…plan was to run the program for five years. After eight years at USDA, he says the program is now stronger, offering better quality inspectors, certifiers and work. He says…
Study: Organic Farming Reduces Carbon Emissions
A study by the Organic Center says organic farming lowers carbon emissions. The study, according to the organization, provides a new significant proof point that organic agricultural practices build healthy…
California Wine Grape Harvest in High Gear
…had a negative impact on fruit set. Hailstorms in early June also caused significant damage in Contra Costa County and areas of Napa. The rain in later spring was not…
Farm to School Bill Introduced
Mississippi Republican Thad Cochran, Senate Appropriations Committee Chair, and ranking member Patrick Leahy, a Vermont Democrat, reintroduced the Farm to School Act to expand the Farm to School Grant Program….
Funding to Recruit and Educate a More Diverse Agricultural Workforce
…developed an innovative and interdisciplinary undergraduate curriculum in renewable materials and are actively recruiting more multicultural students to build the pipeline of professionals in this area. In recent years, the…
Cattlemen Launch Month Long Media Campaign for Comprehensive Tax Reform
NCBA Launches new website: CattlemenForTaxReform.com The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association kicked off a media and advertising campaign that will shine a spotlight on how various federal tax provisions impact America’s…
Secretary Perdue Announces USDA Improvements
…The actions involve innovation, consolidation, and the rearrangement of certain offices into more logical organizational reporting structures. The changes build on the reorganization Perdue announced in May. As with the…
American Biofuels Producers Demand U.S. Government Respond to Brazilian Tariff
…quota level to better reflect the current ethanol market and trade realities. Brazil’s tactics are the latest step in a troubling global trend towards protectionist tariffs and other actions against…
Honeybees and Beer
Cathy Isom tells us all the ‘buzz’ about how honeybees help make a favorite beverage even better. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Honeybees and Beer For years,…
Lower Commodity Prices Dragging Farm Optimism
…farmer expectations regarding future economic conditions. Still, approximately six out of 10 respondents indicated that grain-marketing opportunities over the last six months were likely better than the opportunities that will…
Reasons to Plant in the Fall
…fall rather than delaying until next spring. For starters, fall is usually a less busy time than spring, especially in garden centers. So you’re more likely to have better customer…
Labor Day Gardening
…of summer is upon us, there’s no better time than to get busy and get rid of some of those dying off annuals and make way for new perennials. Tidy…
California Animal Welfare Regulations Increasing?
…Farm Animals Act” would mandate all pork and veal sold in California be produced without restrictive crates. It would also require all eggs produced and sold in the state to…
Google Helps Santa Clara County 4-H
…Computer Science Career Pathway is actively recruiting youth participants, teen leaders, and adult volunteers to take part in the program. The pathway will translate abstract concepts and put them into…