As students across the country return to the classroom, the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) today announced that America’s dairy processors have fulfilled the Healthy Dairy in Schools Commitment, eliminating the use of certified artificial colors in milk, cheese and yogurt products sold to K–12 schools for the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs. According to the IDFA, the …

American scientific ingenuity in the form of sterile fly releases helped eliminate New World screwworm from the country in the 1960s. Now, ARS researchers are combining that ingenuity with next-generation tools to counter new resurgences of the pest threatening livestock and wildlife in New Mexico and Texas. “Releasing sterile screwworm flies is a proven, decades-old approach to eliminating populations of …

The USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service announced the participant list for its upcoming trade mission to Melbourne, Australia, Aug. 30 to Sept. 2. Participants  from California include Best Buy Grocers, Carriere Family Farms, the California Table Grape Commission, the California Milk Advisory Board, Western United Dairies, the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council and Valley Pride Ag Co. Through FAS agribusiness trade missions, …

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) announced a $2 million project to support the development of cost-effective tools that help tree nut handlers control pests and maintain product quality while crops are in storage after harvest. Funded under the Assisting Specialty Crop Exports (ASCE) Initiative, this opportunity is part of a broader ASCE suite of investments for …

The USDA Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) announced it is now accepting applications for its upcoming trade mission to Singapore, scheduled for Dec. 7 to 9. FAS Agribusiness Trade Missions directly connect American agribusinesses with overseas buyers, expanding market access and boosting exports for U.S. producers. Current and potential U.S. exporters interested in exploring trade opportunities in Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand …

Effective Aug. 19, USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), in cooperation with the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), expanded the area quarantined for sweet orange scab (SOS) in the Burbank, Los Angeles and Long Beach areas of Los Angeles County and the Anaheim and Garden Grove areas of Orange County. SOS is a disease caused by …

This year’s UC Cooperative Extension California Agritourism Summit will be held September 23-25 in Paso Robles, CA. The summit brings together leaders, experts, and practitioners to connect, learn, and engage. This is an opportunity for you to connect colleagues from across the state to learn from each other, share your work, and discuss how to meet this exciting ear for …

UC Ag and Natural Resources is hosting a Dragon Fruit Production Workshop and Farm Tour for growers in the San Diego area. The two-day event will discuss topics ranging from variety selection and field establishment to irrigation, pest management and marketing. Growers will have an opportunity to see the latest research and witness hands-on demonstrations, gain insights from local grower …

UC Ag and Natural Resources and F3 are offering  free skills training courses to help California growers navigate the hurdles of planning, marketing, social media, capital access and buyer engagement. Small- to mid-size growers, ranchers, fishers, food producers and food business owners are invited to join the Business Launchpad, a free, cohort-based business development program designed to help them build …

The California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance (CSWA) recently released the 2025 California Wine Community Sustainability Report, which finds that sustainability is being implemented at broad scale across the state, with approximately 70% of California wine grape acreage certified to a sustainability program and more than 90% of California wine produced in a certified sustainable winery. Published every five years, the report …