(Top photos, L-R)–California First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom, CDFA Secretary Karen Ross, and CDFA Farm to School Program Lead Nick Anicich present the roadmap to the group. (Center)–a Farm-to-School grantee discusses his project. (Bottom photos)–California Farm to School leaders and practitioners at the breakfast meeting.
The Farm to School Advisory Council and Interagency Working Group, whose guidance helped develop the recently released Planting the Seed: Farm to School Roadmap for Success, held a breakfast meeting this week for the final report to be presented to the group and to discuss next steps.
The next steps will include promoting CDFA’s 2022 California Farm to School Incubator Grant Program, which is accepting applications until July 6 for projects that cultivate equity, nurture students, build climate resilience, and create scalable and sustainable change.
Visit https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/caf2sgrant/ or @cafarmtoschool on Instagram for further details.
The California Department of Food and Agriculture Office of Farm to Fork (CDFA-F2F) is accepting applications for the 2022 California Farm to School Incubator Grant Program, until 5 p.m. PT July 6, 2022.
The program will award competitive grants to support projects that cultivate equity, nurture students, build climate resilience, and create scalable and sustainable change. Applicants may apply to multiple tracks based on eligibility and project type.
To support a systems approach to advancing farm to school throughout the state, the program offers four funding tracks:
Track 1: The California Farm to School K-12 Procurement and Education Grant
Track 2: The California Farm to School Partnership Grant
Track 3: The California Farm to Early Care and Education (ECE) Grant
Track 4: The California Farm to School Producer Grant
Visit the California Farm to School Incubator Grant Program webpage to view the formal request for applications, access the online portal through which applications must be submitted, and register for informational webinars about each funding track.
The California Budget Act of 2021 included a $60 million, one-time General Fund allocation for CDFA-F2F to sustain and expand the California Farm to School Incubator Grant Program, with $30 million allocated for fiscal year 2021-22 and $30 million allocated for fiscal year 2022-23.
For assistance and questions related to the Farm to School Incubator Grant Program process, please email cafarmtoschool@cdfa.ca.gov.
California Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry (top photo, third from right) speaks with local farm to school leaders during a May 6 tour of Fiery Ginger Farm in West Sacramento. The roundtable portion of the tour was a chance to discuss the work of CDFA’s Farm to School Program, as well as hear from local farm to school practitioners about program implementation, successes and challenges.
“As the former Mayor of Winters who supported and promoted our own Winters Farm to School program, I am proud that our small town was a leader in getting local, healthy foods to our school children and their families. To see our Department of Food and Agriculture implement a program that will help countless other cities and towns do the same is very exciting to me,” said Cecilia Aguiar-Curry (D-Winters). “Supporting local food leads to healthier communities, makes struggling family farms more prosperous, and even helps fight climate change by reducing processing and shipping. This is a truly valuable initiative.”
The 2022 Nutrient Management Conference presented by the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Fertilizer Research and Education Program (FREP) and Western Plant Health (WPH) will be held in Visalia October 26-27, 2022. Visit https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/is/ffldrs/frep/FREPConference.html for more information.
CDFA’s Office of Farm to Fork is now accepting proposals from technical assistance providers for the Healthy Refrigeration Grant Program. Proposals are due no later than 5 p.m. (PT) June 10.
This program funds energy-efficient refrigeration equipment in corner stores and small businesses in low-income and low-food-access areas, as well as supplying refrigeration equipment for food donation programs. The grants enable recipients to stock California-grown produce, nuts, dairy, meat and eggs, in addition to minimally-processed and culturally-appropriate foods.
Technical assistance providers are sought to conduct activities in one or both of the following categories:
Outreach and Application Assistance: to promote the program to eligible applicants and assist interested parties to apply for equipment awards through CDFA-F2F; and
Technical Expertise: to provide subject matter expertise in refrigeration equipment, energy efficiency, and best “healthy retail” practices, including stocking, promoting and selling fresh foods in a profitable and sustainable way.
Fig. 1. Diagram of nitrogen (N) inputs and outputs measured to develop the nursery system N balance. Inputs include substrate N (fertilizer, roots, and media), surface-applied fertilizer, and irrigation water N. Outputs include N in runoff water, shoot uptake, remaining in substrate, and nitrous oxide gas from substrate (N2O-N) and growing bed soil (N2+ N2O-N).
The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Fertilizer Research and Education Program (FREP) blog, Research Update: Nitrogen Management for Container Plant Production, reviews a FREP-funded project measuring nitrogen (N) input and output from a woody ornamental plant production system to understand the fate of incorporated controlled-release and surface-applied fertilizer.
Background: A large proportion of groundwater in the Central Valley is currently experiencing nitrate contamination because of inefficient irrigation and fertilization. The Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board requires growers to complete an Irrigation and Nitrogen Management Plan (INMP) annually to document N inputs and outputs from production areas. Existing knowledge gaps prevent wholesale container plant growers from accurately filling out the INMP Worksheet. To assist growers in filling out the INMP Worksheet, a system N balance was developed for a woody ornamental nursery production system.
Approach: A woody ornamental was grown for 81 days in containers filled with Douglas fir bark soilless substrate. The experiment consisted of four lined and four unlined experimental beds for runoff capture. Nitrogen inputs measured included: substrate with controlled-release fertilizer and roots incorporated, irrigation water, and surface-applied fertilizer (Figure 1). Harvested product N outputs included: the substrate, including roots and remaining fertilizer, and plant shoots at end of the production cycle (Figure 1). Additional outputs included gaseous N emitted from the substrate and aqueous N that was leached from the substrate or applied as irrigation water and flowed off the growing beds during the production cycle (Figure 1).
COPAC advises the CDFA secretary on matters pertaining to the California State Organic Program (SOP). The SOP is responsible for enforcement of federal and state laws governing organic production, and administration of the organic program in the state. There are currently more than 4,700 organic operations registered with CDFA.
The current vacancies include wholesale distributor representative; technical representative; consumer representative; producer representative alternate; wholesale distributor representative alternate; processor representative alternate; retail representative alternate; environmental representative alternate; technical representative alternate; and consumer representative alternate.
The term of office for committee members is three years. While members do not receive compensation, they are entitled to payment of necessary traveling expenses in accordance with the rules of the California Department of Human Resources.
Individuals interested in being considered for an appointment should complete the Prospective Member Appointment Questionnaire (PMAQ) available at https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/is/organicprogram/pdfs/copac/COPAC-PMAQ.pdf and obtain a letter of recommendation from an industry member. Applications will be accepted until the positions are filled.
Applications should be sent to Thomas Osborn, CDFA Inspection and Compliance Branch, 1220 ‘N’ Street, Sacramento, CA 95814 or via e-mail to Thomas.Osborn@cdfa.ca.gov.
For further information on the California State Organic Program and COPAC vacancies, contact Danny Lee via email at Danny.Lee@cdfa.ca.gov.
This is a blog for the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Inspection Services Division (ISD). Read here for the latest news about how ISD is providing Californians professional services that support and contribute to a safe, abundant and quality food supply; environmentally sound agricultural practices; and an equitable marketplace for California agriculture.
