division of Information Technology

August 30, 2012   Robert Schmidt, CDFA Director of Information Technology

There are two widely-known trends affecting the way state government does business in California. One, of course, is the remarkable advance of technology, and the other is a challenging budget climate that has altered assumptions in the workplace. In information technology, we are finding that we must adapt and innovate more than ever before, and we know that partnering with …

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Celebrate National Honey Month by Learning about Honey Bee Haven at UC Davis

August 30, 2012   Office of Public Affairs

With the month of Septepmber–National Honey Month–just ahead, it’s a good time to feature The Häagen-Dazs Honey Bee Haven -a half-acre bee-friendly garden next to the Harry H. Laidlaw Jr. Honey Bee Research Facility at UC Davis.  The garden is designed to provide bees with a year-around food source, raise public awareness about the plight of honey bees and to encourage visitors to plant bee-friendly gardens of their …

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The Award-Winning European Grapevine Moth Eradication Program

August 28, 2012   Dr. Robert Leavitt, Director, CDFA Plant Health and Pest Prevention Services

Several years ago, CDFA detected a new pest in California – the European grapevine moth, an invasive species that targets a number of plants, notably grapes. Because California is the leading grape producer in the country and one of the largest in the world, we understood immediately that the stakes were enormous for the wine, raisin and table grape industries, …

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Rooftop farms flourish in space-starved Hong Kong

August 27, 2012   Office of Public Affairs

http://phys.org/news/2012-08-rooftop-farms-flourish-space-starved-hong.html   Against a backdrop of skyscrapers and jungle-clad hills, earth-filled boxes are spread out on the roof of the 14-storey building, where a wide variety of produce including cucumbers and potatoes are cultivated. It is one of several such sites that have sprung up in Hong Kong’s concrete jungle, as the appetite for organic produce grows and people seek …

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News Release – Medfly Infestation Triggers Quarantine in Rancho Cucamonga Area

August 27, 2012   Office of Public Affairs

http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/egov/Press_Releases/Press_Release.asp?PRnum=12-031 A quarantine has been declared due to a Mediterranean fruit fly infestation detected in the Rancho Cucamonga area of San Bernardino County. Three adult males and one unmated female were detected in two traps on August 16, 2012. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the San Bernardino County Agricultural Commissioner, the Los Angeles County Agricultural Commissioner, and the …

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News Release – California Releases 2012 Bioenergy Action Plan

August 22, 2012   Office of Public Affairs

http://www.resources.ca.gov/docs/Final_Bioenergy_Action_Plan_Release_8-22-12.pdf California state agencies today released the 2012 Bioenergy Action Plan to accelerate clean energy development, job creation, and protection of public health and safety. Bioenergy is energy produced from organic waste such as agricultural, forest and urban wastes that would otherwise go into landfills or be burned. Increasing production of bioenergy in California can create thousands of new jobs, …

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Statement from Secretary Ross on Food Safety Efforts by California Cantaloupe Growers

August 20, 2012   Karen Ross, California Agriculture Secretary, and Linda

You may have heard about recent illnesses and two deaths linked to cantaloupe grown in southwestern Indiana. I am very concerned to learn about the severity of this outbreak. My heart goes out to those affected and their loved ones. All of agriculture and the food-supply chain have a responsibility to protect people from food-borne illness, and I am determined to …

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Fairs and Farmers are Key Partners with Local Food Banks

August 16, 2012   Karen Ross, California Agriculture Secretary, and Linda

The success of food banks is based on relationships in local communities with individuals, faith-based organizations, retailers and food service businesses -just to name a few.  Additional partnerships with food producers and processors assist with sourcing local, fresh foods that can be provided to needy families. Some of these relationships have innovative roots,  and fairs are an example of that. Each year, the California State …

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News Release – Vacancy on Fertilizer Technical Advisory Committee

August 15, 2012   Office of Public Affairs

http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/egov/Press_Releases/Press_Release.asp?PRnum=12-030 SACRAMENTO, August, 15, 2012 – The California Department of Food and Agriculture is announcing a vacancy on the Fertilizer Research and Education Program’s Technical Advisory Subcommittee. This subcommittee reviews and recommends fertilizer research and education programs to CDFA’s Fertilizer Inspection Advisory Board.The Fertilizer Research and Education Program funds and coordinates research and technical assistance to advance the environmentally safe …

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Steam shown to kill sudden oak death pathogen- From SF Chronicle

August 15, 2012   Office of Public Affairs

http://www.sfgate.com/science/article/Steam-shown-to-kill-Calif-plant-disease-3788696.php Scientists say they have discovered a new way to kill California’s most virulent forest- and plant-depleting disease, and it turns out the technique is as old as steam cleaning. Steam, in fact, is what researchers at Dominican University in San Rafael have been using to combat Phytophthora ramorum, a pathogen that causes sudden oak death. Scientists from a variety …

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