We have goods news on the FSMA front. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has initiated the regulatory process to put almonds on the “rarely consumed raw” list.  After years of discussions with the Almond Alliance and the Almond Board of California as to why almonds should be on the “rarely consumed raw”  list given the self-imposed pasteurization rule, FDA …

SACRAMENTO – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced Wednesday it will use its discretion and not enforce Produce Safety Rule requirements for growers of winegrapes. The agency’s announcement follows continued efforts by the California Association of Winegrape Growers (CAWG) to exempt winegrapes from the Produce Safety Rule. CAWG worked with the Oregon Winegrowers Association and Washington Winegrowers Association …

Fresno, CA – Thousands of students have the opportunity to participate in innovative educational projects, thanks to a long-standing program funded by the California Table Grape Commission (commission) on behalf of California table grape growers. The “Innovation in Teaching” grant program was created in 1993 to support innovative teaching projects in the California table grape growing regions of the San …

California produces 99 percent of the walnuts grown in the United States. New research could provide a major boost to the state’s growing $1.6 billion walnut industry by making it easier to breed walnut trees better equipped to combat the soil-borne pathogens that now plague many of California’s 4,800 growers. In a new study, a team of scientists at the University …

Looking to strengthen the market for California-grown olives, Musco Family Olive Company, the #1 branded olive company in America and the largest packer of ripe olives in the world, recently announced it is offering new contracts to growers impacted by the recent decision of a competitor to cancel its contracts with California farmers. “We want every farmer impacted by this …

CDFA Secretary Karen Ross joined in the “Sacramento Farm Day” festivities today, hosted by the California Farm Bureau Federation. The event,  presented by the California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom, brings in about 1,000 students and teachers who rotate through several stations to learn about agricultural subjects ranging from pollinators and nutrition to raising livestock and maintaining the health …

USDA secretary Sonny Perdue is making available an additional $45 million to the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and its partners to address the ongoing virulent Newcastle disease (VND) outbreak in Southern California.  This funding will allow APHIS and the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) to strengthen their joint efforts to stop the spread of this …

Community Alliance with Family Farmers & The Farmers Guild is thrilled to announce that the California Agricultural Water Stewardship Initiative (CAWSI) website has recently gone through a thorough update. The CAWSI website can be found at www.agwaterstewards.org. The California Agricultural Water Stewardship Initiative (CAWSI) was initiated in 2008 by CAFF and other agriculture organizations in order to make information available to …

Agriculture is a major industry for the Golden State. With 80,500 farms and ranches, California agriculture is a $44.7 billion dollar industry that generates at least $100 billion in related economic activity. The California Department of Food and Agriculture’s (CDFA) mission is, “to serve the citizens of California by promoting and protecting a safe, healthy food supply, and enhancing local …

Over 100 organizations representing water and agricultural interests in the Western U.S. urged Congress today to use any infrastructure package under consideration to help address severe hydrological conditions in the West. “As a nation we must continually invest in the Western water infrastructure necessary to meet current and future demands,” the groups stated in a letter sent to key congressional …