Some plants thrive even in dry years, while others need wet years to really blossom. It’s no surprise, then, that this year the University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) Fresno office has received several inquiries about potentially toxic plants and how to deal with them. Even if these species have always been present in the seed bank or on neighboring …

Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a settlement with Hilmar Cheese Company Inc. for Safe Drinking Water Act violations at its facility in Hilmar, California, located in the San Joaquin Valley. The company will pay a $92,000 penalty for findings of permit violations related to the Underground Injection Control Program. “Facilities that include underground injection in their operations …

The dairy checkoff marked its 13th year of impact through Fuel Up to Play 60 – a school wellness program in partnership with the NFL – while preparing an evolved strategy that will bring more partners together to support dairy’s role in youth wellness and improve education of the contributions of America’s dairy farmers. Beginning this school year, the checkoff …

The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) today recognizes 25 dairy business operations for their outstanding achievements and improvements in worker safety in 2022 with the IDFA Dairy Industry Safety Recognition Award. This is the 20th year that IDFA has sponsored this program, highlighting the outstanding workplace safety achievements of U.S. dairy companies. “The dairy industry continues to demonstrate that the safety of …

CDFA’s Office of Environmental Farming and Innovation is currently accepting grant applications from commercial dairies and livestock operations, with available awards totaling more than $32 million for manure management projects. Individual grant applicants can receive up to $2.85 million in awards per project. The awards would fund the installation of equipment and implementation of practices that result in long-term methane …

The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) has announced that 30 emerging leaders of the dairy industry have been accepted into the fifth cohort of the NextGen Leadership Program, a signature program of IDFA’s People Strategy. The group of emerging leaders was selected based on their experience and scope of responsibility within their organizations. They have been identified by their nominating …

North American Intercollegiate Dairy Challenge® (NAIDC) recently elected new leadership, including three new board members and Executive Committee. As described in the NAIDC mission statement, the board focus is to “Develop tomorrow’s dairy leaders and enhance the progress of the dairy industry, by providing education, communication and networking among students, producers, and agribusiness and university personnel.” In the 21-year history …

The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF), U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC), and Italian Dairy Association (Assolatte) signed an agreement today that increases collaboration between the three groups as they promote the nutritional benefits of dairy products and support dairy-friendly policies in international forums. The memorandum of understanding (MOU) organizes a set of objectives centered around ensuring the accurate and exclusive …

The Department of Water Resources (DWR) has announced the successful conclusion of LandFlex Phase 2, providing $16,775,162 in grants to support grower contracts within various Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs) for the protection of rural at-risk water systems and advancements in groundwater sustainability. The awarded funds will be allocated to three GSAs as follows: Lower Tule Irrigation District GSA: Grant award …

Malaysia was the 26th-largest export destination for U.S. agricultural products in 2022, totaling nearly $1.1 billion in value, and is a top prospect for exports of food and beverage ingredients because of its large and growing food processing industry. Food and beverages manufactured in Malaysia not only serve domestic consumers but are also exported to many neighboring countries. U.S. exports …