Blog posts by Guest Blogger

Written by Guest Blogger on Monday, June 21, 2021

WASHINGTON, D.C. (June 18, 2021) -- Previewing his path forward for organic and pledging to elevate the significance and importance of organic agriculture at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Secretary Tom Vilsack kicked off the Annual Membership Meeting of the Organic Trade Association on Wednesday. Speaking live at the virtual meeting to over 250 members of the trade association, Vilsack laid out a forward-looking agenda for the organic sector, including a vow to resolve the ongoing issue over USDA’s failure to implement a critical and fully vetted organic animal welfare regulation. The…
Written by Guest Blogger on Monday, June 14, 2021

Savvy food makers who specialize in jarring up tasty seasonal goods can be a huge help when you come back from market with hundreds of pounds of leftover tomatoes. Processing excess produce not only keeps it out of the compost pile but also saves the money and hard work that went into growing and picking the crop. With some forethought, you can turn leftover produce into a shelf-stable product that can be sold all winter and beyond. What Crops to Use What crop are you known for growing? Do you have a following for growing the sweetest dry-farmed tomatoes or the crunchiest cucumbers? Start…
Written by Guest Blogger on Monday, June 7, 2021

Whether they milk cows or raise livestock for meat, ongoing drought conditions in the state have forced ranchers and dairy farmers to downsize their herds as they face soaring costs to sustain their animals. In regions such as Marin and Sonoma counties, where farmers and ranchers rely heavily on pasture and natural rainfall to grow feed crops and provide drinking water for their livestock, the duration of the current dry spell has been particularly hard. The U.S. Drought Monitor has classified large swaths of the region as under "exceptional drought"—the highest level of drought intensity—…
Written by Guest Blogger on Monday, May 17, 2021

Assisting Organic Producers in Need Since 2007 If you or an organic producer you know has experienced hardship during the 2021 calendar year, we encourage you to apply for financial assistance through the Bricmont Hardship Assistance Fund. The application deadline is midnight on May 28, 2021. Throughout the nation, farmers are experiencing severe economic losses as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, extreme weather patterns, an increase in the duration and number of natural disasters, and financial challenges. Now more than ever, organic producers need access to immediate and long-term…
Written by Guest Blogger on Monday, May 17, 2021

For the last 15 years, Santiago Contreras has been a vegetarian—conscious of healthy eating and healthy food. After many years working in the restaurant industry, he made the leap to learn to become a farmer by enrolling in the Farmer Education Course (PEPA) at the Agriculture and Land-Based Training Association (ALBA) to develop his knowledge and skills to work the land. After a year of classroom learning and hand-on training, Contreras is now a full-time farmer cultivating many different vegetables, such as squash, beans, tomatoes, onions, and melons, on five rented acres in Hollister.…
Written by Guest Blogger on Monday, May 10, 2021

Last week the California LGMA Board endorsed new Pre-Harvest Testing guidance in an effort to prevent foodborne illness outbreaks associated with leafy greens. The guidance calls for pre-harvest testing of leafy greens products when risk assessments deem it necessary, specifically when grown in proximity to animals. Farmers Acting Quickly to Protect Public Health “We are endorsing pre-harvest testing in direct response to FDA’s recent report on E. coli outbreaks associated with lettuce in 2020, which identified the recurring E. coli strain implicated in this outbreak to be a reasonably…
Written by Guest Blogger on Monday, May 3, 2021

Meet 2020 Future Organic Farmers Grant Recipient Lynn Batten! Hawaii is a state with a biodiverse ecosystem and a strong heritage of caring for and connecting to the earth. Lynn Batten, a Native Hawaiian, seeks to continue this care by combining her passion for the community with stewardship of the land to help further the goal of creating a more responsible, sustainable, and people-oriented food system. Batten is currently studying for her bachelor’s degree in political science and sustainable community food systems at the University of West O’ahu. A combination of her classroom…
Written by Guest Blogger on Monday, May 3, 2021

Last week, Representative Chellie Pingree (D-ME) and Senator Martin Heinrich (D-NM) introduced the Agriculture Resilience Act (ARA), which outlines a national roadmap for reaching net-zero greenhouse gas emissions from U.S. agriculture by the year 2040. This act is a farmer-focused, research-driven path that highlights the ways that food production and agriculture are strong solutions to climate change when properly funded and supported. To learn more, read the press release and the bill text.  This legislation was co-sponsored by 17 representatives, including Barragán (CA-44), Brownley (…
Written by Guest Blogger on Monday, April 26, 2021

Graduate student Thais Spiropoulos of California Polytechnic University, Pomona, in association with the University of California Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR) programs in Southern California, will be conducting a needs assessment of urban farmers who primarily use organic growing methods. This survey aims to assess the technical needs of urban farmers within non-desert areas of San Bernardino, Riverside, inland Los Angeles, and Orange counties. For the purpose of this survey, urban agriculture is defined as the production, distribution, and marketing (both for-…
Written by Guest Blogger on Tuesday, April 20, 2021

Breaking into new markets may seem daunting when other farms grow or raise similar products. I remember trying to navigate this when I was first starting out. There were so many farmers with strong followings who already grew unique varieties that I questioned my ability to make a name for my farm.But that wasn’t the case at all! With a little forethought and planning, I found that there is lots of room for innovation. Don’t be discouraged as the new farmer in town. With a little creativity, there is always a way to set yourself apart from other farms!Here are some things I considered to make…
Written by Guest Blogger on Monday, April 5, 2021

Extending your farm’s production season—either by getting a jump on an early harvest or by continuing into the winter months—is a great way to bring additional income to the farm. Both early-season or late-season extensions are worth considering. However, if you can offer spring and summer crops before other farms, you will reap more of the benefits. Customers drawn to your early produce are more likely to stick with your stand throughout the entire season. It is much harder to get customers to shop with you once they have already found another source they like. Customers are more excited to…
Written by Guest Blogger on Monday, March 15, 2021

The California Farm Demonstration Network (CDFN) is hosting a four-part series about California soils. This series will feature four speakers, each with extensive knowledge of California agriculture and soils. Speakers will cover various topics, including composting, orchard recycling, soil sampling, testing for microbial dynamics, and more.PART 1 | March 24, 2021 | 11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. “What happens to soil properties when you add compost or cover crop?”Meeting Registration PART 2 | April 21, 2021 | 11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. “What are the benefits of whole orchard recycling, including disease…
Written by Guest Blogger on Monday, March 8, 2021

The Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) helps agricultural producers maintain and improve their existing conservation systems and adopt additional conservation activities to address high-priority concerns around natural resources. Participants earn CSP payments for conservation performance–the higher the performance, the higher the payment. The 2021 CSP application deadline is March 26, 2021. Through CSP, USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) helps farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners expand stewardship activities and receive payments for both their existing…
Written by Guest Blogger on Monday, March 1, 2021

In my last blog, Delegating Responsibilities to Lighten Your Workload, I discussed strategies for handing off tasks to employees to allow for personal time or exciting work projects.With my extra time, I like to cultivate creative collaborations with other food businesses. These mutually beneficial relationships increase marketing exposure and income for both businesses.Typically, these collaborations arise organically. For instance, I have excess blueberries, and a fellow business owner who I know from the farmers' market makes a product that can utilize blueberries.Benefits of…
Written by Guest Blogger on Monday, February 8, 2021

University of California, Davis wants to hear from California dried fruit processors.California is a major producer of dried fruits, and we at UC Davis want to support the production of high-quality dried products. A team of researchers in the Food Science and Technology Department is interested in developing guidance on the best practices to ensure the safety and quality of dried California specialty crops.To support our California dried fruit producers, we need information on the most common industry practices currently being employed for dehydrating. Do you sun dry or use a mechanical…