Dairy industry representatives offered their support for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) new $400 million Dairy Donation Program (DDP). The Department released an interim final rule all but finalizing the DDP and making its $400 million funding available to eligible handlers and cooperatives. The program will ensure U.S. dairy companies are fairly compensated for donating nutritious dairy products to …

Karoun Dairies has once again proven why California is the dairy capital of the United States, going up against cheesemakers nationwide at the World Dairy Expo and winning gold – two to be exact! After an 18-month long hiatus, the dairy industry had its first official contest on Thursday, August 19th in Madison, Wisconsin – the World Dairy Expo Championship Dairy …

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has accepted 2.8 million acres in offers from agricultural producers and private landowners for enrollment into the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) in 2021. This year, almost 1.9 million acres in offers have been accepted through the General CRP Signup, and USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) has accepted over 897,000 acres for enrollment through the …

California agricultural operations have been significantly impacted by the wildfires and ongoing, severe drought. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has technical and financial assistance available to help farmers and livestock producers recover. Impacted producers should contact their local USDA Service Center to report losses and learn more about program options available to assist in their recovery from crop, land, …

With climate change-induced drought conditions reducing water levels in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to alarming lows, the State Water Resources Control Board today issued curtailment orders to approximately 4,500 right holders to protect drinking water supplies, prevent salinity intrusion and minimize impacts to fisheries and the environment. Today’s orders follow the emergency curtailment regulation adopted by the board on August …

Organic producers and handlers can now apply for U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) funds to assist with the cost of receiving or maintaining organic certification. Applications for the  Organic Certification Cost Share Program  (OCCSP) are due Nov. 1, 2021. “USDA is here to help all producers, including those who grow our nation’s organic food and fiber. Many farmers have told us that cost was a barrier to their ability to get an organic certification,” said Zach Ducheneaux, administrator …

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced today an investment of $69 million to address critical food and nutrition security needs of low-income communities enduring the pandemic, enhance the resilience of food and healthcare systems impacted by the pandemic, and maximize funds reaching participants. This is one of several key steps that USDA is taking to ensure access to healthy and …

The new Board of Directors of the Almond Board of California (ABC) took their seats on Wednesday with five voting members – three of them new to the board – beginning new terms to help oversee ABC’s support of one of California’s most important agricultural crops. Board members, whose terms officially began Aug. 1, also elected Brian Wahlbrink as chair …

The Calf Care & Quality Assurance (CCQA) program today published the first volume of its Animal Care Reference Manual. This manual assists farmers and ranchers who raise different breeds of male and female calves intended for dairy and/or beef production systems, encouraging calf raisers to approach management decisions with thoughtfulness and an appreciation for the responsibility they have to their …

After months of advocacy by the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) with U.S. and European officials, the European Commission (EC) decided yesterday to extend the implementation deadline for its new health certificate requirements to Jan. 15, 2022, backing off threats to shut down U.S. dairy exports to EU member states as well as transshipments of U.S. dairy products through the …