- Author: Brenda Dawson
![UC Davis student and staff member plant a seedling in a garden bed outside, on the UC Davis campus.](https://ucanr.edu/blogs/food/blogfiles/32577small.jpg)
Each year on Oct. 16, the world takes a moment to raise global awareness of agriculture, hunger, and food issues. World Food Day officially marks the anniversary of the creation of the UN's Food Agriculture Organization (FAO) in 1945, and nowadays it aligns with other global events such as this week's World Food Prize activities in Iowa.
Food and agriculture are central to what UC Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR) professionals deal with every day. We're elbows-deep in solving specific problems like pest identification, childhood nutrition in schools, drought-tolerant plant breeding and spreading sustainable agricultural practices.
World Food Day is a day for all of us to...
- Author: Rose Hayden-Smith
![Poster from the collection of the Museum of Ventura County. (Credit: Aysen Tan)](https://ucanr.edu/blogs/food/blogfiles/32419small.jpg)
Here's my take on food waste. It goes back in part to lessons I've learned from studying World War I, when the American government set food conservation goals (along with goals for local food production via Liberty - later Victory - Gardens). I'm a big proponent of both reducing food waste and producing more food in communities via school, home and community gardens. Big point: the World War I poster included in this post has advice we'd be well served to heed today.
"Food waste is both an ethical and environmental issue. It should concern us that we waste nearly 40 percent of the food we produce and purchase in this food-abundant nation.
For an interesting comparative statistic, consider...
- Author: Consuelo Cid
- Editor: Shelby MacNab, MPA
![Pictured above are (clockwise, from upper left) Brenda, Cheyenne and Mercedes who showcase their #healthyselfie with goals for food safety, eating more leafy greens and being more physically active.](https://ucanr.edu/blogs/food/blogfiles/32352small.jpg)
A group of participants in the UC CalFresh Nutrition Education program will graduate next week ready to use the knowledge and skills they have acquired to make healthy choices for themselves and their families. Let's find out what healthy changes they have made:
“I added whole grains.”
“Put more vegetables in daily diet.”
“Serving more fruits and veggies.”
“Eating more greens and less fatty foods.”
“Eating more colorful vegetables.”
“Don't leave meat...
![Honey mesquite produces pods which can be ground into a gluten-free flour.](https://ucanr.edu/blogs/food/blogfiles/32159small.jpg)
Will edible natives plants be a new food trend, the ultimate in eating locally? Antonio Sanchez at the Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden in Claremont hopes so. Among California native plants are many overlooked food sources, some with gourmet potential, according to Sanchez, production manager at the garden. As an added bonus, edible natives are often low-water users that look great in landscapes. He recently gave UC Master Gardeners in Los Angeles County an overview of edible natives, and had them taste some of his favorites, including his recipe for
![screen-shot-2015-07-20-at-12.25.46-pm](https://ucanr.edu/blogs/food/blogfiles/31974small.png)
All over California, farmers are harvesting the last summer crops, picking apples, crushing grapes, and watching pumpkins ripen. All over California, farmers also welcome the public to enjoy family-friendly harvest festivals, education and entertainment. To help urban and suburban Californians connect with local farms and agricultural events, UC Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR) hosts the UC Agritourism Directory.
Here is a sampler of harvest season fun on the farms this month:
Apple Hill Growers' Association - El Dorado County
About 50 years ago, when a...
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