SACRAMENTO, October 25, 2021 – The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Fertilizer Research and Education Program (FREP) is announcing $4.14 million in grant funding to agricultural organizations and universities.
The funding includes $3 million for the University of California, Agricultural and Natural Resources (UCANR) to conduct targeted nitrogen and irrigation education and training in California’s Central Valley and Central Coast and $1.14 million for five research and education projects to advance California growers’ understanding and implementation of improved nitrogen and irrigation management practices.
Click here to read a CDFA news release for full details.
x x x
Each year since 1990, FREP has funded research, demonstration and education projects related to the environmentally safe and agronomically sound use and handling of fertilizing materials. Visit the FREP Grant Program webpage to learn how to apply for funding and visit the FREP Research & Project Database to see how these research projects are available, understandable and convenient for growers to implement.
In continued celebration of October as National Farm to School Month, the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) spotlights several of the 60 farm to school projects that received funding through the CDFA Farm to School Incubator Grant Program in 2021. Grantees are hard at work implementing their projects and transforming the school food system!
It was recently announced that an additional $60 million from the state budget has been allocated to sustain and expand the grant program through 2023. Visit CDFA’s California Farm to School Program page for grant updates.
San Luis Coastal Unified connects local food into nutrition and lessons
CA Farm to School Incubator Grantee San Luis Coastal Unified School District (SLCUSD) does it all! From procuring local foods for school meals to teaching students about where their food comes from, SLCUSD has been a driving force in the farm to school community and we are so excited to see its work grow through CDFA’s Farm to School Incubator Grant! For its grant project, SLCUSD will procure foods from local farms and school gardens, integrate these foods into recipes for the school meal program and tasting opportunities for students, teach students about the local foods served in school meals through classroom lessons that connect to Common Core Standards, maintain school gardens and provide garden lessons, and coordinate Meet the Farmer events for students.
Farm to Institution Center supports Oceanside Unified and Fallbrook Union High School districts
The Farm to Institution Center is using grant funds to establish the Inspiring Local Food Connections (ILFC) program. A partnership between Oceanside Unified School District (OUSD) and Fallbrook Union High School District (FUHSD), the project supports and expands farm to school procurement and education to inspire the next generation of food system advocates. As part of the ILFC program, nutrition service staff members at OUSD and FUHSD received “fresh five” bags from Foodshed (a 100% farmer-owned operation!) before autumn equinox. These bags included a variety of local produce including kale, Japanese eggplant, corn, red pears, kohlrabi microgreens, green onions, cherry tomatoes and honeydew melon!
Ocean View Elementary School District implements an Edible Education Program
Ocean View Elementary School District (OVESD) is using its Farm to School Incubator Grant funds to implement an Edible Education Program that will bridge the gap between the local food items served in school meals and what students are learning in the classroom. In partnership with Edible Ojai and Ventura County, OVESD is developing and distributing monthly Edible Education units that include: lesson plans for teachers with suggestions for connecting the unit to the school meals in the cafeteria; farmer trading cards for each K-8 student featuring the farmer who provided the local food served at lunch; accompanying farmer posters for the cafeterias; Edible Education booklets with an in-depth profile of the farmer and their climate smart agricultural practices; and recipes highlighting the local food item that the district purchased from the farmer. Check out these Edible Education units the district has developed so far:
Luther Burbank High School (LBHS) in Sacramento welcomed students back to school this year with an updated outdoor learning space of chairs and desks beside its Burbank Urban Garden (BUG). Home to the LBHS Urban Agriculture Academy, BUG is a 1-acre, student-built farm on the high school campus.
The BUG program inspires and engages youth to pursue futures in sustainable agriculture, food, and natural resource management. The school’s Career Technical Education Program is embedded in the school day. It utilizes tools like an urban garden, internships, and portable kitchens to engage and empower LBHS students.
To learn more about the BUG program, follow it on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/BurbankUrbanGarden) or Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/burbankurbangarden/).
This school garden spotlight is part of the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) celebration of October as National Farm to School Month. To learn more about school gardens, contact the CDFA Farm to School Program at cafarmtoschool@cdfa.ca.gov.
Click here to view the October California Farm to School Network monthly update!
Highlights include:
The California Farm to School Network includes farm to school practitioners and enthusiasts statewide. Click on the newsletter subscribe button to also receive 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.
The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) announces the Commercial Feed Regulatory Program (CFRP) fall 2021 Quarterly Feed Update has been released. Click here to view the newsletter.
Highlights include:
CFRP is part of the Feed, Fertilizer and Livestock Drugs Regulatory Services Branch of CDFA’s Division of Inspection Services.
The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) is now accepting applications for public and private entities interested in being certifying agents for the OCal Cannabis Certification Program.
OCal is a statewide certification program that establishes and enforces comparable-to-organic cannabis standards. The OCal Program will ensure that cannabis products bearing the OCal seal have been certified according to consistent, uniform certifying standards comparable to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Organic Program (NOP) and pursuant to CA Business and Professions Code section 26062. The role of OCal certifying agents is to ensure that California cannabis growers and distributors are following OCal regulations before being allowed to utilize the OCal seal.
OCal certifying agent applications and more information are available at: https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/is/ocal/certifyingagent.html. Applications should be sent to CDFA Inspection and Compliance Branch, OCal Program, 1220 ‘N’ Street, Sacramento, CA 95814, or via e-mail to OCalCannabis@cdfa.ca.gov.
For further information on the OCal Cannabis Certification Program, visit https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/is/ocal.html.
October is National Farm to School Month and CDFA joins thousands of schools, early care and education sites, farms, communities and organizations across the country in celebrating food education, school gardens, and lunch trays filled with healthy, local ingredients.
Adding to the spirit of celebration this year is a $60 million appropriation in the state budget to sustain and expand the California Farm to School Incubator Grant Program. This is part of a $127 million allocation for CDFA’s Office of Farm to Fork, including $20 million for the California Nutrition Incentive Program (CNIP), $20 million for the Healthy Refrigeration Grant Program, $15 million to create a Farm to Community Food Hubs Program; and $12 million to create an Urban Agriculture Program.
“This investment positions CDFA to be a bigger part of the nutrition security solution in helping all Californians access and consume California-grown fruits and vegetables to foster healthy lifestyles and avoid chronic disease,” said CDFA Secretary Karen Ross. “It also demonstrates our statewide commitment to connecting community members and school districts directly with our Golden State’s farmers and ranchers, which will increase demand for their wholesome products.”
Please visit the CDFA California Farm to School Program website for information and resources about the incubator grant program, and the Office of Farm to Fork web site for more information about the other programs mentioned above.
View this original post on the CDFA Planting Seeds blog.
The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) announces California has expanded its investment in the farm to school movement through a State Budget Sustainable Agriculture allocation of $30 million in FY2021-22 and $30 million in FY2022-23 for a total $60 million toward the California Farm to School Incubator Grant Program.
The CDFA Office of Farm to Fork (CDFA-F2F) California Farm to School Incubator Grant Program is focused on supporting local and regional farm to school projects that promote nutrition education, sustainable food production and procurement, and high-quality student engagement through experiential learning. In 2021, the grant program awarded $8.5 million to 60 farm to school projects throughout the state.
If interested in learning more about CDFA-F2F’s grant funding, farm to school peer-to-peer networking, relationship building and collaborative problem solving, register to attend the California Farm to School Network’s first Community of Practice event at 2 p.m. October 1. The event is free, will be hosted via Zoom and is open to all – click here to reserve your spot!
This Community of Practice event is also how CDFA is kicking off October as National Farm to School Month. During Farm to School Month, the CDFA-F2F California Farm to School Program encourages all schools and supporters posting farm to school activities to tag @CAFarmtoSchool on Instagram so the program may hear and share California’s farm to school efforts!
The California Department of Food and Agriculture’s (CDFA) Fertilizer Research and Education Program (FREP) is looking for qualified individuals to serve as trainers for the Irrigation and Nitrogen Management Training Program.
This training program is designed for Central Valley growers interested in self-certifying their Irrigation and Nitrogen Management Plan (INMP) Worksheets.
Who is eligible to be a trainer?
Individuals qualified to be a trainer include those who have a background in irrigation and/or nitrogen management and have experience working with growers to complete INMP Worksheets. Qualified individuals are also comfortable speaking and answering questions in front of an audience, online, or in-person. Preference will be given to active consultants and Certified Crop Advisors (CCA).
When are trainings offered?
Training courses are available to growers from November to March and trainers are assigned based on their designated areas of service and availability. Trainers will serve in at least two trainings during each training period.
Why should you become a trainer?
Being a trainer is a great opportunity to connect with growers in your service area and broaden your impact on the agricultural community. It is also an opportunity to strengthen your professional skills, including communication and critical thinking. Trainers will receive a stipend of $500 for each training session from the sponsoring organization.
Click here to view the FREP blog for additional information and directions on how to apply to be a trainer for the Irrigation and Nitrogen Management Training Program.
