Author Archives: Office of Public Affairs

The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) co-sponsored, attended and presented at the sixth annual Latino Farmer Conference on February 11. The virtual conference presented in Spanish was held to facilitate the creation of networks and provide pertinent information and resources to the Latino farming community. It was hosted by the National Center for Appropriate Technology in partnership with …

A news release from the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service SACRAMENTO, CA – February 10, 2021 – The 2020 crush totaled 3,542,038 tons, down 13.9% from the 2019 crush of 4,115,413 tons. Red wine varieties accounted for the largest share of all grapes crushed, at 1,813,964 tons, down 15.9% from 2019. White wine varieties crushed totaled 1,590,335 tons, down 9.8% …

By John Holland Gov. Gavin Newsom has asked for $88.6 million to build a livestock health lab in Turlock much better than the one already there. Backers say the project would help assure safe food for humans while containing diseases in poultry, cattle, swine, horses and other livestock. The lab would cover about 41,000 square feet on land already owned …

Tulare’s annual World Ag Expo will go on after all — online, that is — with expectations for participants and exhibitors from around the world. Scheduled to kick off Tuesday and run through Thursday, the event now in its 54th year has grown to become the world’s largest trade show for farmers. An average of 100,000 people from 65 countries attend yearly. …

By Jules Bernstein There’s a better end for used food than taking up space in landfills and contributing to global warming.  UC Riverside scientists have discovered fermented food waste can boost bacteria that increase crop growth, making plants more resistant to pathogens and reducing carbon emissions from farming. “Beneficial microbes increased dramatically when we added fermented food waste to plant …

A University of California, San Francisco study of the jobs at most risk for death from COVID-19 shows line cooks, machine operators, agricultural workers, bakers, and construction laborers at the top of the list. The study looked at occupational sectors associated with high excess mortality during the pandemic, with a focus on racial and ethnic groups disproportionately affected by COVID-19. …

The USDA has released its annual count of certified organic operations calculated from the USDA National Organic Program  Organic INTEGRITY Database. The number of certified organic operations worldwide grew to 45,578 in 2020 with 28,454 — more than 62 percent — located in the United States. California remains the leader domestically with more than 5,000 certified operations. The Great Lakes …

Conference on sterile insects set for February 4 The California Department of Food and Agriculture will host a forum on Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) on February 4 via Zoom, at 8:30 am.     SIT is a key component in CDFA’s Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approach and consists of the sterilization of certain invasive species, which are then released into the …

USDA NRCS News Release A new Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas reduction study reveals that from 2004 to 2018, more than 367,000 metric tons of CO2 equivalents were sequestered or GHGs reduced by installing NRCS working lands conservation practices on farm, ranch, or forest land. “The average carbon footprint of a Californian is 9.256 metric tons of …

Interview by Lori Pottinger of the PPIC We talked to Karen Ross, secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture, about agricultural programs designed to build climate resilience and support farmers’ financial resilience and water security. PPIC: What kind of progress is California making with climate-smart agriculture programs? KAREN ROSS: It’s very exciting to see progress in this area, and California’s …