Food and Farm News

Draft plan looks at groundwater law
Step by step, state and local agencies are beginning to implement new groundwater laws. The state Department of Water Resources has released a "draft strategic plan" that outlines its role in working with local agencies to manage groundwater. The department will accept comments on its draft plan until June 1. Farm organizations say the plan and the new laws will have far-reaching implications for water supplies.

Agriculture Day event to be held
"Breaking New Ground" will be the theme of California Agriculture Day festivities, to be held Wednesday at the state Capitol in Sacramento. The event on the Capitol grounds will feature farm animals, educational displays and entertainment. The state Department of Food and Agriculture says this year's event will also focus on the importance of soil health. Other events around the state will also celebrate National Agriculture Week.

Report: Family farms dominate U.S. agriculture
Family ownership remains "at the core" of U.S. agriculture, according to a report released Tuesday. The report says 97 percent of the nation's farms are family-owned, and nearly 90 percent qualify as "small family farms." Much of the nation's agricultural production comes from larger-scale, family-owned farms. The U.S. Department of Agriculture analyzed data from the most recent Census of Agriculture to arrive at the figures.

Farm trade official to hold California meeting
The importance of agricultural trade will be the topic of a meeting in Stockton this week. A U.S. Department of Agriculture trade official will meet Thursday with local representatives to solidify support for two pending trade agreements--one with Asian countries and one with Europe. California leads the nation in agricultural exports. The USDA says the past six years have been the strongest in history for agricultural trade.