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State Organic Program, UC Organic Ag Institute offer organic agriculture networking in San Joaquin Valley

Posted on December 10, 2024 by Joshua Bingham
In farm tours organized by the UC Organic Agriculture Institute, (top left) Jimmy Nichols of Nichols Farms speaks about his family’s organic pistachio operations, (top right) Steven Cardoza of Cardoza & Cardoza Farming Co. discusses organic grape production and (bottom left) Bryce Loewen of Blossom Bluff Orchards showcases his farm’s organic dried fruit production. (Bottom right) A California Organic Products Advisory Committee meeting is held at the Kearney Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Parlier.

The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) State Organic Program (SOP) and UC Organic Agriculture Institute (OAI) partnered Sept. 17-18 to offer organic agriculture networking opportunities in the Fresno area. The goal was to foster community, build meaningful connections among producers and professionals working in organic agriculture, and exchange information about local opportunities and needs as they relate to organic production in the San Joaquin Valley.

On Sept. 17, OAI organized tours of organic farms Nichols Farms, Cardoza & Cardoza Farming Co. and Blossom Bluff Orchards. OAI has a contract with SOP to develop such outreach and educational activities to experience firsthand what’s involved in the organic farming process.

The farm tours also offered attending SOP staff and members of the California Organic Products Advisory Committee (COPAC) a chance to share information and resources with these organic farmers, while providing information and receiving direct feedback on issues, challenges and successes for organic farming.

On Sept. 17, a networking dinner took place in Clovis. OAI invited local organic farmers, agricultural professionals and technical assistance/resource providers to network with SOP and COPAC members. It was a great opportunity for SOP to describe the work the program does and the role of COPAC.

On Sept. 18, a COPAC meeting was held at the Kearney Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Parlier. Agenda items included SOP updates, regenerative agriculture and more.

Click here to learn more about CDFA’s State Organic Program, click here to learn more about COPAC and click here for more information about the UC Organic Agriculture Institute.

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

CDFA announces 3 commercial feed industry representative vacancies on Feed Inspection Advisory Board

Posted on December 9, 2024 by Joshua Bingham

The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) announces three vacancies on the Feed Inspection Advisory Board (FIAB). This board makes regulatory and enforcement recommendations to CDFA to help ensure that commercial feed inspections contribute to a clean and wholesome supply of milk, meat and eggs.

The FIAB vacancies are for three commercial feed industry representatives. Board member applicants must hold a current California Commercial Feed License. The term of office for board members is up to three years. Board members do not receive compensation, but they are entitled to necessary travel expenses.

Individuals interested in a board appointment must submit a resume and a completed Prospective Member Appointment Questionnaire (PMAQ). The PMAQ is available on the CDFA website at: http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/is/ffldrs/pdfs/PMAQ_Feed_IAB.pdf. Both the resume and PMAQ are due by February 7, 2025.

Send resume and PMAQ via email to Brittnie.Williams@cdfa.ca.gov or by mail to:
CDFA
Feed, Fertilizer and Livestock Drugs Regulatory Service Branch
Attn: Brittnie Williams
1220 N Street
Sacramento, CA 95814

For further information, please contact Brittnie Williams at (916) 862-4014 or Brittnie.Williams@cdfa.ca.gov.

Click here to view this original CDFA news release.

Posted in CDFA Commercial Feed Regulatory Program, CDFA Feed Inspection Advisory Board, CDFA Feed, Fertilizer and Livestock Drugs Regulatory Services Branch, CDFA Inspection Services Division | Tagged , | Leave a comment

CDFA California Citrus Program offers Navel Orange Maturity Field Day in Kern County

Posted on December 5, 2024 by Joshua Bingham
Events at Navel Orange Maturity Field Day in Kern County included (top left) a titration demonstration to determine if navels meet the California standard, (top right) a display with examples of oranges meeting and failing the color requirement, and (bottom photos) county inspectors performing courtesy color checks.

The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) California Citrus Program partnered with Kern County recently to host a Navel Orange Maturity Field Day at the Kern County Agricultural Commissioner’s office.

The educational event was proposed by CDFA’s California Citrus Advisory Committee after last season’s weather-related maturity challenges. It showcased navel orange minimum maturity standards with a focus on “orange color (A)” requirement and the California Standard Scale, an indicator of taste that measures the balance between brix (sugar content/sweetness) and acidity. 

Many segments of the citrus industry attended the event, including citrus growers and handlers, labor contractors, industry associations and juice processors. Over 20 citrus packinghouses located throughout the state were represented.

The event kicked off with remarks from the industry and CDFA’s county partners. An overview of maturity requirements was presented and attendees took part in interactive exhibits previewing “orange color (A)” displays with examples of oranges meeting and failing the color requirement. Titration demonstrations highlighted the process used to measure the sugar-to-acid ratio that determines if a navel orange lot meets the California Standard maturity requirement. Kern County inspection staff offered courtesy color checks for industry members who brought navel orange samples. Courtesy color checks are performed early in the season at industry request to assist with the determining fruit readiness relative to the color requirement.

“Overall, the field day was a success,” CDFA California Citrus Program Supervisor Karrie Batchelor said. “It was a great opportunity for state and county staff to interact with citrus industry members in an informal setting to gain a better understanding of the navel maturity requirements and work through concerns that surfaced during last year’s harvest season. Many thanks to our collaborating partners at California Citrus Mutual for advertising the event and to Kern County staff for hosting and supporting the fruitful affair.”

The California Citrus Program is part of the Inspection & Compliance Branch of CDFA’s Division of Inspection Services.

Posted in California Citrus Advisory Committee, CDFA California Citrus Program, CDFA Inspection & Compliance Branch, CDFA Inspection Services Division | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

ISD Staff Spotlight: Brittnie Williams enjoys serving as branch liaison for advisory boards, personnel and more

Posted on November 22, 2024 by Joshua Bingham

NAME: Brittnie Williams
TIME AT CDFA: 9 years
BRANCH: Feed, Fertilizer and Livestock Drugs Regulatory Services
POSITION TITLE: Branch Analyst

USUAL DAILY ACTIVITIES ON THE JOB? I am responsible for personnel appointments and ensuring a smooth and timely new hire onboarding. I serve as primary contact for the feed and fertilizer inspection advisory boards where I plan/organize meetings, ensure board materials are formatted in compliance with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards, and monitor/track board appointments and term expirations and required filings/trainings. I prepare procurement activity for the branch’s fleet and assist with fleet-related matters. I help coordinate draft regulations pertaining to branch programs by preparing and submitting rulemaking packages to the Office of Administrative Law and prepare out-of-state travel for field inspection staff for Travel and Governor’s Office approval, among other program administrative duties.

HOW DO YOU WORK FOR THE CALIFORNIA FOOD SUPPLY? I support, coordinate and facilitate activities necessary to carry out the sensitive nature of each of the branch’s programs that assure the safety of fertilizer, feed and food products for people and the environment by regulating sales, labeling and distribution of fertilizing materials, livestock feed and livestock drug products.

THOUGHTS OF WORKING AT INSPECTION SERVICES? I enjoy my time working for Inspection Services because of the diverse tasks that come with my role. Whether it involves personnel, advisory boards, regulations, fleet or travel, I continuously learn and develop new skills while performing my day-to-day work. I am proud to be part of a team that has great leadership and support and provides opportunities for growth and a positive work environment.

MEMORABLE MOMENT ON THE JOB? Planning and preparing my first advisory board meeting and observing conversations where the board advises and makes recommendations concerning topics such as assessment fees, enforcement and legal services, the program’s annual budgets, and the adoption of new or amended laws and regulations.

PHILOSOPHY OF LIFE? Self-care comes first. Before you can take care of your family and friends, you need to take care of yourself.

SOMETHING UNIQUE ABOUT YOU? My favorite hobby is interior decorating. I also enjoy dance and yoga in my free time.

Posted in CDFA Feed Inspection Advisory Board, CDFA Feed, Fertilizer and Livestock Drugs Regulatory Services Branch, CDFA Fertilizer Inspection Advisory Board, CDFA Inspection Services Division, ISD Staff Spotlight | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Inspection Services Strategic Direction sets goals of Workforce Development, Communication, Innovation

Posted on November 21, 2024 by Joshua Bingham

The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Inspection Services Division announces the release of its Strategic Direction.

“As we continue our public service, Inspection Services sets this Strategic Direction as our guiding document,” Division Director Natalie Krout-Greenberg states in the publication. “For ourselves and our stakeholders, this document lays out our intention.”

Strategic Direction goals include:

Workforce Development

  • Support individual professional development and personal wellbeing
  • Invigorate employee onboarding

Communication

  • Agricultural systems literacy

Innovation

  • Leverage technology to discover new ways of doing business

Click here to view the Inspection Services Strategic Direction.

Posted in CDFA Inspection Services Division | Tagged | Leave a comment

Inspection Services 2024 Annual Report spotlights division activities, advancements and innovation

Posted on November 18, 2024 by Joshua Bingham

The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Division of Inspection Services announces the release of its 2024 Annual Report.

“We’re big believers in collaboration, including with other CDFA programs, sister state agencies and agricultural stakeholders,” Inspection Services Director Natalie Krout-Greenberg states in the report’s overview. “Collaboration is cornerstone to progress and overall success.”

Highlights include:

  • Fiscal year 2023-24 division expenditures
  • Figures from each branch/office highlighting inspections, laboratory analyses and grant funding
  • Division efforts toward promoting sustainable food systems, resilient communities and innovation

Click here to view the CDFA Division of Inspection Services 2024 Annual Report (FY 2023-24).

Posted in CDFA Center for Analytical Chemistry, CDFA Feed, Fertilizer and Livestock Drugs Regulatory Services Branch, CDFA Inspection & Compliance Branch, CDFA Inspection Services Division, CDFA Office of Farm to Fork | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

California Agricultural Neighbors report highlights next steps for building proactive food safety culture in Salinas Valley

Posted on November 13, 2024 by Joshua Bingham

CDFA and the Monterey County Farm Bureau are announcing the joint release of the report “California Agricultural Neighbors: Building a Proactive Food Safety Culture.”

California Agricultural Neighbors (CAN) was formed in January 2021 to bring together members of the Salinas Valley agriculture community to review what could be done to help reduce outbreaks of pathogenic Escherichia coli (E. coli) O157:H7 associated with leafy greens.

CAN initially facilitated discussions to enhance food safety practices between neighboring farms when various agricultural operations are adjacent to one another. An Action Report released in 2022 touched on neighbor-to-neighbor best practices.

Four work groups then focused on those practices to develop the new report, which offers next steps to continue to build a proactive food safety culture:

  • Communication to broaden engagement that is supportive of a proactive food safety culture
  • Expanded research partnerships and leveraging data science to fill information gaps essential for more effective action
  • Engagement of additional partners and collaborators, including the California Longitudinal Study, a joint effort between CDFA and the FDA, to accelerate translation of new information to action.
  • Investing in the future expertise and capacity to enhance transfer of knowledge from research into applied practice

Click here to view “California Agricultural Neighbors: Building a Proactive Food Safety Culture.”

Click here to view a flyer about the report and its Next Steps.

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

Posted in CDFA Inspection Services Division, Food Safety | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

CDFA Farm to School Community Food Hubs Grant Program seeks public comments

Posted on November 12, 2024 by Joshua Bingham

The California Department of Food and Agriculture Office of Farm to Fork (CDFA-F2F) announces it is seeking public comments for its draft request for applications (RFA) for the new Farm to Community Food Hubs Grant Program. The draft RFA and associated grant documents are available at https://cafarmtofork.cdfa.ca.gov/F2CFHP.html. Public comments are due by 11:59 p.m. PST, Friday, December 6, 2024.

The Farm to Community Food Hubs Grant Program will award up to $14.4 million in competitive grants for organizations developing and expanding community food hubs in California. Grants will fund planning activities, food aggregation, distribution infrastructure and operational costs needed to develop or expand capacity for community food hubs to increase the purchasing of local, environmentally sustainable, climate-smart and equitably produced foods by schools and other institutions. These investments aim to build a better food system economy, support the local farming and indigenous food production economies, accelerate climate adaptation and resilience, and employ food system workers with fair wages and working conditions. Ten percent of the available funding will be set aside for projects led by California Native American Tribes and Tribal-serving nonprofit organizations.

Public comments about the Farm to Community Food Hubs Grant Program draft RFA may be submitted via letters to cafoodhubs@cdfa.ca.gov, via an online survey at https://forms.office.com/g/Ve6ShuvP5B or by attending a virtual public feedback session. CDFA will be hosting the following virtual sessions to share more about the grant program and hear feedback:

12 p.m. PST, Monday, November 18, 2024

9:30 a.m. PST, Thursday, November 21, 2024

  • Session intended for California Native American Tribes and Tribal-serving nonprofit organizations
  • English only
  • Register here

5 p.m. PST, Tuesday, December 3, 2024

CDFA will consider all public comments about the draft RFA before finalizing the grant program and opening the application period, tentatively scheduled for winter 2025. The Farm to Community Food Hubs Program is a new initiative that builds on CDFA’s investments in food hubs through its Farm to School Incubator Grant Program, Healthy Refrigeration Grant Program and California Specialty Crop Grant Program. Learn more at https://cafarmtofork.cdfa.ca.gov/F2CFHP.html.

Click here to view this original CDFA news release.

Posted in CDFA Inspection Services Division, CDFA Office of Farm to Fork, Farm to Community Food Hubs Program | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

CDFA accepting proposals for 2024 California Nutrition Incentive Program expansion grant

Posted on November 5, 2024 by Joshua Bingham

The California Department of Food and Agriculture Office of Farm to Fork (CDFA-F2F) announces proposals are now being accepted for the 2025 California Nutrition Incentive Program (CNIP) Expansion – Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), WIC Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (WIC FMNP) and Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP).

CNIP provides monetary incentives to double the amount nutrition benefit clients have to spend on healthy, California-grown fresh fruits, vegetables and nuts. This request for proposals (RFP) is specific for CNIP funds to match nutrition benefits in the WIC, WIC FMNP and/or SFMNP programs at Certified Farmers’ Markets throughout California, and/or to provide support for SFMNP and WIC/WIC FMNP benefits and nutrition incentives distributed using the new electronic Farmers’ Market Card.

Projects that reach low-access areas and low-income populations, particularly communities where a large proportion of the population is eligible for nutrition benefits (such as CalFresh, WIC, WIC FMNP, and SFMNP) and experiences high rates of diet-related diseases, will be prioritized. This is a competitive process.

Visit the CNIP webpage to view the RFP for this 2025 CNIP Expansion for WIC and WIC/Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Programs. The RFP includes further information on the grant program, its implementation timeline and application criteria. Applications must be submitted by email to cafarmtofork@cdfa.ca.gov no later than 5 p.m. PT, December 16, 2024.

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

Submit pre-proposals by Dec. 16 for Fertilizer Research and Education Program 2025 Grant Cycle

Posted on November 4, 2024 by Joshua Bingham

The California Department of Food and Agriculture’s (CDFA) Fertilizer Research and Education Program (FREP) announces pre-proposals are now being accepted for the 2025 FREP Grant Program cycle.

FREP’s competitive grant program funds proposals that advance fertilization and irrigation practices and minimize environmental impacts of fertilizing materials. The 2025 request for pre-proposals (RFP) includes several initiatives put forth by the department to help effectively manage irrigation water and fertilizing materials in California agriculture.

This year’s priorities include: outreach, education and demonstration projects focused on increasing the adoption of efficient crop nutrient and irrigation management practices and technologies; evaluating challenges and barriers to adoption of management practices; the role of organic input materials in soil nutrient management; demonstrating and/or validating management practices that optimize nutrient and/or irrigation water use; filling knowledge gaps for nutrient and irrigation management in specific crops; understanding nutrient movement from the root zone; and mitigation strategies to reduce nutrient losses.

California’s agricultural communities are diverse, and many have historically lacked access to resources and information needed to successfully run their businesses. Thus, CDFA encourages projects that include demonstrable benefits for socially disadvantaged farmers and farmworkers. Socially disadvantaged groups include those whose members have been subjected to racial, ethnic, or gender discrimination.

Applicants are invited to submit pre-proposals to FREP by Monday, December 16, 2024. Pre-proposals submitted should be aligned with at least one of the identified priority research areas and use the provided pre-proposal template. Further information on the 2025 FREP Grant Program RFP, including timelines, priority research areas and templates are available on the grant program web page at www.cdfa.ca.gov/is/ffldrs/frep/CompetitiveGrantProgram.html.

All pre-proposals will be reviewed by the Fertilizer Inspection Advisory Board’s Technical Advisory Subcommittee (TASC). Applicants whose pre-proposals are selected by TASC will be invited to develop full proposals.

Since 1990, the FREP Grant Program has funded more than 270 projects, investing over $31 million in research, outreach and education projects focusing on irrigation and nutrient management practices in California. A database of completed and ongoing research is available on the FREP Research web page at www.cdfa.ca.gov/go/FREPresearch. For more information, please send email inquiries to FREP@cdfa.ca.gov.

Click here to view this original CDFA news release.

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