Blog posts by Guest Blogger
Written by Guest Blogger on Monday, October 4, 2021
Interested in trying them?What:
Boxes of 1,000 crowns are available. Depending on demand, more than one box per grower may be available.
When:
Dormant crowns are available at no cost to growers starting October 1 through November 12, 2021. Plants will be dug the week of September 27, then maintained at near-freezing temperatures. Once you have the crowns, keep them in the cooler until planting. Optimally, the crowns should be in the ground no later than October 25.
Where:
You can pick up your crowns at UC Davis Wolfskill Ranch in Winters, UC Cooperative Extension (UCCE) Woodland (70…
Written by Guest Blogger on Monday, September 27, 2021
Fellow farmer, for the past three years I’ve been sharing my thoughts and ideas on farming with you in this blog series funded by a grant from the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service. I’ve enjoyed walking with you on this journey.
As the grant comes to an end, I’d like to sign off with some lessons I’ve learned as I enter my 20th year of farming.
Being flexible is key to being a successful businessperson. This year’s farm labor shortage forced me to rethink how I manage my farmers’ market stalls as well as my farm. I’ve been reminded that sometimes the best way forward is to do things…
Written by Guest Blogger on Monday, September 20, 2021
The Pandemic Response and Safety (PRS) Grant Program provides funding to help small specialty crop producers, food processors, manufacturers, distributors and farmers markets recover costs incurred by responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, including for measures to protect workers.
The minimum funding request amount is $1,500. The maximum funding request amount is $20,000. No cost sharing or matching funds are required. Eligible applicants include small businesses and nonprofits that have 501(c)(3) status.
Grants will cover activities associated with:
Workplace Safety: Implementing…
Written by Guest Blogger on Monday, September 20, 2021
The California State Legislature passed several record-setting budget packages last week to complete what has been an unusual pandemic budget process during a time of significant state surplus. The historic budget packages include $1.3 billion for Climate Smart Agriculture programs, farmworker housing, composting facilities, organic transition, school kitchen and food bank upgrades, and much more. The budget packages follow months-long advocacy efforts by CalCAN and our partners in the AB 125 coalition.
The legislature restored funding for all of the state’s Climate Smart Agriculture…
Written by Guest Blogger on Monday, September 20, 2021
Side gigs have always played a role in my farming career. When I first started my farm, I was working a 40-hour-a-week day job at another farm, and I worked at my farm in the afternoons and on weekends. Once I was confident that I could grow and sell my crops, I took a part-time job with CCOF managing inspectors. Later, I became an organic inspector myself. Both positions allowed me to farm during the daylight hours while managing clients and writing reports in the evenings.
If you are still figuring out how to farm and make your business successfully support you, it may be a good idea to…
Written by Guest Blogger on Monday, September 13, 2021
Having a consistent display is key to running a successful farmers’ market stall. Believe it or not, when the look of the display changes or the staff running the stall switches, customers get confused. Some customers may even think it is a different farm! If your farm only attends markets seasonally, or if you have a high turnover rate in market staff, having a consistent, memorable display is even more important.
So, how do you keep your market stall looking consistent to retain your customer base?
Here is what I do to train my staff in market display set up.
Finding the Right Workers…
Written by Guest Blogger on Tuesday, September 7, 2021
In a USDA press release issued August 11, 2021, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack made the following statement after the successful confirmation of Jenny Lester Moffitt to serve as undersecretary for marketing and regulatory programs at USDA:
“Congratulations to Jenny Lester Moffitt on being confirmed to serve as undersecretary for marketing and regulatory programs. Jenny’s experience and dedication to her craft, including growing up and working on an organic farm, will help elevate USDA’s work to support our producers and protect the health and value of America’s agricultural and natural…
Written by Guest Blogger on Monday, August 30, 2021
Rep. Jimmy Panetta to Co-Sponsor Agricultural Resilience Act
The Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF) hosted Representative Jimmy Panetta’s (D-California, 20) congressional staffers at the USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) in Salinas, California, last week. The site visit focused on the importance of increased investment in organic research and was instrumental in Rep. Panetta’s decision to co-sponsor H.R. 2803, the Agricultural Resilience Act (ARA).
OFRF organized the tour of the organic fields at the ARS led by Dr. Eric Brennan, USDA research horticulturist and the ARS’ only…
Written by Guest Blogger on Monday, August 30, 2021
Organic food once was viewed as a niche category for health nuts and hippies, but today it’s a routine choice for millions of Americans. For years following passage of the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990, which established national organic standards, consumers had to seek out organic products at food co-ops and farmers’ markets. Today over half of organic sales are in conventional grocery store chains, club stores, and supercenters; Walmart, Costco, Kroger, Target, and Safeway are the top five organic retailers.
Surveys show that 82 percent of Americans buy some organic food, and…
USDA Offers Disaster Assistance to California Farmers and Ranchers Affected by Wildfires and Drought
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, infrastructure and livestock losses and damages.
“Production agriculture is vital to the California economy, and USDA stands ready to assist in the recovery from these…
Written by Guest Blogger on Monday, August 2, 2021
The Growth of CEA—What’s Real and What’s Hype From a Retailer/Consumer Perspective
Monterey, CA (July 26, 2021) – The flourishing development of Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) and how retailers and consumers view this emerging segment of fresh produce production, will be the topics of an educational session at the Organic Produce Summit (OPS) 2021. The Growth of CEA—What’s Real and What’s Hype From a Retail and Consumer Perspective will feature leadership from a pair of recognized retailers and one of the fresh produce industry’s most progressive grower/shippers, offering their…
Written by Guest Blogger on Monday, August 2, 2021
Berry Category Leads the Way, Topping Packaged Salads for First Time
Monterey, CA (July 14, 2021) — Total organic fresh produce sales for the second quarter (Q2) of 2021 saw a continuation of year-over-year growth, increasing by 4 percent from the same period last year and nearing $2.3 billion for the quarter, according to the Q2 2021 Organic Produce Performance Report released exclusively by Organic Produce Network (OPN) and Category Partners.
Organic fresh produce sales and volume in the second quarter of 2021 continued to show year-over-year growth despite the fact that the second…
Written by Guest Blogger on Monday, August 2, 2021
“The Next 18 Months: Navigating a Competitive, Consumer-Driven Landscape”
Jim Donald, Albertsons co-chair, will be a featured keynote presenter at the fifth annual Organic Produce Summit (OPS), joining retail industry veteran Kevin Coupe for a provocative and engaging conversation about the future of the food industry and the role organic will play for consumers and the retail community.
“The Next 18 Months: Navigating a Competitive, Consumer-Driven Landscape” will feature Donald discussing the future of food retailing as the country rebounds from the COVID-19 pandemic. His keynote…
Written by Guest Blogger on Monday, July 26, 2021
Join Gwendolyn Wyard, vice president of regulatory and technical affairs at the Organic Trade Association (OTA), for a listening session on organic hemp at 2:00 p.m. PDT on August 5.
OTA would like to hear from the organic hemp sector about the challenges, barriers, and opportunities that are unique to certified organic production and handling and the organic certification process. Participants will have an opportunity to learn more about the work of the Organic Trade Association and to share their views on how we can best support the growth of organic hemp production and hemp products.…
Written by Guest Blogger on Monday, July 19, 2021
The National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) generally meets twice each year in a public forum to discuss and vote on recommendations to the USDA. These recommendations help the Department develop and refine the organic standards.
Based on input from the Board and members of the organic community, the NOSB currently plans to resume in-person meetings in October 2021, subject to federal, state, and local guidance on in-person meetings at that time.
The in-person meeting will be aired live online for those who are not able to travel. Should circumstances prevent an in-person meeting, the…