Monthly Archives: December 2017

“Holiday Farmers Market” helps kids practice food literacy over holiday break

CDFA Deputy Secretary Jenny Lester Moffitt recently joined CDFA’s Farm to Fork staff at St. Hope Public School 7 in the Sacramento area to help distribute donated produce to students and families in low-income areas. In partnership with Trinity Fresh, the Food Literacy Center hosted this “Holiday Farmers Market” at three elementary schools in the Sacramento City Unified School District Dec. 19-21. …

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Remembering Christmases on the Farm

By CDFA Secretary Karen Ross As Christmas approaches this year, I’ve been on the road quite a bit and I’ve spoken with a lot of farmers and their families. On the drive back from Monterey, and before that from Napa and Sonoma, and up and down the Central Valley, I’ve seen the lights strung along fence lines, and the festive …

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Video – Happy holidays from the California Almond Board

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Annual Food Drive Demonstrates Spirit of Giving

The annual California State Employees Food Drive, chaired by CDFA, is showing strong momentum as it aims for a goal of 800,000 pounds of food for needy Californians. CDFA employees are demonstrating the Department’s commitment this season through a series of events. Each year CDFA joins other agencies in placing barrels in common office spaces for donations, and each year …

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Video: Climate Smart Agriculture in action at Russow Farms

The California Department of Food and Agriculture’s (CDFA) investments in irrigation technology and other advancements through its State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program (SWEEP) are explored in this video about Russow Farms. Through the SWEEP program, CDFA’s Office of Environmental Farming and Innovation provides financial assistance in the form of grants to implement irrigation systems that reduce greenhouse gases and save …

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CDFA veterinarian wins prestigious national award

CDFA Animal Health branch chief Dr. Kent Fowler was honored this year by the United States Animal Health Association (USAHA) with its National Assembly Award, presented annually in recognition of outstanding, dedicated service and leadership in regulatory veterinary medicine. Dr. Fowler was recognized for his work in preparation for potential future outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease; for his support and acceptance of an …

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Video – Meet a CDFA veterinarian in the field

Thank you to the California Association of Professional Scientists for this video.

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Holiday celebrations and food drive donations around CDFA

Cookies, cocoa and canned goods donations for the annual California State Employees Food Drive set the mood this morning at California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) offices throughout the Sacramento area as CDFA Secretary Karen Ross and Acting Undersecretary Kevin Masuhara made their annual holiday visits. Sharing a snack with staff members and seeing the cheerfully decorated trees and cubicles has become …

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Study: Food impacts brain differently as we age – from Morning Ag Clips

  Diet and dietary practices differentially affect mental health in young adults versus older adults, according to new research from Binghamton University, State University of New York. Lina Begdache, assistant professor of health and wellness studies at Binghamton University, along with fellow Binghamton researchers, conducted an anonymous internet survey, asking people around the world to complete the Food-Mood Questionnaire (FMQ), …

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Holy Cow! Methane as truck fuel? from Bloomberg

“California Regulates Cow Farts,” is how a New York Post headline put it, implying it was a wacky move by Governor Jerry Brown. In fact, California’s methane law represents a serious attempt by America’s biggest dairy state to come to grips with a potent greenhouse gas. Methane is responsible for about a quarter of human-generated global warming. While it’s not nearly as prevalent as carbon dioxide, and it …

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