California Ag Network

Tag: CDFA

  • CDFA Seeks Public Comment On $6.75 Millon Cap-And-Trade-Funded Healthy Soils Program

    Sacramento, Calif., (June 29, 2017) –  The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) is now accepting public comments on Requests for Grant Applications (RGA) for the $6.75 million Healthy Soils Program (HSP), authorized by the Budget Act of 2016, and funded through California’s cap-and-trade program.

    The Healthy Soils Program offers grants to farmers who take action to capture greenhouse gas emissions, such as carbon dioxide, in the soil to help combat climate change. The program is part of California’s cap-and-trade California Climate Investments, a statewide program that puts billions of cap-and-trade dollars to work reducing greenhouse gas emissions, strengthening the economy and improving public health and the environment—particularly in disadvantaged communities. The cap-and-trade program also creates a financial incentive for industries to invest in clean technologies and develop innovative ways to reduce pollution.

    The Healthy Soils Program will be implemented under two separate components: 1) the $3.75 million Incentives Program and 2) the $3 million Demonstration Projects. For the Incentives Program, an estimated $3.75 million in competitive grant funding will be awarded to provide financial assistance for implementation of agricultural management practices that sequester soil carbon and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

    For the Demonstration Projects, an estimated $3 million in competitive grant funding will be awarded to projects that monitor and demonstrate to farmers and ranchers in California, specific management practices in agriculture that sequester carbon, improve soil health and reduce atmospheric GHGs.

    The RGA for both the HSP Incentives Program and Demonstration Projects can be found on the CDFA Office of Environmental Farming and Innovation (OEFI) webpage: https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/oefi/healthysoils/.

    CDFA will hold a webinar on July 6, 2017 an 10:00 am to provide information on how to comment on the DRAFT RGA and answer any questions. To register for the webinar, please visit the program webpage at https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/oefi/healthysoils/ .

    Comments regarding the DRAFT RGA can be submitted to cdfa.oefi@cdfa.ca.gov no later than 5:00 p.m. PST on Wednesday, July 12, 2017.

  • CDFA Announces Vacancy On The Citrus Pest And Disease Prevention Committee

    Sacramento, Calif., (June 1, 2017) – The California Department of Food and Agriculture is announcing one vacancy on the Citrus Pest and Disease Prevention Committee. The Committee advises the CDFA secretary on activities associated with the statewide citrus specific pest and disease work plan that includes, but is not limited to outreach and education programs and programs for surveying, detecting, analyzing, and treating pests and diseases specific to citrus.

    The members receive no compensation, but are entitled to payment of necessary travel expenses in accordance with the rules of the Department of Personnel Administration.

    A committee member vacancy exists for a public member and will expire on September 30, 2021. Applicants should have an interest in agriculture and citrus pest and disease prevention. Individuals interested in being considered for a committee appointment should send a brief resume by June 30, 2017 to the California Department of Food and Agriculture, Plant Health and Pest Prevention Services, 1220 N Street, Room 221, Sacramento, California 95814, Attention: Leandro Ramos.

    For additional information, contact: Leandro Ramos, Program Manager at (916) 654-0317, or e-mail (leandro.ramos@cdfa.ca.gov).

  • CDFA Announces Vacancies On The Cattle Health Advisory Task Force

    Sacramento, Calif., (May 23, 2017) – The California Department of Food and Agriculture’s (CDFA) Animal Health and Food Safety Services division is announcing two vacancies on the Cattle Health Advisory Task Force (CHATF), which advises the CDFA Secretary on the control and management of cattle diseases and evaluates the effectiveness of cattle health programs.

    The term of office for a member of CHATF is two years. Members receive no compensation but are entitled to reimbursement for per diem expenses.

    The vacancies are for one member representing the California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratories and one member representing the large animal veterinary medicine dairy sector. Any interested individual may send a brief resume by June 11, 2017 to:

    California Department of Food and Agriculture
Animal Health Branch
1220 N Street
Sacramento, California 95814
Attention: Dr. Anita Edmondson

  • Kickoff meeting of Dairy and Livestock GHG Working Group – May 23

    Sacramento, Calif., (May 18, 2017) – The California Air Resources Board, in partnership with the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), and California Energy Commission (CEC), will host the first meeting of the Dairy and Livestock Greenhouse Gas Reduction Working Group on May 23, 2017.  The first meeting of the Working Group will be held on:

    Date:  May 23, 2017

    Time: 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM

    Location:

    CDFA’s Main Auditorium

    1220 N Street

    Sacramento, CA 95814.

    The meeting will be live-streamed for online viewing, but this will be a listen-in only option. Public comments will be received at the meeting. Members of the public who wish to provide oral comments at the meeting should plan to attend in person. More information on the Working Group and meeting materials can be found at https://www.arb.ca.gov/cc/shortlived/shortlived.htm

    The formation of the Working Group is called for by legislation passed in 2016, Senate Bill 1383 (Lara), which requires the State to develop and approve a plan to reduce emissions of short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs). Short-lived climate pollutants, including methane from dairy cows and other livestock, are greenhouse gases that, despite having a relatively short residence time in the atmosphere, have a powerful warming influence.  They are also harmful air pollutants. Accomplishing swift reductions of SLCP emissions can have a significant impact on cumulative climate change, lessening harmful climate change impacts over the long term, and can improve public health.

    Methane from dairy manure and enteric fermentation make up the largest portion of California agriculture’s 8% total greenhouse gas emissions. CDFA houses two incentive programs to provide dairies with financial assistance to reduce methane emissions; the Dairy Digester Research and Development Program and the Alternative Manure Management Practices Program. Despite the development of these programs and the growing efforts to reduce emissions, there are still many challenges which the Working Group will address.

    The newly formed Working Group will identify and address technical, market, regulatory, and other barriers to the development of dairy methane reduction projects. The Working Group, made up of CDFA, partner agencies and a diverse group of stakeholders and experts, will produce recommendations to advance methane reductions on and achieve other co-benefits from California dairies and livestock operations while also supporting the resiliency and sustainability of California’s world-renown dairy and livestock industry. The Working Group will also foster important relationships and build the cooperation necessary to maximize environmental benefits, minimize impacts to disadvantaged communities, and utilize available resources efficiently.

     

  • CDFA Announces Funding For Dairy Digester Development Program

    Sacramento, Calif., (May 5, 2017) – The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) is now accepting applications for project funding from the Dairy Digester Research and Development Program (DDRDP), authorized by the Budget Act of 2016. This program receives funding from California Climate Investments Program, with proceeds from the state’s cap-and-trade auctions, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while providing a variety of additional benefits to California communities. CDFA-DDRDP will award between $29 million and $36 million for the installation of dairy digesters in California that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

    Existing milk producers and dairy digester developers can apply for funding of up to $3 million per project for anaerobic digestion projects that provide quantifiable greenhouse gas reductions. The program requires a minimum of 50 percent of total project cost as matching funds. 
Prospective applicants must access the “Request for Applications” at www.cdfa.ca.gov/go/DD  for detailed information on eligibility and program requirements. To streamline and expedite the application process, CDFA is partnering with the State Water Resources Control Board, which hosts an online application tool, Financial Assistance Application Submittal Tool (FAAST). All prospective applicants must register for a FAAST account at https://faast.waterboards.ca.gov. Applications and all supporting information must be submitted electronically using FAAST by Wednesday, June 28, 2017 at 5:00 p.m. PT.

    CDFA will hold two workshops and one webinar to provide information on program requirements and the FAAST application process (see below). CDFA staff will provide guidance on the application process, provide several examples and answer any questions. There is no cost to attend the workshops. Individuals planning to attend should email grants@cdfa.ca.gov  with his or her contact information, number of seats required and the workshop location.

    Sacramento – Friday, May 12, 2017
1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
California Department of Food and Agriculture
2800 Gateway Oaks Drive, Room 101
Sacramento, CA 95833
      
Tulare – Monday, May 15, 2017
10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Tulare County Agricultural Building Auditorium 
4437 S. Laspina Street
Tulare, CA 93274

    Webinar – Tuesday, May 16, 2017
9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
To register for the webinar, please visit the program webpage at www.cdfa.ca.gov/go/DD.

    Prospective applicants should refer to the DDRDP webpage (www.cdfa.ca.gov/go/DD ) for information regarding community outreach meetings coordinated by CDFA. These meetings are intended to provide assistance with community outreach requirements.

    Prospective applicants may contact CDFA’s Grants Office at grants@cdfa.ca.gov with general program questions.

  • Public Listening Sessions Scheduled To Discuss Cdfa’s Alternative Manure Management Program

    Sacramento, Calif., (April 10, 2017) – Three public stakeholder listening sessions and one webinar are scheduled from April 17 through April 28, 2017 to obtain feedback and comments on CDFA’s Alternative Manure Management Program (AMMP) framework. The listening sessions are designed to obtain input from a wide group of stakeholders including but not limited to dairy and livestock farmers, environmental advocates, local community members and the general public.

    AMMP receives funding from the California Climate Investments Program – proceeds from the state’s cap-and-trade auctions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. CDFA was appropriated $50 million dollars from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, authorized by the Budget Act of 2016, to provide financial assistance for methane emission reductions from dairy and livestock operations. The objective of AMMP is to incentivize the adoption of alternative (non-digester) manure management practices that reduce greenhouse gas emissions from California’s dairy and livestock operations, including but not limited to, scrape conversion, open solar drying and composting of manure onsite, conversion of dairy operations to pasture-based management, and solid separation technologies.

    CDFA hopes to gather information about important components of the proposed program including management practices that will be incentivized, potential adverse impacts and community outreach.

    The listening sessions will be held as follows:

    Monday, April 17, 2017 – 2:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
California Department of Food and Agriculture

    1220 N Street, Auditorium

    Sacramento, CA  95814

    Information for remote attendance will be posted on the AMMP webpage: https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/oefi/AMMP/

    Friday, April 21, 2017 – 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. 
Sonoma County Department of Agriculture

    133 Aviation Blvd., Suite 110

    Santa Rosa, CA 95403

    Monday, April 24, 2017 – 4:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. 
Energy Education Center

    4175 S. Laspina Street

    Tulare, CA 93274

    Friday, April 28, 2017 – 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

    Webinar

    Registration information for the webinar will be posted on the AMMP webpage: https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/oefi/AMMP/

    More information about this program is available at: https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/oefi/AMMP/

  • USDA declares April as ‘Invasive Plant Pest and Disease Awareness Month’

    Washington, D. C., (April 5, 2017) – The USDA has proclaimed April as Invasive Plant Pest and Disease Awareness Month.  Each year during April, USDA amplifies its public outreach about the risks that invasive plant pests, diseases and harmful weeds pose to America’s crops and forests—and how the public can prevent their spread.  These non-native, destructive species can seriously harm the economy, environment, or even human health.

    Note – CDFA will participate this month with a series of posts about its work to protect California and the US from invasive species.

    Invasive plant pests and diseases can jeopardize entire industries such as U.S. citrus or hardwood timber.  For just one disease— huanglongbing (HLB or citrus greening), in one state, Florida—the losses are alarming: more than $4.5 billion in lost citrus production from the 2006/07 to 2010/11 production seasons.  One invasive pest, the emerald ash borer beetle, has destroyed tens of millions of American ash trees in our forests and communities.  Scientists have estimated the cost of all invasive species to all economic sectors to be approximately $120 billion yearly.

    With stakes this high, public awareness and action become key elements in protecting America’s agricultural and natural resources.  APHIS created its Hungry Pests public outreach program to empower Americans with the knowledge they need to leave these “hungry pests” behind.  For instance, invasive pests can hitchhike in and on the things we move and pack, such as firewood, plants, fruits and vegetables, outdoor furniture and agricultural products ordered online.

    Americans are urged to be on the lookout for pests like the emerald ash borer and Asian longhorned beetle, which starve trees to death by boring into them and eating their insides.  Keep an eye out for the gypsy moth, whose hungry caterpillars can strip trees and bushes bare.  Not all tree threats are insects; sudden oak death disease, caused by a fungus-like organism, can kill many types of trees as well as many landscape plants, such as camellias and rhododendrons.

    Most importantly, learn the “Seven Ways to Leave Hungry Pests Behind,” such as buying firewood where you burn it, or only moving treated firewood if you must bring it with you.  Such simple actions could save a forest or an entire industry from devastation by invasive species.

     

  • Enjoy Your Tree Nuts: UC Scientists Help with Regulatory Compliance

    Davis, Calif., (March 28, 2017) – California tree nut growers will soon have to comply with new agriculture water testing requirements under the Produce Safety Rule in the 2011 Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). University of California researchers and advisors are holding seminars to share information about the agricultural water requirements and proper water sampling methods in order to be in compliance with the regulations.

    Almond kernel emerging from dried hull. (Photo: Melissa L. Partyka)

    While irrigation or spray water is generally not the source of contamination, it is a vehicle for pathogens that are harmful to humans, especially on produce that is consumed raw; therefore, agricultural water was included as a part of the new regulation.

     

    The UC Cooperative Extension office in Yolo County was the site of the first information sessions for nut tree growers/producers. It was an ideal location, as the fertile soils of the Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys are home to the largest tree nut production industries in the U.S. Some nuts are also grown in the coastal valley regions and Sierra foothills.

    Good news for nut consumers

    Almond harvesting in California’s Central Valley. (Photo: Melissa L. Partyka)

    The new regulations and the focus on food safety practices, particularly within the nut tree industry, is of great interest because of the popularity of nutritious and delicious tree nuts. I for one am a big consumer. My day starts with almond butter on toast. That’s followed by snacks of raw walnuts and dates. And there’s always the handful of roasted pistachios to be grabbed for a salty treat.

     

    It is lucky for someone who is nuts about nuts to live in California. The state is the nation’s No. 1 walnut, almond and pistachio producer. California produces 80 percent of the world’s almonds. We produce one million tons of almonds each year, followed by walnuts at nearly half a million tons, and pistachios at over a quarter million tons.

    The California Department of Food and Agriculture reports the state’s leading agricultural export products by value in 2015 were almonds ($5.14 billion), dairy products ($1.63 billion), walnuts ($1.49 billion), wine ($1.48 billion), and pistachios ($848 million).

    Melissa L. Partyka, an ecologist at the UC Davis Western Institute for Food Safety and Security, (WIFSS) and Ronald F. Bond, a water quality researcher and field coordinator with WIFSS, are engaging local growers on issues of food safety and helping to educate them on not only the regulations but on ways to improve their water quality.

    Partyka and Bond are staff in the UC Agriculture and Natural Resources’ Vet Med Extension and Atwill Water and Foodborne Zoonotic Disease Laboratory, headed by UC Cooperative Extension specialist Rob Atwill, director of WIFSS.

    They are affiliated with the Western Center for Food Safety, a Food and Drug Administration Center of Excellence, and are helping break down the regulations for the growers, regulations which can be a little overwhelming to the untrained.

    Agricultural water, according to FSMA, is that water used to irrigate, treat, harvest, wash commodity or equipment on farm.

    Growers are required to test water if it:

    • Comes in contact with the harvestable portion of the commodity
    • Is used to clean harvest equipment
    • Is used to mix pesticides/fungicides applied to commodity
    • Is used by harvest crews to wash hands

    As of January 2016 growers will have 2 to 4 years (depending on farm size) to comply with most aspects of the Produce Safety Rule. Basically, the larger the production, the higher potential for risk to the consumer. How often a grower samples water depends on the water source. Well water requires an initial four samples, followed by one sample per year. Surface water, requires an initial 20 samples, followed by five samples per year. Water samples should be collected as close to harvest as is practical. During a long harvest season, samples can be spread out; in short harvest seasons, samples should be collected closer together; and in multiple harvest seasons, samples should be taken near each harvest if water is coming from the same source.

    A full day workshop to be hosted by UC Cooperative Extension is planned for late June. Look for announcement of date, time, and location on the following websites: www.wcfs.ucdavis.edu, http://ucanr.edu, www.wifss.ucdavis.edu.

     

  • A Farm Bill For Our Families

    Sacramento, Calif., (March 23, 2017) – CDFA is in the midst of preparing California’s recommendations for the 2018 Farm Bill. The Farm Bill is renewed every five years and serves as the policy guideline for food and farming in the United States. The legislation touches all of us in numerous ways, as this series of blog posts will explain in greater detail.

    The Farm Bill affects well-being of families across the country, including right here in California, by helping to facilitate access to nutritious foods. With the support of the Farm Bill, California is committed to increasing food access for our most vulnerable and food-insecure communities. According to some estimates, up-to 20 percent of Californians are at risk of food insecurity, including more than two-million children, and more than one-million residents live in “food deserts,” where they lack access to basic grocery stores stocked with fresh fruits and vegetables. As the country’s largest producer of specialty crops, we must work to change that. Two titles in the Farm Bill – Nutrition and Horticulture – are helping us reach this goal.

    Nutrition

    The first of these titles is Title 4, or the Nutrition title. As the largest piece of the Farm bill pie (Nutrition accounts for over 80 percent of Farm Bill spending), the Nutrition title creates the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. SNAP is the country’s largest food safety net program, and it helps millions of American families. In California, SNAP is known as CalFresh, and it provides nearly 4.2 million Californians with benefits. This support program also stimulates the economy. According to the USDA, every dollar invested in SNAP generates $1.79 in economic activity. Alongside SNAP, the Nutrition title also provides:

    • $200 million for job training to help Americans get back on their feet
    • $125 million for the Healthy Food Financing Initiative to help bridge the gap between underserved communities and healthy food retailers
    • $100 million in incentives to increase fresh fruit and vegetable purchases
    • An additional $250 million for the Emergency Food Assistance Program to help low- income families and senior citizens access food.

    Specialty Crops – Numerous studies suggest that lack of access to fresh fruits and vegetables (specialty crops) can result in negative health impacts, including higher rates of diabetes and obesity. Through the Horticulture title, Title 10, the Farm Bill provides California with the support it needs for growth in the specialty crops sector through a variety of approaches, including the creation of promotional programs.

    One example of this is “California Food for California Kids: Promoting California Grown Fruits and Vegetables in Summer Meals”. This program, established through the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program(SCBGP), promotes the quality and benefits of healthy, freshly prepared meals made with California grown fruits and vegetables. Specialty crop programs receive:

    • $30 million to increase the consumption of locally and regionally produced agricultural products
    • $72.5 million to the SCBGP to support marketing, pest management and food safety efforts
    • $11.5 to the Organic Cost Share program to assist organic producers in their certification efforts

    Both of these Farm Bill titles are instrumental in ensuring that Californians as well as all Americans have access to nutritious, safe and healthy food. California is the country’s number-one producer of specialty crops. Our farmers and ranchers are committed to producing fresh fruits, nuts and vegetables that have positive impacts for our families.

  • CDFA Announces Vacancy On Citrus Pest And Disease Prevention Committee

    Sacramento, Calif., (March 10, 2017) – The California Department of Food and Agriculture is announcing one vacancy on the Citrus Pest and Disease Prevention Committee. The committee advises the CDFA secretary on activities associated with statewide citrus-specific pests and a work plan that includes programs for surveying, detecting, analyzing, and treating citrus pests and diseases; as well as outreach and education programs.

    Committee members receive no compensation, but are entitled to payment of necessary travel expenses in accordance with the rules of the Department of Personnel Administration.

    A committee vacancy exists for a grower representative from Kern County. The vacancy will expire on September 30, 2017. Individuals interested in being considered for an appointment should send a brief resume by April 15, 2017 to the California Department of Food and Agriculture, Plant Health and Pest Prevention Services, 1220 N Street, Room 221, Sacramento, California 95814, Attention: Victoria Hornbaker.

    For additional information, contact: Victoria Hornbaker, Program Manager at (916) 654-0317, or e-mail at Victoria.hornbaker@cdfa.ca.gov.