Planting Seeds - Food & Farming News from CDFA

Category Archives: Community-based Food System


June is fairs month – find a fair near you!

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Farm-to-Food Bank Month a time for sharing and caring

More than four-million people in California are food-insecure and need a little help. It just doesn’t seem right to have that many people lacking nourishment in a state that produces such a bounty of healthy food. In recognition of that need, five years ago, the State Board of Food and Agriculture launched an annual program with the California Association of Food …

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USDA Awards $34.3 Million to Support Communities’ Local Foods Infrastructure, Increase Access to Fruits and Vegetables

Funding Supports Local Food Systems, Farmers Markets and Healthier Eating for SNAP Participants Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack helped to kick off the nation’s harvest season this week by announcing nearly $35 million in new funding through four grant programs to support local and regional food systems, including farmers markets. Secretary Vilsack has named strengthening local food systems as one of …

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USDA announces $9 million to support Community Food Projects program

WASHINGTON, Feb. 19, 2015 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) today announced the availability of $9 million in funding to assist low-income individuals and communities in developing local and independent food systems. NIFA is funding the grants through the Community Food Projects program (CFP), authorized by the Agricultural Act of 2014 (Farm …

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Silicon Valley Needs Farmers Too – Farm to Food Bank Month Spotlight

Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties is centered in one of America’s wealthiest regions. But as the cost of living soars, nutritious food has become a luxury for the nearly 250,000 people who depend on us for food every month. A recent article in USA Today highlights this disparity. More than two-thirds of our clients …

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From the Bakersfield Californian: Paramount’s Lynda Resnick leads Lost Hills transformation

From the Bakersfield Californian BY JOHN COX Californian staff writer Ruben Garcia remembers life in the western Kern County town of Lost Hills 30 years ago when there were few street lights, little to do and most roads were dusty or, depending on the season, muddy. But after hearing of Paramount Farms’ recent improvements to the town, the retired county …

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USDA Releases Farm to School Census – California’s profile is encouraging

In celebration of National Farm to School Month, the USDA has released the first ever Farm to School Census – capturing the survey results from more than 13,000 public school districts nationwide. Check out how California and your local school district  are doing. In California, the census reveals, more than 4,000 schools with over 2.5 million students are serving over $48 …

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State Fair Farm a valued partner in ag education, food bank support

I was pleased this week to make a return visit to the California State Fair, which is now 160 years old and still going strong as a vibrant destination and showplace for the best that California has to offer. From the very beginning, farming was a major part of the fair, and I am proud to say that this tradition is as robust as ever. …

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Farmers’ Markets Credited in Fitness Survey – California Cities Place High

Four California communities have placed in the Top-15 fittest cities in the country, according to the 2013 American Fitness Index. The Bay Area, defined as San Francisco, Oakland and Fremont, placed fourth; the Sacramento area was seventh; the greater San Jose area placed 10th; and San Diego finished 14th. The index considers a number of factors in determining fitness, including …

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Growing California video series – Farm Academy

The next segment in the Growing California video series, a partnership with California Grown, is “Farm Academy,” a story about a training program for new farmers at the Center for Land Based Learning in Winters.

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