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Producing one-eighth of all U.S. food and fiber—more than 300 different crops—on just three percent of its farmland, California is the nation’s biggest agricultural producer. It is also the most populous and fastest growing state. This combination presents considerable challenges for farms and farmland. This year, we worked with partners throughout the state to make significant Continue reading California: A Year of Progress Many small voices make loud impact Through combined community efforts, the voices of farmland protection are ringing loud and clear on the West Coast. With assistance from the Strauss Family Creamery, Organic Valley and other groups, one family has recently acquired an easement strategy to protect their farmland in California. Developers tuning in to agricultural offerings Suburban Continue reading Farm and Food News 9/16/11 More Reasons to Protect Farmland In an interview this week with WNYC, our Senior Policy and Program Advisor, Bob Wagner, discussed the role of farmland in mitigating the impact of inclement weather. “What we need to do as a society is reward through the marketplace or programs the benefits that farmland provides, which often we Continue reading Farm and Food News 9/2/11 Farming Benefits Extend Beyond Just Food The world population will hit seven billion people this year, but—as a recent article from Southwest Farm Press points out—agriculture does more than just provide us with nourishment. Among the added benefits are educational and employment opportunities, environmental advantages and increased health awareness. Understanding the “Blank Spaces” on Our Map In some Continue reading Farm and Food News 7/29/11 Bustling processions of anxious travelers packed into security lines at an airport are a far cry from the quiet farm fields of crops arranged neatly in rows. However, at San Francisco International Airport, the renovation of Terminal 2 has taken a big step in showing how these two can bend closer together. The Continue reading San Francisco Airport’s Farm-to-Flight – Green and Local Rural Development honors water quality management this Earth Day USDA Rural Development is celebrating Earth Day by announcing projects to improve water quality and benefit rural residents. As part of the celebration, USDA is providing $105 million in funding for 53 water, wastewater, and community facilities projects across the country. USDA and EPA officials tour Iowa farms Secretary Continue reading Earth Day Edition of Farm and Food News 4/22/11 From the Office of Secretary Vilsack Sec. Vilsack also announced yesterday that he has appointed 15 new members to the Minority Farmer Advisory Committee to help him implement outreach Continue reading Farm and Food News 3/25/11 As a California rancher, I know first hand the innumerable challenges facing individual producers and the California agricultural industry: water, regulations, labor, invasive species, urbanization, environmental quality, energy and climate change, to name a few. Alone, each of these challenges is intimidating – together, the list seems downright daunting! But as our nation’s leading farm Continue reading A New Vision for California Agriculture Think of it what you will, California is unquestionably the nation’s agricultural leader. Our farmers and ranchers grow one-eighth of the nation’s food—including an astonishing 38 percent of the organic produce—on just three percent of U.S. farmland. But suburban sprawl, environmental challenges and economic pressures are threatening the continued ability of California farms to feed Continue reading California: The Year in Review Last year, TIME Magazine ran a cover story that called California “an apocalyptic mess … dysfunctional … broke.” Then it concluded, “It is still the dream state … the greenest and most diverse … the most globalized … an unparalleled engine of innovation.” Think of it what you will, California is unquestionably an agricultural leader, Continue reading Reinventing Agricultural Conservation in California – Focus on Farmland |
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