Monthly Archives: March 2018

Our annual Ag Day is today (March 20) at the State Capitol, and our theme this year, “Climate Smart – California Grown,” is far more than a slogan. It’s actually a key part of the road map for the future of farming and ranching in our state. CDFA and the Brown Administration share a essential priority with agriculture – keep …

In 2016 California’s farms and ranches received more than $46 billion for their output. This represents a decrease of about six percent compared to 2015. Despite this decrease, California remains the leading US state for cash farm receipts. For the 2016 crop year California agricultural exports totaled $20.04 billion. Top commodities for export included almonds, wine, dairy and dairy products, walnuts and …

Note – CDFA receives Cap-and-Trade investments for four programs in its Office of Environmental Farming and Innovation. They are the Dairy Digester Research and Development Program, the State Water Efficiency Enhancement Program (SWEEP), the Healthy Soils Program, and the Alternative Manure Management Program. A new report details the dramatic growth last year in Cap-and-Trade investments that are reducing greenhouse gas emissions while …

Desert Fresh, Inc, a farm  located in the Coachella Valley,  in Riverside County, received a $53,000 grant from CDFA’s State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program (SWEEP) to install climate-smart technology. Desert Fresh grows grapes, lemons, and row crops in some of California’s most arid lands and is doing this while using less water and reducing carbon emissions from the farm. …

News release from the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research The Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research, a nonprofit established through bipartisan congressional support in the 2014 Farm Bill, has announced 16 grants totaling $7 million for research to address declining pollinator health, an ongoing threat to agricultural productivity in the United States. The FFAR awards are matched by more …

CDFA has filed an appeal of a recent Superior Court decision invalidating portions of CDFA’s Programmatic Environmental Impact Report for Pest Prevention and Management. The appeal, filed in the Third District Court of Appeal for California, seeks to overturn the lower court order. CDFA will also request that the court lift an injunction on certain CDFA activities. Going forward, the Department is …

The final numbers for 2017 State Employees Food Drive are in and we are very pleased to note an increase in food donations compared to 2016! CDFA and its Office of Farm to Fork coordinated the food drive from late September to early February, along with their partners at the Sacramento Food Bank and Family Services and 108 different assistance agencies statewide. …