Monthly Archives: July 2017

Garlic harvest brings good quality, plentiful supplies – The Packer

By Tom Burfield, The Packer Most of the U.S. fresh garlic now being harvested is coming out of California, where grower-shippers say supplies are plentiful and quality is good. “We had a great growing season,” said Bill Christopher, president of Christopher Ranch, Gilroy, Calif. “The size is good, and the quality is some of the best we’ve ever seen, especially …

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CDFA welcomes foreign buyers to Fresno Food Expo

CDFA had the pleasure this week of welcoming 19 buyers from Central America, Mexico and Southeast Asia to the seventh annual Fresno Food Expo. The buyers were part of trade delegation facilitated by the Western United States Agricultural Trade Association (WUSATA) to help expand U.S. agricultural exports to international markets. While in Fresno, the buyers will have the opportunity to …

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Healthy Pigs – California swine health program review: Pseudorabies “free” reconfirmed

If you are a fan of pigs, you will be happy to know that, after an in depth disease prevention program review by USDA veterinarians and other scientists in 2017, California has once again been classified as Pseudorabies “free.” While Pseudorabies only impacts the health of swine, it is highly transmissible and can be fatal to pigs.  Maintaining “free” status …

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Video – Garlic in Gilroy

The annual Gilroy Garlic Festival will take place this weekend, July 28-30. In this encore presentation from the Growing California video series, “Gilroy’s Glory,” CDFA takes a look at the festival’s history and the crop itself.

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Join National Moth Week – from SciStarter.com

National Moth Week (July 22-30) celebrates the beauty, life cycles, and habitats of moths. “Moth-ers” of all ages and abilities are encouraged to learn about, observe, and document moths in their backyards, parks, and neighborhoods. National Moth Week is being held, worldwide, during the last full week of July. NMW offers everyone, everywhere a unique opportunity to become a Citizen …

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Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program: Improving Nutrition, Health for our Seniors

Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program www.cdfa.ca.gov/go/sfmnp California’s certified farmers’ markets are great places to give your diet a nutrition boost. CDFA’s Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program helps low-income seniors accomplish just that. It’s a 100 percent federally-funded program that provides check booklets that low-income seniors may use to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables along with specialty items such as fresh-cut …

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Secretary Ross tours USDA “Food Safety Discovery Zone” mobile exhibit at the State Fair

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and its Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) sent their “Food Safety Discovery Zone” mobile interactive exhibit to the California State Fair this year, marking the first time the decked-out vehicle has made the trip to the Golden State. California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Secretary Karen Ross visited the exhibit this morning …

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Secretary Ross attends State Fair Heritage Breakfast to honor agricultural pioneers

CDFA Secretary Karen Ross joined the California State Fair and state agricultural leaders this week for the annual Ag Heritage Breakfast, a fair-sponsored event that recognizes the pioneers of California agriculture – Ag operations in business for 100 years or more. The Ag Heritage tradition dates back to the 1940’s, beginning as a 100-year club and expanding its horizons as time …

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Aguiar-Curry supports cap-and-trade extension – from the Davis Enterprise

Assemblywoman Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, D-Winters, voted in favor of landmark legislation Monday to extend California’s cap-and-trade program. The package includes AB 398 by Assemblyman Eduardo Garcia, D-Coachella; AB 617 by Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia, D-Bell Gardens; and ACA 1 by Assembly Republican Leader Chad Mayes, R-Yucca Valley. “Together, these bills will ensure that California continues to meet its ambitious climate change goals …

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Fairs connect Californians to agriculture, community – Op-ed by Secretary Ross in Ag Alert

By Karen Ross All over California, it’s “fair season.” County fairs are serving up the best that California has to offer and, in our capital city, the California State Fair is in the midst of its Golden Anniversary season at Sacramento’s Cal Expo—the 50th year the fair has been housed there! A half-century of corn dogs, fried foods of all …

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