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Did you know? New scientific methods at CDFA

Posted on April 30, 2021 by Joshua Bingham
Did You Know? infographic

Read the report here.

Learn more about CDFA’s Center for Analytical Chemistry.

View this original post on the CDFA Planting Seeds blog.

Posted in CDFA Center for Analytical Chemistry, CDFA Inspection Services Division | Tagged | Leave a comment

CA Farm to School Network newsletter highlights CA Farm to School Conference recordings, resources, events, job opportunities

Posted on April 28, 2021 by Joshua Bingham

The California Department of Food and Agriculture Office of Farm to Fork (CDFA-F2F) California Farm to School Network released its monthly newsletter.

Highlights include:

  • CA Farm to School Conference recordings and resources are available online
  • Farm to School Incubator Grant awardees
  • National Garden Month: Coast-to-Coast Virtual School Gardens Tour
  • USDA seeks comments on food system supply chains
  • Resource: Chef Ann Foundation – sustainability & scratch cooking
  • Resource: Food Literacy Center’s Food Anatomy Activities for Kids
  • Job opportunity: Sacramento Waldorf School Farm
  • Job opportunity: Community Health Improvement Partners senior program manager in San Diego
  • National Farm to School Network resources in grants & funding, webinars & events, and research & resources

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.

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

Did you know the Center for Analytical Chemistry developed 20 new scientific methods in FY2019-20?

Posted on April 27, 2021 by Joshua Bingham
Center for Analytical Chemistry infographic

Did you know the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Center for Analytical Chemistry (CAC) developed 20 new scientific methods while satisfying the regulatory and monitoring needs of 33 public agencies during fiscal year 2019-20?

This and other information about CAC and its Environmental Safety Laboratory, Food Safety Laboratory, Quality Assurance Unit and Laboratory Business Operations is in the CDFA Inspection Services Division Annual Report 2020 (FY2019-20).

CDFA’s Center for Analytical Chemistry is a branch of the Inspection Services Division.

Posted in CDFA Center for Analytical Chemistry, CDFA Environmental Safety Laboratory, CDFA Food Safety Laboratory, CDFA Inspection Services Division, CDFA Inspection Services: Did You Know?, CDFA Quality Assurance Program, CDFA Regulatory Analysis Laboratory | Tagged | Leave a comment

New members appointed to committee that reviews proposals for annual fertilizer research and education grants

Posted on April 26, 2021 by Joshua Bingham
(Left to right) Jerome Pier, Jan Hopmans, Daniel Rodrigues and Sebastian Saa.

The Fertilizer Research and Education Program (FREP) welcomes Jan Hopmans, Daniel Rodrigues and Sebastian Saa to the Fertilizer Inspection Advisory Board (FIAB) Technical Advisory Subcommittee (TASC). FREP also welcomes Jerome Pier as the reappointed TASC chair.

TASC is a group of scientific and technical experts who review and recommend funding for proposals submitted to the annual FREP Grant Program.

Click here to read a FREP blog with brief biographies of the mentioned TASC members and for more information about TASC and its role.

The Fertilizer Research and Education Program is part of the Feed, Fertilizer and Livestock Drugs Regulatory Services branch in the California Department of Food and Agriculture Division of Inspection Services.

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

Spring Quarterly Feed Update newsletter released

Posted on April 22, 2021 by Joshua Bingham
Spring Quarterly Feed Update newsletter cover

Click here to read the spring 2021 Quarterly Feed Update issued by the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Commercial Feed Regulatory Program.

Highlights include:

  • Notice to industry: tonnage tax report changes
  • New webpage for human food by-product diversion
  • Tonnage classification
  • Incentives for human food by-product diversion
  • 2020 sampling survey

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

Posted in CDFA Antimicrobial Use and Stewardship Program, 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

FREP blog highlights transition of Irrigation and Nitrogen Management Training Program to CDFA, including new webpages

Posted on April 20, 2021 by Joshua Bingham

As of March 1, 2021, the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Fertilizer Research and Education Program (FREP) assumed full management responsibility of the Irrigation and Nitrogen Management Training Program. The management transition includes the addition of two FREP webpages.

The new Irrigation and Nitrogen Management Training Program webpage includes:

  • Information on the Nitrogen Management Specialty for Certified Crop Advisors
  • Information on the Irrigation and Nitrogen Management Training for Grower Self-Certification
  • List of upcoming training dates.

The new Continuing Education webpage includes:

  • List of upcoming continuing education courses
  • List of self-study continuing education courses
  • Application to offer Continuing Education Credits

Click here to read the original FREP blog post with more details about this transition.

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

CDFA Announces Awards for 2021 Farm to School Grant Program

Posted on April 15, 2021 by Joshua Bingham

The California Department of Food and Agriculture Office of Farm to Fork (CDFA-F2F) announces that it is awarding $8.49 million in grants to 60 farm to school projects throughout the state via the 2021 California Farm to School Incubator Grant Program.

“We’re happy to report that so many projects are being funded in our inaugural year of the California Farm to School Incubator Grant Program,” said CDFA Secretary Karen Ross. “The excitement to participate demonstrates how much the program goals resonate with school meal providers, educators and regional food system partners.”
 
View the Farm to School Incubator Grant Program section of the California Farm to School Program webpage for a list of awardees and their projects.

View the CDFA press release announcing these awards for more information.

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

Did you know changes in feed industry tonnage tax reporting highlight vital role of human food by-products being upcycled to animal feed?

Posted on April 8, 2021 by Joshua Bingham

Did you know the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Commercial Feed Regulatory Program (CFRP) recently changed tonnage tax reporting in the California feed industry to highlight the vital role of the diversion of human food by-products to animal food?

These changes will include expanded and specific reporting such as overall feed categories, specific feed or ingredient, and intended species. Human food by-product definitions for the California feed industry can be found on the CFRP website, and are categorized as: wet food processing waste; recovered retail food; restaurant food waste; and cull fruits and vegetables.

CFRP also is working diligently to publish regulations pertaining to the incentivization of licensing and tonnage tax reporting of by-products, including assessing licensees at a lower tonnage tax and license rate. Notification will be provided to the industry when the regulations are published.

Visit CDFA’s Safe Animal Feed Education Program Human Food Waste (By-product) Diversion webpage for more information about how more than 12.5 million tons of by-product are currently being diverted to animal feed within California’s livestock industry. The diversion of this tonnage that would otherwise be going to landfills demonstrates the feed industry’s innovative recycling nature!

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

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

Register now for California Farm Food Safety E-Learning Series about biological soil amendments of animal origin and production agricultural water

Posted on April 6, 2021 by Joshua Bingham
E-Learning Series flier

Register now for two tracks in the UC Davis Department of Food Science and Technology California Farm Food Safety E-Learning Series funded by the California Department of Food and Agriculture Produce Safety Program.

Several speakers will provide short presentations during the two-hour sessions and time will be dedicated to answering questions from participants. Pre-registration is required for the free sessions that will be held online via Zoom.  

The Biological Soil Amendments of Animal Origin (BSAAO) series will provide information about the benefits and risks of BSAAO during production. This series is tailored to Californians, with specific BSAAO regulatory and enforcement information relevant to California growers.

  • Session 1: 1-3 p.m. April 7 – Overview of BSAAO and the Food Safety Modernization Act Produce Safety Rule
  • Session 2: 1-3 p.m. April 14 – Compost
  • Session 3: 1-3 p.m. April 21 – Soil amendments containing ingredients of animal origin
  • Sign up for the free BSAAO series here

The Production Agricultural Water series will provide information on risks associated with production agricultural water, current best practices for agricultural water management, treatment options for agricultural water and updates on the Food Safety Modernization Act Produce Safety Rule agricultural water testing requirements. This series is tailored to Californians, with specific agricultural water regulatory and enforcement information relevant to California growers.

  • Session 1: 1-3 p.m. May 6 – Update on agricultural water and the Produce Safety Rule
  • Session 2: 1-3 p.m. May 13 – Assessing on-farm risks associated with agricultural water systems
  • Session 3: 1-3 p.m. May 20 – Introduction to options for treating agricultural water
  • Sign up for the free Production Agricultural Water series here

Visit the UC Davis California Farm Food Safety E-Learning Series webpage for more information.

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

Reducing food waste through recovery and upcycling

Posted on April 5, 2021 by Joshua Bingham
Food Recovery video

Did you know that “food recovery” means preventing waste by recovering as much wholesome food as possible for people in need?

Did you know that “food upcycling” is the re-use of food or food byproducts to create new ways of feeding people and animals while minimizing food waste?

Both of these concepts are presented in this video on the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Food Recovery website.

View this original post on the CDFA Planting Seeds blog.

Posted in CDFA Food Recovery, CDFA Inspection Services Division, CDFA Inspection Services: Did You Know? | Tagged , , | Leave a comment