Monthly Archives: May 2018

How can I use natural materials to build soil fertility in my garden? – Sustainable, Secure Food Blog

May 17, 2018   Office of Public Affairs

Not much beats the taste and nutrition of fresh vegetables that travel from your garden to your kitchen! Or the fragrance of fresh cut flowers that go straight to your vase. What are some ways you can use – or re-use in many cases – natural materials from your yard to enhance your gardens? Of course, various plants require various …

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Posted in Healthy soils | 4 Comments

Growing California video series – “Fairview Farm Camp” educates, inspires

May 16, 2018   Office of Public Affairs

Enjoy this encore from CDFA’s Growing California video series, a partnership with California Grown. We visited Fairview Farms for a profile of this urban farm near Santa Barbara – a farm with an educational mission.

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UCR scientist rediscovers insect lost for 105 years

May 15, 2018   Office of Public Affairs

Little is known about elusive beetle species, despite role in wildflower pollination By Sarah Nightingale, UCR A scientist at the University of California, Riverside, has rediscovered a tiny flower beetle that was last seen more than a century ago. Adriean Mayor, a research associate in entomology, rediscovered the species in April during ongoing field research in California. Mayor said the …

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California is turning farms into carbon-sucking factories – from Grist

May 14, 2018   Office of Public Affairs

By Nathaniel Johnson, Grist In a grand experiment, California switched on a fleet of high-tech greenhouse gas removal machines last month. Funded by the state’s cap-and-trade program, they’re designed to reverse climate change by sucking carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere. These wonderfully complex machines are more high-tech than anything humans have designed. They’re called plants. Seriously, though: Plants breathe …

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Posted in Climate Change, Climate Smart Agriculture, Healthy soils | Leave a comment

CDFA, UC Davis collaborate on study about growers and fertilization

May 11, 2018   Office of Public Affairs

This research project is directed at understanding influences and grower decisions about the adoption of improved nitrogen management practices. Issue Nitrogen best management practices (BMPs), such as applying fertilizers at the right time, right rate, right place and in the right form (the 4 R’s), and soil and leaf sampling, are key to managing crop productivity. Practices such as these …

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Impacts of climate change in California significant and increasingly stark

May 10, 2018   Office of Public Affairs

From Cal-EPA From record temperatures to proliferating wildfires and rising seas, California is already feeling the significant and growing effects of climate change, according to a new report  that tracks 36 indicators of climate change and its impacts on the state. The report documents the growing number of extreme weather-related events in recent years, such as the devastating 2017 wildfires and …

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CDFA and partner agencies to host public workshop on natural and working lands implementation plan

May 9, 2018   Office of Public Affairs

CDFA, the California Natural Resources Agency, the California Environmental Protection Agency, the California Air Resources Board, and the Strategic Growth Council are jointly hosting a public workshop to discuss and receive input on the development of the Natural and Working Lands Implementation Plan (Implementation Plan) and associated 2030 intervention-based goal for carbon sequestration. The workshop will include a presentation and …

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CDFA Promotes Nutrition and Farmers’ Markets at Senior Rally Day at the Capitol

May 9, 2018   Office of Public Affairs

Seniors from all over California traveled to the State Capitol this week for Senior Rally Day, an annual gathering led by the Seniors Count Coalition. CDFA’s Office of Grants Administration was there to spread the word about the Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program, a 100 percent federally funded effort which provides low-income seniors with check booklets that can be used to …

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Posted in Agricultural Education, Farmers' Markets, Nutrition | Leave a comment

Secretary Ross on Public Service Recognition Week, May 6-12, 2018

May 8, 2018   Office of Public Affairs

More information about Public Service Recognition Week

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California returns to position as world’s fifth largest economy – from NBC Bay Area

May 7, 2018   Office of Public Affairs

By Jonathan J. Cooper California’s economy has surpassed that of the United Kingdom to become the world’s fifth largest, according to new federal data made public Friday. California’s gross domestic product rose by $127 billion from 2016 to 2017, surpassing $2.7 trillion, the data said. Meanwhile, the UK’s economic output slightly shrunk over that time when measured in U.S. dollars, …

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