A California Archive Project Provides Access to Historic Ag & Community Records
California is the nation’s number one agricultural producer; more than 400 commodities are grown in the Golden State. Per the California Department of Food and Agriculture website, “…Over a third of the …
News Wrap: California Climate Assessment; a Lesson in Farm Labor History and more
Hi! I’m back after a sabbatical and a summer well spent with family, friends, writing and such. I’ll be producing two blogs a week, generally on Mondays and later in …
Food and Ag News You May Have Missed
Pour yourself a cup of something warm. Settle into a comfortable chair, and enjoy some of these recent food and farming stories you may have missed: A Salute to Irish …
Farm Labor, Braceros and Trump
As California farmers plan crops for this year, there are serious questions about whether there will be enough workers to plant and harvest them. President Trump’s immigration plan is having …
Guest Post: Dr. Mario Sifuentez on Teaching About Food System
A few months ago, I was asked to write a blog post for the Organization of American Historians blog – Process – about my experience teaching a class I call the “History …
Two Climate Experts Tell Us What 2017 Might Hold for California
Just before the holiday rush, I had an opportunity to speak with two leading voices on climate change. As we look ahead to 2017, what they had to say about …
Mario Sifuentez on Mexican Labor in Pacific Northwest
I first met Mario Sifuentez at a meeting at UC Merced a few years ago. We were part of a UC Merced/UC Agriculture and Natural Resources team framing a digital …
UC’s Global Food Initiative: providing bold solutions to big problems
University of California President Janet Napolitano launched the UC Global Food Initiative in 2014 to address one of the most compelling issues of our time: how to sustainably and nutritiously feed a world population …
Local Foods and Urban-Rural Divide
The recent resurgence in local foods is a trend that we’ve been watching closely at UC Food Observer. Over the last year, we’ve spoken with farmers, food activists, journalists, professors …
Improving access to farmers markets, giving food workers a seat at the table and more
Good morning. We hope you had a terrific weekend. On the menu today, in no particular order. In Flint, Michigan, moving the farmers market drew more poor shoppers. Flint, …