Monthly Archives: May 2018

Governor Brown Signs Legislation Establishing Statewide Water Efficiency Goals

May 31, 2018   Office of Public Affairs

SACRAMENTO – Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today signed SB 606 by Senator Robert Hertzberg (D-Van Nuys) and AB 1668 by Assemblymember Laura Friedman (D-Glendale) to help the state better prepare for droughts and climate change by establishing statewide water efficiency standards. “In preparation for the next drought and our changing environment, we must use our precious resources wisely. We …

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Posted in Climate Change, Drought | 1 Comment

“Imagine If” podcast project pairs Secretary Ross with a promising young ag leader

May 31, 2018   Office of Public Affairs

Podcast to air this summer will feature a dynamic conversation between generations of ag leadership about climate change, drought, and how farmers and ranchers are overcoming challenges. California Agriculture Secretary Karen Ross spent a rewarding afternoon recently with young rancher, student, and up-and-coming ag leader Bailey Morrell at her family’s ranch near Willows in Northern California. As Bailey led a tour of …

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New Leafy Greens Food Safety Task Force formed

May 30, 2018   Office of Public Affairs

The Arizona and California Leafy Greens Marketing Agreements, the Produce Marketing Association, the United Fresh Produce Association, Western Growers, and other stakeholders in the produce industry are pleased to announce the formation of a Leafy Greens Food Safety Task Force designed to assess and address issues associated with recent foodborne illness outbreaks attributed to consumption of leafy greens. California and Arizona produce …

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Posted in Food Safety | 4 Comments

Virulent Newcastle Disease update

May 29, 2018   Office of Public Affairs

Bird owners in Southern California are responding to outreach provided over the past several days related to virulent Newcastle disease (VND), and have started reporting sick birds. VND has now been confirmed in a number of flocks of backyard birds in San Bernardino County. CDFA is working closely with USDA to respond to these findings, and is investigating any potential …

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CDFA Border Stations chipping in on invasive mussels prevention over holiday weekend.

May 25, 2018   Office of Public Affairs

California agencies combatting the spread of invasive quagga and zebra mussels remind boaters to remain cautious over Memorial Day weekend. Quagga and zebra mussels are invasive freshwater mussels native to Eurasia. They multiply quickly, encrust watercraft and infrastructure, alter water quality and the aquatic food web and ultimately impact native and sport fish communities. These mussels spread from one waterbody …

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Citrus impact to economy: $7 billion – from the Business Journal

May 24, 2018   Office of Public Affairs

By Frank Lopez A new study commissioned by the Citrus Research Board (CRB) values the total economic impact of California’s citrus industry at $7.117 billion. Bruce Babcock, Ph.D., a professor in the School of Public Policy at the University of California, Riverside, conducted the research and his findings quantified the impact of citrus on the state economy. “California citrus is …

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What will we be eating in 2050? Farmers weigh several factors – from Grist

May 23, 2018   Office of Public Affairs

By Nathanael Johnson EXCERPTED Chris Sayer pushed his way through avocado branches and grasped a denuded limb. It was stained black, as if someone had ladled tar over its bark. In February, the temperature had dropped below freezing for three hours, killing the limb. The thick leaves had shriveled and fallen away, exposing the green avocados, which then burned in …

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Biosecurity tips for bird owners

May 22, 2018   Office of Public Affairs

As CDFA continues its work with federal and local partners and poultry owners to respond to a recent detection of virulent Newcastle disease in Los Angeles County, it offers these reminders to bird owners in California and elsewhere.  

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The food that goes bad in your fridge amounts to trillions of gallons of wasted water – from the Los Angeles Times

May 21, 2018   Office of Public Affairs

By Karen Kaplan According to a new report in the journal PLOS One, we Americans wasted just over 25% of our food between 2007 and 2014. Although we did a decent job of finishing up our nuts and seeds (only 12% wasted) and potatoes (about 16% wasted), we were not as careful with seafood (nearly 35% wasted), whole fruit (almost …

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Facing Climate and Water Pressures, Farmers Return to Age-Old Practice – Water Deeply

May 18, 2018   Office of Public Affairs

Just 5 percent of California farmers use cover cropping, but that’s likely to increase as researchers work to quantify the amount of water that can be saved by the practice and its benefit for river ecosystems. By Jane Braxton Little, Water Deeply THIS SPRING IN California several orchards around Solano and nearby counties sported a new look: lush carpets of …

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