Legislation signed recently by Governor Jerry Brown will provide the necessary funding to support enforcement of ensuring that produce sold at certified farmers’ markets is produced in California. AB 1871 is considered by the California Alliance of Farmers’ Markets as the most significant piece of legislation to affect farmers markets since the 70’s.
San Joaquin Agriculture Commissioner Tim Pelican is working closely with the California Department of Food Agriculture (CDFA) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) after the discovery of Asian citrus psyllids in San Joaquin County. The psyllids were found in residential neighborhoods in Manteca and Lodi, but due to the close proximity of agriculture in the area, the detections raise serious concerns about the possibility that the pests can spread to those areas.
The Center for Investigative Reporting (CIR) is expected to release a report in the next week or two discussing how California regulates fumigants and other critical crop protection tools. CIR has interviewed many stakeholders for this report ranging from farmers to organizations that want the state to ban or further limit fumigants and other essential pesticides.
