- Author: Penny Leff
Welcome to the newest edition of Small Farm News, the newsletter of the UC Small Farm Program. We no longer publish a traditional print newsletter, but have transitioned to this online-only format. We hope you find this new edition interesting, useful - and easy to share. You can read it all now or bookmark Vol. 1 2013 for later, or print a pdf version of the newsletter.
In this issue:
- California Small Farm conference 2013There is still time to register for the California Small Farm Conference, being held on March 10-12, 2013. Join 500 farmers and representatives from the University of California, USDA agencies, farmers markets organizations and other nonprofits, as they gather at the Fresno Convention Center. Read more...
- Homemade Food Act/AB 1616California's Homemade Food Act (AB 1616) became effective on January 1, 2013. The bill allows individuals—including small-scale farmers--to market certain non-potentially hazardous foods made in private-home kitchens referred to as “cottage food operations” (CFOs), subject to several conditions--as described below. Read more...
- Microloan Program for Small-scale and Family Farm Operations Launched by USDA
USDA launched the new year by announcing an exciting new program that it has developed: microloans designed to help small and family farm operations, and socially disadvantaged farmers obtain loans under $35,000. The microloan program also has a more simplified application process in comparison to traditional farm loans. Read more... - Food Safety Modernization Act
How can I begin to describe the draft regulations for the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA)? On January 4, 2013, FDA came out with two sets of proposed rules, stating that comments from the public are due by May 16, 2013. One set of proposed rules relates to processed foods and the other one to produce. There are three additional sets of proposed rules yet to come... Read more... - CDFA Food Safety Cost Reimbursement
Small-scale growers can get reimbursed for part of their food safety audit, testing, or training expenses. California’s Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) has a reimbursement program to assist specialty crop producers with the cost of first time food safety audits, informational assessments, water and/or soil testing, and training regarding Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs). Read more...
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If you aren't already, become a subscriber today. You may also want to explore back-issues in our newsletter archives.
Thanks for reading!
/span>/span>- Editor: Brenda Dawson
Welcome to the newest edition of Small Farm News, the newsletter of the UC Small Farm Program.
With this issue, we have completed our transition from a traditional print newsletter to this new, online-only format. We hope you find this new edition just as interesting and useful as our classic newsletter — and easier to share. You can read it all now or bookmark Vol. 1 2012 for later.
In this issue:
- Workshops to prepare growers for food safety
For producers, food safety comes in many shades of risk at many critical points in their business operations: water testing, worker hygiene, harvest techniques, postharvest cooling and storage, previous land use, wildlife and more. To help small-scale farmers better plan for food safety concerns, several UC Cooperative Extension farm advisors are being trained in food safety audits and are planning food safety workshops. Read more... - Building statewide support for California agritourism
At a recent statewide summit, California agritourism leaders overwhelmingly agreed that a statewide organization would be a major step toward improving agritourism support in the California. Read more...
- Selling wholesale at a farmers market
Though growers earn retail prices at farmers markets, the costs involved to do so, including transportation and staff time, can present a challenge to making a profit. But one farmers market has developed a way that farmers can consistently sell high volumes with one trip — by serving as a venue for sales to restaurants and wholesale distributors too. Read more... - Tips for growing, selling organic
California growers considering organic certification were able to hear about the value of doing so — and tips for getting started — from a farmer, buyer and agricultural economist at one workshop. “I had about a thousand customers per week at the farmers market, pulling up my carrots and saying, ‘Are these organic?’" Read more...
- CSA operators offer tips
With the growing popularity of community supported agriculture has come a proliferation of CSA models, with a wide variety of structure, goals, customer interactions and food products. Two different CSAs offered tips to farmers and workshop participants at the California Small Farm Conference. Read more... - How to identify 'snake-oil' products
The presenter twisted his mustache before grabbing hold of the podium. "You will double your production! And you will have no pests, no diseases," he said, emphatically promoting an unnamed agricultural product to the audience gathered. Read more...
- Pedro Ilic Award honors Paul Vossen
A farm advisor who has been instrumental in developing profitable niches for farmers was named "Outstanding Agricultural Educator" with a 2012 Pedro Ilic Award, for his dedication to small-scale farming. Read more...
New to the newsletter?
If you aren't already, become a subscriber today. You may also want to explore back-issues in our newsletter archives.
Thanks for reading!