- Author: Chris M. Webb
The California dairy industry produces the most milk of any state. In addition to milk we also produce many other dairy products including frozen desserts and cheeses. The UC Davis Dairy Research and Information Center is full of fabulous information to help industry professionals.
In addition they also have advice for those who are interested in making dairy products at home.
Their website provides information for:
- Dairy foods
- Dairy food sciences
- Dairy foods history
- Dairy processing
- Goat dairy foods
- Home manufacturing
- Links for further information
- Author: Chris M. Webb
Our food systems can be vulnerable to attacks. Pathogens, chemicals and biological contaminates, and other hazards can affect the safety of foods we eat. These dangers can be caused by natural disasters, or may be caused by intentional contamination. Alliances among traditional first responder’s, the agricultural industry, and communities can help mitigate acts of agroterrorism.
The UC Davis Western Institute for Food Safety and Security (WIFSS) in has a collection of training courses for local frontline response teams designed to strengthen their capability to prevent, detect, respond to, and recover from agroterrorism or other major disasters in the food systems in their communities. Trainings cover intentional contamination and those caused by natural disasters. As with other disaster training, early and effective coordination in response can greatly improve outcomes.
Courses include:
- Understanding the Dangers of Agroterrorism
- Principles of Preparedness for Agroterrorism and Food Systems’ Disasters
- Principles of Detection and Diagnosis – Strategies and Technologies
- Principles of National Incident Management System (NIMS), Team Building and Risk Communication
- Principles of Frontline Response to Agroterrorism and Food Systems’ Disasters
- Principles of Planning and Implementing Recovery
To learn more about the training program, please contact David Goldenberg by email or by phone at 530.752.3247.
- Author: Chris M. Webb
The first Small Farm News of 2012 is ready for viewing! As always this newsletter is full of relevant and practical information to assist small-scale farmers and ranchers.
Topics in this issue are:
- Workshops to prepare growers for food safety
- Building statewide support for California agritourism
- Selling wholesale at a farmers market
- Tips for growing, selling organic
- CSA operators offer tips
- How to identify ‘snake-oil’ products
- Pedro Ilic Award honors Paul Vossen
The newsletter can be found on this page of the UC Small Farm Program website.
- Author: Chris M. Webb
Each school day millions of children eat at school. Meals can be brought from home, or prepared by staff on-site. All meals have the potential to cause a foodborne illness. The National Coalition for Food-Safe Schools (NCFSS) is a collection of organizations working together to improve food safety in U.S. schools.
From their website:
“The National Coalition for Food-Safe Schools (NCFSS) is an alliance of representatives from a variety of renowned national organizations, professional associations, and government agencies that have interest or active involvement in reducing foodborne illness in the U.S. by improving food safety in schools. NCFSS is a voluntary and informal working group that focuses specifically on improving food safety in U.S. schools through information sharing, networking, and strategic planning of activities.”
Their site has many free resources for administrators, team leaders, school nurses, Health Departments, school food service workers, teachers, families, and students work together to reduce the risk of foodborne illness.
- Author: Chris M. Webb
The spring edition of California Agriculture has a varied collection of articles. You can read about solutions for nitrate in drinking water, protecting California forests form catastrophic fire, agricultural advances, and the history and legacy of the Morrill Act.
Articles include:
- No-tillage and high-residue practices reduce soil water evaporation
- Research and adoption of biotechnology strategies could improve California fruit and nut crops
- Regulatory status of transgrafted plants is unclear
- New quality index based on dry matter and acidity proposed for Hayward kiwifruit
- Honoring 150 years of accessible higher education
- For 150 years, UC science and agriculture transform California
- UC’s land-grant mission fuels nation’s growth, prosperity
- Report seeks solutions for nitrate in drinking water
- UC leads effort to protect California forests from catastrophic fire
- Conservation tillage achieves record acreage, yields