Inspection Services Blog
  1. CDFA Home
  2. Inspection Services Division
  3. Inspection Services Blog

Looking out for grape-loving consumers — CDFA Standardization Program makes sure imported grapes meet California standards

Posted on May 11, 2023 by Joshua Bingham

Did you know that inspections of imported table grapes are conducted annually by California county and state personnel to ensure they meet the same high standards of California-grown fruit? Inspections ensure that table grapes look good, taste good, are nutritious; and that labels accurately describe what consumers are purchasing.  

(PHOTO — Standardization Southern District Supervisor Anna Carrasquillo conducts table grape field training in Los Angeles County by demonstrating the process used to determine the sugar and acid content of the grapes.)

In the first quarter of 2023, the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Standardization Program oversaw the inspections of more than 3.7 million containers of imported table grapes. Standardization Southern District Supervisor Anna Carrasquillo also conducted training sessions with county personnel to ensure they have the knowledge and practical experience necessary to perform these types of inspections.

The Standardization Program is part of the Inspection and Compliance Branch in CDFA’s Inspection Services Division.

Click here to view this original post on the CDFA Planting Seeds blog.

Posted in CDFA Inspection & Compliance Branch, CDFA Inspection Services Division, CDFA Standardization Program | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Quarterly Feed Update highlights Commercial Feed Regulatory Program’s 2022 sampling data

Posted on May 5, 2023 by Joshua Bingham

Click here to view the Spring 2023 Quarterly Feed Update.

Posted in CDFA Commercial Feed Regulatory Program, CDFA Feed, Fertilizer and Livestock Drugs Regulatory Services Branch, CDFA Inspection Services Division, CDFA Livestock Drug Program, CDFA Safe Animal Feed Education (SAFE) | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

State Board hears how Farm to Fork programs advance Ag Vision priority to build healthy, local communities

Posted on May 4, 2023 by Joshua Bingham
CDFA Office of Farm to Fork’s Nick Anicich (bottom left in main photo, at right of inset photo) presents to the California State Board of Food & Agriculture on May 2 about how CDFA Office of Farm to Fork programs are helping advance a strategic priority of the newly released Ag Vision for the Next Decade to Build Healthy, Local Communities. State Board members held the meeting to discuss opportunities for collaboration and action related Ag Vision’s statewide plan to ensure California agriculture continues to thrive for future generations of farmers, ranchers, industry stakeholders and the public.
Posted in California Nutrition Incentive Program, CDFA Farm to School Program, CDFA Healthy Refrigeration Grant Program, CDFA Inspection Services Division, CDFA Office of Farm to Fork, CDFA Urban Agriculture Grant Program, Farm to Community Food Hubs Program | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Fertilizer research blog highlights project’s assessment of nitrogen content to improve Central Valley crop management

Posted on May 3, 2023 by Joshua Bingham

The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Fertilizer Research and Education Program (FREP) just posted a Research Update blog that highlights a project funded by FREP’s annual grant program.

Project Title: Assessment of Harvested and Sequestered Nitrogen Content to Improve Nitrogen Management in Crops, Phase 2

Project Leaders: Charlotte Gallock, Kings River Watershed Coalition Authority (KRWCA), John Dickey, Formation Environmental, and Kenneth Miller, Formation Environmental

Project Status: Year 3

Overview: This project is refining nitrogen (N) removal rates for Central Valley (CV) crops so growers can plan their N management more accurately and better comply with regulatory requirements. The researchers are determining N concentration values and N removal coefficients that can be used to calculate the N removed from the field by harvested crops. This is accomplished by collecting field samples and estimating N in perennial tissues with crop growth models. Field samples include both the marketable component and any other plant material such as hulls, culls, trash, etc. The results will be incorporated into an online database and calculator that growers can use to calculate pounds of N removed per acre based on yield.

Background: Through the Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program, the CV Regional Water Quality Control Board now requires producers in the CV to implement management practices that are protective of groundwater quality. Producers are required to document the effectiveness of those practices by providing information on field N balances in an Irrigation and Nitrogen Management Plan (INMP). To accurately complete their INMPs, producers and their coalitions need accurate N removal coefficients that convert yield information into the amount of N removed from the field in the harvested crop material. This information can also help inform nutrient management planning, allowing N application rates to be scaled to meet crop requirements while minimizing excess N at risk of leaching below the root zone.

Approach: This Phase 2 research aims to continue assessing the N concentration of harvested crop materials for approximately 33 crops. N sequestration rates will also be calculated for the eight perennial crops. Field samples collected over several seasons are currently being analyzed for N concentration to refine the nitrogen removal coefficients and N sequestration rate estimates. The basis for N removal rates (e.g., nuts in shells or shelled, grapes with stems) is determined in consultation with each industry to ensure that values relate to tonnages readily known by growers and capture total biomass removed from fields as closely as practicable. Existing sampling data and crop growth models are used to estimate N sequestration rates into perennial tissues.

Click here to view the full FREP blog and see the results.

For additional information about CDFA’s FREP-funded projects on research and education regarding the agronomically safe and environmentally sound use of fertilizer in California, please click here to visit the FREP Grant Program.

For details about current and completed FREP-funded projects, as well as a searchable database that aims to make the research available, understandable, and convenient for growers to implement, please click here to visit the FREP Research & Project Database.

Posted in CDFA Feed, Fertilizer and Livestock Drugs Regulatory Services Branch, CDFA Fertilizer Research and Education Program (FREP), CDFA Inspection Services Division | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

ISD Staff Spotlight: Mai Err Chang coordinates grant programs for nutrition incentives to foster vegetable purchases

Posted on April 28, 2023 by Joshua Bingham

NAME: Mai Err Chang

TIME AT CDFA: 8 months

PROGRAM: California Nutrition Incentive Program (CNIP)

POSITION TITLE: Program Coordinator (Associate Governmental Program Analyst)

USUAL DAILY ACTIVITES ON THE JOB? My daily activities change depending on the season of the grant period. That requires coordinating with financial, grant partners and evaluators to write reports, review grant objectives and support with program problem-solving to ensure grantees receive the support they need to deliver a nutrition incentive program through California.

HOW DO YOU WORK FOR THE CALIFORNIA FOOD SUPPLY? I coordinate grant programs to support CA organizations and agencies to deliver a nutrition incentive program throughout CA. I see myself as a liaison between the government and the community who serves the local population, which includes CalFresh recipients and California farmers.

THOUGHTS OF WORKING AT INSPECTION SERVICES? The most enjoyable part of my work is learning about the various nutrition incentive programs across CA. I hope to learn more about the impact CA nutrition incentive programs have made in specific communities, continue to hear from the community partners and learn from fellow farm-to-fork programs.

MEMORABLE MOMENT ON THE JOB? It would be the first in-person site visit as it was also at a local farmers’ market, which is one of my favorite farmers’ markets in Sacramento for their abundance of California-grown fruits available. During our visit, there was a long line of participants redeeming their nutrition incentives.

PHILOSOPHY OF LIFE? “How do we hold people accountable for wrongdoing and yet at the same time remain in touch with their humanity enough to believe in their capacity to be transformed?” – bell hooks. There is so much nuance to build a community and take care of the people in it. No matter at what level, I remind myself to keep the work I do human and environmental-centered.

ANYTHING ELSE YOU’D LIKE TO SAY? From a Hmong kid of an immigrant family to a nutrition and cooking educator in Sacramento public school, I’ve learned to value a culturally focused and veggie-forward approach to fill in California’s food system. I am proud of the programs the Office of Farm to Fork has established. Seeing a list of culturally relevant produce and hearing about nutrition incentive program participants’ increase in vegetable purchases are all of the little changes necessary to make a huge difference.

X X X

The California Nutrition Incentive Program is part of the Office of Farm to Fork in CDFA’s Inspection Services Division.

Posted in California Nutrition Incentive Program, CDFA Inspection Services Division, CDFA Office of Farm to Fork, ISD Staff Spotlight | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Safe Animal Feed Education Program offers guidance on minimizing feed manufacturing carryover

Posted on April 26, 2023 by Joshua Bingham

The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Safe Animal Feed Education (SAFE) Program announces the release of 2023 SAFE Feed Manufacturing Carryover Guidance. This document is intended to be an educational tool for industry and covers flushing procedures, sequencing procedures and flush verification.

Good Manufacturing Practices require feed manufacturers to address carryover, i.e., when feed from one batch is inadvertently carried over to the next, so that each unique formulation adheres to safety and quality standards. Good practices include sequencing and cleanout of manufacturing lines before and after batches.

Click here to view the 2023 SAFE Feed Manufacturing Carryover Guidance. Additional guidance is available on the SAFE website.

SAFE is part of the Feed, Fertilizer and Livestock Drugs Regulatory Services branch of CDFA’s Inspection Services Division.

Posted in CDFA Commercial Feed Regulatory Program, CDFA Feed, Fertilizer and Livestock Drugs Regulatory Services Branch, CDFA Inspection Services Division, CDFA Safe Animal Feed Education (SAFE) | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Check out California Farm to School Network April newsletter!

Posted on April 20, 2023 by Joshua Bingham

Click here to view the newsletter highlighted below.

The California Farm to School Network includes farm to school practitioners and enthusiasts statewide. Visit the CDFA Farm to School Program webpage to subscribe to these monthly updates that include information about grants, resources, research, webinars, events and news from the National Farm to School Network. The California Farm to School Program is part of the California Department of Food and Agriculture Office of Farm to Fork (CDFA-F2F) in the Division of Inspection Services.

Posted in CDFA Farm to School Network, CDFA Farm to School Program, CDFA Inspection Services Division, CDFA Office of Farm to Fork | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

CDFA awards $1.8 million to help nutrition program participants purchase California-grown produce

Posted on April 12, 2023 by Joshua Bingham

CDFA’s California Nutrition Incentive Program (CNIP) announces $1.8 million is being awarded to seven projects to facilitate the purchase of California-grown fruit and vegetables at participating farmers’ markets by shoppers using the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) and Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition programs.

The new grantees will serve more than 124 Certified Farmers’ Markets in the Los Angeles area, the San Francisco Bay Area and the counties of Butte, Shasta, Siskiyou, Tehama and Ventura. A detailed list of grantees and project descriptions is available on the CNIP webpage. 

CNIP addresses food insecurity and access to fresh fruits and vegetables among low-income Californians while simultaneously supporting and expanding markets for California farmers. CNIP currently offers nutrition incentives to CalFresh shoppers at more than 285 locations throughout the state, including Certified Farmers’ Markets, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs and retail outlets. 

CNIP was created by Assembly Bill 1321, authored by Assembly Member Phil Ting in 2015. CNIP is administered by CDFA’s Office of Farm to Fork, which leads CDFA’s food access work.

Click here to view this original CDFA news release.

Posted in California Nutrition Incentive Program, CDFA Inspection Services Division, CDFA Office of Farm to Fork | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Registration open for May summit meeting on feed strategies and the reduction of methane emissions

Posted on April 5, 2023 by Joshua Bingham

All interested parties are invited to register for the State of the Science Summit: Feed Strategies to Reduce Enteric Emissions, May 2-3, 2023, in the UC Davis Activities & Recreation Center Ballroom. The summit will be cohosted by the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) and UC Davis College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES).

The summit will include informational presentations and panel discussions with leading experts in methane mitigation and animal science, connecting the dots between the scientific and regulatory aspects of feed strategies to reduce enteric methane emissions with perspectives from across the state, nation and world. The purpose of the summit is to identify opportunities for collaboration and research that can help the dairy and beef industries meet climate goals.

CDFA’s Office of Environmental Farming and Innovation (OEFI) will present successful efforts toward methane reduction through OEFI’s Dairy Digester Research and Development Program and Alternative Manure Management Program, as well as current and future research efforts toward viable solutions to reduce enteric methane emissions.

Scheduled speakers include CDFA Secretary Karen Ross and CAES Dean Helene Dillard. Joining them will be CDFA Undersecretary Christine Birdsong, USDA Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation Robert Bonnie, leading academic researchers, CDFA staff, cattle and dairy producers, and industry representatives.

The tentative agenda includes panels on:

  • The state of current research around enteric methane reductions via feed strategies
  • Methods and protocols for evaluating methane reduction
  • Opportunities for research
  • Supply chain drivers influencing the adoption of feed additives
  • Outlook and industry guidance when evaluating product safety and claims
  • Producer adoption of feed additives

Lunch will be provided both days. Registration costs $200. If unable to attend in person, a virtual registration option is available at a discounted price. Online registration is open until April 14.

Click here to view this original post on CDFA’s Planting Seeds blog.

Posted in CDFA Commercial Feed Regulatory Program, CDFA Feed, Fertilizer and Livestock Drugs Regulatory Services Branch, CDFA Inspection Services Division, CDFA Safe Animal Feed Education (SAFE) | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

California Agricultural Organics Report details organic sales, acreage, commodities by county

Posted on March 24, 2023 by Joshua Bingham

California accounts for 36 percent of organic sales in the United States, and newly released figures show our state’s organic sales are continuing to grow.

According to the California Agricultural Organics Report 2021-2022, California organic sales increased 16.4 percent from $11,991,337,954 in 2020 to $13,957,173,072 in 2021. This growth occurred during the same period when California organic production site acreage decreased by 2.58 percent and organic harvested acreage decreased by 13.1 percent.

The reported top 10 counties with the most organic harvested acreage, including pasture and rangeland:

  • Modoc County (198,026.69 acres)
  • Lassen County (173,894.58 acres)
  • Humboldt County (152,243.95 acres)
  • Tehama County (143,099.86 acres)
  • Kern County (124,427.52 acres)
  • San Luis Obispo County (104,989.04 acres)
  • Siskiyou County (98,777.06 acres)
  • Inyo County (91,454.50 acres)
  • San Benito County (82,475.55 acres)
  • Fresno County (81,700.42 acres)

The California State Organic Program, which assumes the USDA’s National Organic Program oversight and enforcement authority in California, helped create this report.

Click here to view the California Agricultural Organic Report 2021-2022.

Posted in CDFA California State Organic Program, CDFA Inspection & Compliance Branch, CDFA Inspection Services Division | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment