Monthly Archives: February 2018

USDA News Release U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy to jointly promote and enhance environmental sustainability in the dairy industry. The pact extends and builds upon a MOU originally signed in 2009. Secretary Perdue signed the MOU yesterday with …

Note – According to the California Cut Flower Commission, roughly 99 percent of the roses sold in the US are imported. External video – no longer available

The recent holiday season collapsed in flames for thousands of Ventura and Santa Barbara County residents in the path of the catastrophic Thomas Fire. It is considered the largest fire in California history, burning nearly 282,000 acres and destroying more than one-thousand homes and other structures. The fire spread across 440 square miles, more land than any California city except …

By Leah Shaffer This past holiday season, I met the farmer who raised my Thanksgiving turkey. I didn’t go to his farm, though, nor did I run into him at a farmers’ market. Rather, I tracked him down using a blockchain, the same technology that underpins bitcoin and other so-called cryptocurrencies. Mike Neal was just as delighted to talk to …

From the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service: The 2017 crush totaled 4,233,288 tons, up less than half of a percent from the 2016 crush of 4,217,154 tons. Red wine varieties accounted for the largest share of all grapes crushed, at 2,242,984 tons, down 1.6 percent from 2016. The 2017 white wine variety crush totaled 1,764,152 tons, up .7 percent from …

The 2018 World Ag Expo is scheduled for next week in Tulare (Feb 13-15), and several divisions at CDFA will be participating. On Wednesday, February 14, deputy secretary Jenny Lester Moffitt will join a panel to discuss the 2018 federal Farm Bill alongside participants from the USDA, the University of California Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources, and the California Farm …

We are proud to announce this year’s theme for Ag Day 2018: “Climate Smart, California Grown.”  California farmers and ranchers are working with state agencies to protect wildlife, reduce pollution, conserve water and adapt to climate change.  This year’s theme honors that partnership and reflects the innovation and stewardship of California-grown agriculture. We hope you can make plans to join …

Almonds depend on bees and bees depend on almonds. In fact, the link between bees and almonds is so important that the relationships between almond growers and their beekeepers often go back years or even generations. Between February and March each year, almond tree buds burst into beautiful light pink and white blooms in preparation for pollination. As the trees …

The long-awaited game of the year is here and whether or not your team will vie for the Lombardi Trophy, one thing holds true – there will be lots of cheers, some tears and a whole lot of food. While enjoying some of the 1 billion chicken wings consumed on Super Bowl Sunday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food …