“California leads the world in leafy greens production and innovation. Industry and food safety officials are proud to partner on this in-depth scientific study protecting public health.” — CDFA Secretary Karen Ross The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is announcing the launch of a multi-year study to improve food safety through enhanced understanding of the ecology of human pathogens in the …

California Association of Winegrape Growers — Many California winegrape growers in areas affected by wildfire smoke may wonder how grape prices and tonnage will be reported for the 2020 Grape Crush Report. All California processors who crush grapes should have received a Grape Crush Report questionnaire, which was mailed in October by the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA)-Division of Marketing …

Mark Sievers of Il Fiorello Olive Oil Company was elected to serve as new Chairman of the Olive Oil Commission of California’s Advisory Committee. The Advisory Committee is made up of seven members who are appointed by the Secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA). It serves to make sure olive oil producers with less than 5,000 …

The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) is currently accepting proposals for its Request for Proposal for a contractor to serve as the Riverside County grower liaison. Proposals must be received by Nov. 18. Responsibilities may include conducting outreach directly to growers in Riverside County, providing them up-to-date information on the latest industry news or updates, staying engaged in …

California Department of Food & Agriculture — Free raisin tonnage produced by handlers in 2019 totaled 24,844 tons, up from the 9,423 tons reported in 2018. This figure does NOT include raisins purchased from other handlers or producers. The total 2019 raisin crop purchased from producers, for whom pricing had been finalized, reached 145,145 tons at an average price of $1,162 per ton, down significantly …

California Department of Food & Agriculture — Prunes produced by handlers in 2019 totaled 9,791 tons, down from the 10,728 tons reported in 2018. This figure does NOT include prunes purchased from other handlers or producers. The total 2019 prune crop purchased from producers, for whom pricing had been finalized, reached 38,336 tons at an average price of $1,456 per ton, down significantly …

California Department of Food & Agriculture — Walnuts produced by handlers in 2019 totaled 10,902 tons, down from the 11,992 tons reported in 2018. This figure does NOT include walnuts purchased from other handlers or producers. The total 2019 walnut crop purchased from producers, for whom pricing had been finalized, reached 624,890 tons at an average price of 95.0 cents per pound, up from …

The ACP/HLB San Joaquin Valley Task Force called a meeting on October 8, 2020 due to the increased number of ACP trap finds in the southern part of Kern County. In the last month (September and into October), there have been a total of 35 ACP trap finds in the areas of the south part of Bakersfield, Arvin, Lamont, Mettler, …

The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), the UC Davis Department of Viticulture and Enology, and the UC Davis College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences are offering laboratory services, with limited capacity, to test winegrapes and wine for the presence of smoke compounds due to recent wildfires. In addition to commercial laboratories already performing tests, these laboratories are offering …

The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) recently announced that California has received $23.8 million out of approximately $72.4 million awarded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture nationwide for the 2020 Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP). The SCBGP provides grants to state departments of agriculture to fund projects that enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops, defined as fruits, vegetables, …