Food & Farm News

» September 12, 2012 «

Governor signs timber reform

Rural regions that rely on forests and timber sales will benefit from a bill signed by Governor Brown Tuesday. The new law gives forest landowners a longer window in which they can harvest timber under state-approved plans, and makes other reforms to forestry regulations. The California Farm Bureau says the new law will benefit jobs by giving California-grown timber a chance to compete fairly against out-of-state lumber.

Farmers to rally in DC

Farmers and farm organizations will gather in Washington, D.C., Wednesday for a “Farm Bill Now” rally, to encourage Congress to act before current federal farm programs expire at the end of the month. The farm bill includes a number of nutrition, environmental and research programs. Representatives of the California Farm Bureau will be on hand for the rally. They say completing a new farm bill will be important for the state's farmers, ranchers and consumers.

Weather benefits prune crop

Prune harvest is in full swing, and farmers say they expect to continue the harvest for a few more weeks. Growers report that the fruit is of a high quality, though prunes may be slightly smaller than last year's crop. The farmers say shoppers can expect a large selection of California-grown dried plums because of favorable weather during the growing season and harvest. Most of the state's dried-plum production occurs in the Sacramento Valley.

Farm-to-school program launched

As they returned to classes, students at an elementary school in Turlock began learning about reading, writing, arithmetic … and fresh produce. It's part of a newly created farm-to-school pilot program. State Secretary of Food and Agriculture Karen Ross visited the school to see how children are learning about locally grown fruits and vegetables. The program includes a school-wide farmers' market, a salad bar in the cafeteria, and monthly taste tests of healthy foods.