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Category Archives: Environment

NRCS making air quality incentives available to agricultural producers

July 1, 2016   Office of Public Affairs

USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is making air quality funds available to help agricultural producers improve and maintain air quality within designated nonattainment areas of California. Funding for the National Air Quality Initiative (NAQI) is available through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). Producers interested in participating in this initiative are encouraged to get their applications in soon. EQIP …

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Video: Earth Day @ CDFA

April 22, 2016   Jay Van Rein, CDFA Office of Public Affairs

Happy Earth Day from CDFA! This video provides a brief look at just a few of the programs and projects at the California Department of Food and Agriculture that help farmers protect the environment. From healthy soils and dairy digesters to alternative fuels and beneficial bugs, we are working toward a future when every day is Earth Day.

Posted in Climate Change, Environment, Fertilizer, Healthy soils, Hydrogen, Integrated Pest Management (IPM), Invasive Species, Measurement Standards | Tagged | 1 Comment

The “Iron Wolf” and whole orchard recycling – from the California Almond Board

February 4, 2016   Office of Public Affairs

California almond growers are examining new ways to deal with tree biomass produced by the removal of old orchards other than cogeneration burning. While sending the biomass to cogeneration converts the wood to electricity, returning the wood back to the soil would return the nutrients and energy back to the soil ecosystem. Thus, one concept getting closer attention is whole …

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Snowpack’s Water Content Far Greater than One Year Ago, But It’s Still Too Soon to Know Whether Drought Will Be Broken

December 30, 2015   Office of Public Affairs

From the California Department of Water Resources The Department of Water Resources (DWR) conducted the winter’s first media-oriented manual snow survey today, and despite the higher-than-average water content for the statewide snowpack, officials said snowfall during the remainder of the winter will largely determine whether California’s drought will be entrenched for a fifth year. Full Department of Water Resources New …

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Posted in Drought, Environment | Tagged | 1 Comment

COMET-Farm: Science-based Tools to help Specialty Crop Growers

December 15, 2015   Dr. Amrith Gunasekara, CDFA Science Advisor

Agricultural food production and the relationship with the air, water and soil systems is complex, both from scientific and practical perspectives. Bringing the scientific interrelationships into a user-friendly on-line tool to help agricultural producers understand their entire farming operation’s carbon footprint is the challenge that the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Services (USDA-NRCS) and Colorado State University undertook …

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Firebaugh farmer honored by White House for soil health techniques: from the Fresno Bee

November 24, 2015   Office of Public Affairs

By Megan Ginise, The Fresno Bee On the outskirts of the western San Joaquin Valley, amid one of the worst droughts in California history, Jesse Sanchez is making waves with his agricultural techniques. Sanchez, 63, is the farm manager at Sano Farms, a 4,000-acre operation near Firebaugh and Mendota that grows garbanzo beans, garlic, almonds, pistachios, and processing and fresh …

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Farmers Are Embracing Sustainability – You Just Aren’t Hearing About It (From The Huffington Post)

October 27, 2015   Jay Van Rein, CDFA Office of Public Affairs

“Things are changing. It’s just how do you get them to change fast enough?” By Joseph Erbentraut Senior What’s Working Editor, The Huffington Post When farmers make the news in relation to climate issues like droughts, floods or extreme heat, they are often described in opposition to both environmentalists and, sometimes, scientists alike. But such a depiction doesn’t tell the full …

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GMO Testing Pilot Project to ensure compliance with National Organic Program

October 26, 2015   Karen Ross, Secretary, California Department of Food and Agriculture

By Karen Ross, Secretary, California Department of Food and Agriculture and Jenny Lester Moffitt, Deputy Secretary, California Department of Food and Agriculture It has been said that “California is the capital of organic.” The strength of that statement is a tribute to our state’s and our industry’s ability and willingness to lead, create and innovate. California’s organic growers have put …

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It’s the Pollen Nation!

July 2, 2015   Office of Public Affairs

The University of California’s Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources is featuring the Pollen Nation, a web page dedicated to awareness about the many players in the pollination process, from the birds and the bees to the wind, and even us! Pollinators are essential to ecosystems and life. Without them many plants could not reproduce and survive, and edible plants …

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USDA Seeks Partner Proposals to Protect and Restore Critical Wetlands

June 29, 2015   Office of Public Affairs

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has announced the availability of $17.5 million in financial and technical assistance to help eligible conservation partners voluntarily protect, restore and enhance critical wetlands on private and tribal agricultural lands. “USDA has leveraged partnerships to accomplish a great deal on America’s wetlands over the past two decades, Vilsack said. “This year’s funding will help strengthen these …

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