Public News Service

Grass-fed beef is prepared for serving at an industry event called the Meat Summit. (Roots of Change)

Wednesday, April 24, 2024

'Regenerative' beef gets boost from California universities

By Naoki Nitta for Civil Eats.Broadcast version by Suzanne Potter for California News Service reporting for the Solutions Journalism Network-Public Ne…

Water flows through part of Dos Rios Ranch Preserve. The former farmland now acts as a storage area for floodwaters during wet years. (Cameron Nielsen/Grist)

How can California solve its water woes? By flooding its best farmland

By Jake Bittle for Grist.Broadcast version by Suzanne Potter for California News Service reporting for the Grist-Public News Service Collaboration Th…

Many school lunch programs are introducing more non-meat, non-dairy meals to normalize a healthier, more climate-friendly plant-based diet. (CivilEats)

California leads way in low-carbon school meals

By Naoki Nitta for Civil Eats.Broadcast version by Suzanne Potter for California News Service reporting for the Solutions Journalism Network-Public Ne…

The Madre Tierra project is active in many communities in California, including the Oxnard, Mecca and Salinas areas. (Alianza Nacional de Campesinas)

New grant helps CA farmworker women grow sustainable gardens

Women across California who are farmworkers will get help to maintain home and community gardens using fewer pesticides. It is the goal of a grant …

Hedgerows are straightforward strips of shrubs or trees roughly 15 feet wide, and they highlight nature's complex work. (Sierra Orchards)

Hedgerows: Can They Help Save the Planet?

By Anne Marshall-Chalmers for Civil Eats.Broadcast version by Suzanne Potter for California News Service reporting for the Solutions Journalism Networ…

Some of the art to be featured at the Regenerative Gala was produced on upcycled canvas. Here we see a detail from the painting,

Regenerative Gala to Spotlight Ethical Consumerism

To kick off Earth Month in April, a Bay Area event called the Regenerative Gala will promote the concepts of ethical consumerism and fashion and art …

Mollie Englehardt started her farm four years ago to support her local vegan restaurant chain, Sage. (Sow a Heart Farms)

Healthy Soil Can Be a Climate Change Solution

By Caleigh Wells for KCRW.Broadcast version by Suzanne Potter for California News Service reporting for the Solutions Journalism Network-Public News S…

Fields amid a sinking delta in California's Central Valley. (California Dept. of Water Resources)

Carbon Credits versus the Big Gulp

By Katherine Ellison for Hothouse.Broadcast version by Suzanne Potter for California News Service reporting for the Solutions Journalism Network-Publi…

Greenhouse-grown hydroponic tomatoes use 90% less water than traditional tomato crops grown outdoors, according to the U.S. National Park Service. (Caleigh Wells)

Future of Tomatoes in CA Drought: Hydroponic Farming?

By Caleigh Wells for KCRW.Broadcast version by Suzanne Potter for California News Service reporting for the KCRW-Public News Service Collaboration Wh…

Conservation groups want to restore vegetation in coastal areas such as Elkhorn Slough near Monterey Bay, which sequesters carbon in the soil, helping to slow climate change. (Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve)

Bill Moves Forward to Lock More Carbon In the Soil

California has seen a lot of proposals to reduce carbon emissions; now a plan to scrub existing pollution is moving forward in the Legislature…

Animan a jardineros a plantar flores aptas para abejas que florecen en sucesi�n para sustentar a los insectos durante toda la temporada. (David Bryant/California Native Plant Society)

“Bee” Happy – ¡Es la semana de los polinizadores!

PISMO BEACH, Calif. -- Es la Semana de los Polinizadores, un evento anual diseñado para llamar la atención sobre la difícil situaci…

Conservation groups have launched a campaign to stop nurseries from selling pollinator-friendly plants such as milkweed that have been grown with harmful pesticides. (Pixabay)

Nurseries, Spring Gardeners Invited to Help Save Bees, Butterflies

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- As the spring gardening season gets into full swing, groups fighting to save bees and other pollinators are asking nurseries …

The Market Match program doubles CalFresh dollars that recipients can spend at farmers' markets, which benefits the farmers as well as the shoppers. (Ecology Center)

Groups Want More Funding for CA Farmers' Market Program

BERKELEY, Calif. - As budget negotiations continue in Sacramento, hunger-fighting advocates are asking state lawmakers to put $20 million toward a …

Bernadette Zambrano saves seeds for Sogorea Te' Land Trust, a group based in Oakland that works to return lands to indigenous peoples. (Ines Ixierda)

New "Faithlands" Toolkit Helps Religious Groups Put Land to Good Use

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Religious groups often own large properties but don't have the expertise to make them work for the community. Now, an online tool …

The Market Match program gives people who qualify for food assistance an extra $10 to spend at farmer's markets.(SEE-LA)

Pandemic Spurs Efforts to Promote "Food Justice" in California

LOS ANGELES -- The fight against "food apartheid" in California got a boost this week as the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted to create a…

Advocates of changing the way biofuels are made say current standards encourage rampant deforestation in places like Argentina, where farmers are clearing land illegally to grow soybeans. (Jim Wickens/Ecostorm)

New Biofuels Bill Aims to Protect Water, Wildlife and Climate

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Conservation groups are speaking out in favor of a new bill in Congress on biofuels, to reform the nation's renewable …

Roundup is the most common pesticide in the world. Some studies have linked it to cancer, while many others have declared it safe. (Chris Thomas)

Hearings This Week on Landmark Case Against Pesticide

SAN FRANCISCO – A landmark …

Multiple oil refineries on the California coast contribute to the state's persistent air-quality problems. (Thomas Hawk)

How Will California Clean its Air?

LOS ANGELES - Southern California has long been plagued with dirty air - so dirty that clean-air advocates claim the entire South Coast basin has neve…

Nurses have a front-seat view of climate disruption and its associated increases in extreme weather events such as droughts, floods and prolonged heat waves. (Nat).

Nurses Cite Diseases Connected to Calif.'s Warming

LOS ANGELES - You might not think of nurses as being concerned with the effects of climate change. But it turns out they see its impact every day…

Muir Woods National Monument near San Francisco is one of the many federally-managed public lands in California. (Nicolas Raymond)

Californians Closely Watch Trump's Pick for Interior Secretary

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – During yesterday's confirmation hearing, Congressman Ryan Zinke, President-elect Donald Trump's pick to run the Interior …

A new California law makes it state policy to promote greenhouse gas reduction in open space and agricultural lands. (Harold E. Malde/The Nature Conservancy)

Conservation Groups Celebrate Signing of New California Climate-Change Bill

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Climate-change groups are applauding a new bill, just signed by Governor Jerry Brown, that would make it state policy to …

Workers from Taylor Farms, a supplier for Chipotle, protested Thursday at two of the chain's California restaurants. (Teamsters Joint Council 7)

Workers Picket Two Calif. Eateries Over Choice of Produce Supplier

SACRAMENTO - Adding to Chipotle's woes, workers from one of its suppliers protested at two California restaurant locations on Thursday, alleging food …

The California state Senate will consider a bill regulating certain pesticides that are linked to widespread bee deaths. (Pesticide Action Network of North America)

Bill Introduced in CA Senate to Protect Bees from Toxic Pesticides

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - A new bill aims to slow the collapse of bee colonies by making certain pesticides available only to trained professionals and by …

California's new law regulating medical marijuana takes effect Friday, professionalizing the industry in the state.(growweedeasy/morguefile)

Medical Marijuana Grows Up in California

LOS ANGELES - California's medical marijuana industry is growing up fast, so to speak, because a new law professionalizing the growth, sale and …

PHOTO: Rice growing in a field. The California Air Resources Board is considering the state's first agricultural protocol for the cap and trade program. It would allow rice farmers to generate offsets to sell in California�s carbon market, providing a new source of revenue for growers while contributing to the state�s clean-air goals. Photo credit: Matthew Grimm, Environmental Defense Fund.

CA Proposes First Crop-Based Program for State's Carbon Market

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Rice farming in California is entering a new era. The Air Resources Board is considering a proposal to allow rice farmers to …

PHOTO: The Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) is a voluntary conservation effort that encourages farmers to address resource concerns in new and innovative ways. Those farmers whose contracts are up this year must renew by Sept. 12 to continue with the program. Photo courtesy of U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Conservation Stewardship Program Deadline Approaches

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Time is running out for some California farmers who want to continue receiving federal assistance to improve soil, water…

PHOTO: A hidden-camera investigation by the Los Angeles-based animal rights organization Mercy For Animals, shows a goat being grabbed by the neck at the Ontario Livestock Sales auction house in 2012. The auction house owner has pleaded no contest to violating California�s criminal animal cruelty laws. Photo credit: Mercy For Animals

Animal Cruelty No Contest Plea from CA Livestock Auction Owner

SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. - The owner of a Southern California livestock auction house is facing probation and fines after pleading no contest to animal …

Photo: Local California farmers say proposed new rules under the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA's) Food Safety Modernization Act may come down unfairly on sustainable and organic producers and on farmers who sell locally through farmers� markets, Community Supported Agriculture (CSAs), and farm stands. Photo credit: Full Belly Farm

Local Farmers Worry About New Produce Rules

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Some California farmers are voicing concerns over the FDA's proposed implementation of the Food Safety Modernization Act…

PHOTO: Families tending to garden. The Family HealthCare Network's Woodlake facility now includes a community garden that's bringing the community together to address health, promote nutrition and increase physical activity. Photo Courtesy: Family HealthCare Network

Health Center Takes Medicine Outside

TULARE COUNTY, Calif. – A Central Valley community health center is taking its medicine outside. When the Family HealthCare Network expanded …

PHOTO: Sows lined up in crates. An undercover HSUS investigation in spring 2012 revealed cruelty and unsanitary conditions at a Wyoming pig breeding facility owned by a pork supplier. Courtesy of HSUS.<br />

Issues in Farm Bill Have the Attention of Animal Advocates

LOS ANGELES - Animal-rights advocates are perched on the edges of their seats as members of the U.S. House and Senate evaluate legislation to replace …

Trabajadores agrícolas de CA buscan protección contra pesticidas

WASHINGTON - Este lunes, más de una docena de trabajadores del campo de California y de todo el país se dan cita en Washington D.C…

PHOTO: Congress gets to work on a new farm bill on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week that may include funding to restart the National Organic Certification Cost Share Program. The program helps California farmers pay for their annual certification costs. Photo credit: Sarah Hackney.

California Farmers Rely on Organic Boost

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - California farmers are asking Congress for an organic "boost." Last year's national Farm Bill extension failed to include …

PHOTO: Vegetable and flowers grown on Soil Sisters Farm in Nevada City, CA. The farm benefits from sustainable agriculture programs that Congress left out of the short-term extension of the farm bill.

Farmers Plant the Seed for Sustainable Ag in DC

A group of independent family farmers from California and other states is urging Congress to restore funding for sustainable agriculture and pass a ne…

PHOTO: Even cows in the San Joaquin Valley could benefit from safer drinking water, under new rules to reduce the amounts of fertilizer and other chemicals in the water supply.

New Year Brings Safer Drinking Water to CA Farm Country

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Some Central Valley residents are beginning the new year with something many take for granted - safe drinking water. For the …

PHOTO: Members of the Community Alliance with Family Farmers prepare boxes of fresh food for local schools. Courtesy of CAFF.

"Tasting Kits" for Local Schools from Local Farmers

DAVIS, Calif. - Connecting small farmers to their local schools to provide healthy food for low-income kids is an idea whose time has come. The …

PHOTO: Mien growers learning about sustainable strawberry production in a program that's at risk of losing funding if Congress doesn't act on a farm bill soon. Photo credit: NCAT

Minority Farm Program at Risk

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - California's immigrant and minority farmers may be losing access to an innovative program that helps train them to become …

Photo: Three generations of Burroughs family farmers

Farmers Getting Support to Adapt to Climate Changes

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - California farmers trying to adapt to climate change are getting some support. Governor Jerry Brown has signed two bills that …

Strawberry Pesticide Abruptly Pulled from Market

It's the end of the line for methyl iodide. The maker of the controversial strawberry pesticide is pulling out of California and the rest of the U.S…

Report: Nitrate from Fertilizer Polluting Drinking Water in Ag Regions

DAVIS, Calif. - Much of the groundwater used for drinking in California's two leading agricultural regions contains unsafe levels of nitrate from …

FDA Poised to Take Stand on Antibiotic Limits

With increasing attention being paid to not only what we eat, but where our food comes from, the U.S. Food And Drug Administration (FDA) is …

Report: “Generation E” Emerges on College Campuses in CA

BERKELEY, Calif. - There have been Baby Boomers, Generation X, and now there's Generation E, where the "E" ties into ecology, clean-energy economics …

A Plan To Rescue The Pacific Ocean By 2020

On this first "World Oceans Day," a group of scientists has released a report with an ambitious goal - to rescue the Pacific Ocean by the year 2020…

Swine Flu: Some Point to Factory Farms as Super Incubators for Virus

There are many unanswered questions relating to the outbreak of swine flu, mainly 'Where did it start?' and 'How is the virus spreading?' Some …

CA Farmers: Sustainable Agriculture "Growing" In Popularity

Sustainable agriculture is catching on in California. No longer an unfamiliar phrase to many people, sustainable farming practices are becoming more …

“Green” Wine Anyone?

Sacramento, CA - Some grapes are green, so why not some wines? Californians wanting a "greener" bottle of wine will soon be able to look for a seal …

CA Farmers Putting the “Earth” In Earth Day

As Earth Day nears, more and more Californians are looking for ways to protect the environment. California growers are responding to that demand by …

Farm Bill: Hard For Californians To Digest?

California's two senators will have a chance to reveal exactly where they stand on the renewal of the U.S. Farm Bill, which is expected to be taken …

Preventing E. Coli Poisoning: A Farmer’s Challenge

Paso Robles, CA - Since last summer's E. coli spinach scare, California farmers have been scrambling to find a way to balance environmentally …

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CA: Sustainable Agriculture and Farming