Monthly Archives: March 2018

During the week that Ag Day was celebrated in California–last week–the California Farm Bureau’s Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom teamed up with Sacramento Kings coach Dave Joerger for the first “Farm Day” in Sacramento.  CDFA Secretary Karen Ross was invited to participate and meet the school children attending the event.  Ag Alert story by Ching Lee More than 1,500 students, …

By Mike Wilson Drought. Regulations. Migrant labor under scrutiny. Complex water rights. Urban encroachment. And now, frost. In a high-stakes farm profit game, California farmers face these challenges and more with grit, smarts and determination. Last week (the week of March 12) I crisscrossed the state to catch up with some of these growers and learn what drives them. They’re …

On Ag Day last week, the Center for Land Based Learning hosted a screening of a wonderful film, “Farmers for America,” created by Graham Meriwether and narrated by the excellent Mike Rowe. It’s a film I hope more organizations will bring to their local communities because it is such an important topic, and it poses some essential questions. Who will …

“Real food” is the rallying cry of Generation Z grocery shoppers, according to a recent report from The NPD Group. Gen Z, those born between 1997 and the present, represent 27 percent of the U.S. population. They have higher consumption rates of organic foods and beverages than any other group, NPD said, and were taught to value food based on …

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Office of Partnerships & Public Engagement (OPPE) today announced up to $8.4 million in available funding for training and technical assistance for socially disadvantaged and veteran farmers and ranchers. Funding is made through the USDA’s Outreach and Assistance for Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers and Veteran Farmers and Ranchers Program (also known as the …

By David Castellon Fresno State researchers have concluded that non-farm workers and businesses that contribute to strawberry production, packing and distribution in five Southern California counties generate more than $2.7 billion in revenues annually.   The study, commissioned by the California Strawberry Commission, was conducted by economists who determined that a wide range of businesses in the counties support the …

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is allocating $14.8 million to California from Section 10007 of the 2014 Farm Bill as part of its effort to strengthen the nation’s infrastructure for pest detection and surveillance, identification, and threat mitigation, and to safeguard the nursery production system. Overall, USDA is providing nearly $70 million in funding this year that will support …

NOTE – Today is World Water Day, an annual observance highlighting the need for freshwater and to advocate for the sustainable management of freshwater resources. CDFA’s SWEEP program helps in that regard by making grants available to farmers and ranchers for efficient irrigation projects.  Over the life of the program 31 billion gallons of water have been conserved, enough to fill …