Details

Written by: U.S. Department of Agriculture

Published: 08 October 2021

Created: 08 October 2021

Last Updated: 08 October 2021

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced a request for applications, or RFA, for the new Pandemic Response and Safety, or PRS, Grant program and encourages eligible entities to apply now for funds.

Applications must be submitted electronically through the grant portal at https://usda-prs.grantsolutions.gov/usda by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on Monday, Nov. 22, 2021.

Approximately $650 million in funding is available for the PRS grants, which are funded by the Pandemic Assistance provided in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021.

The PRS Grant program will assist small businesses in certain commodity areas, including specialty crop producers, shellfish farming, finfish farming, aquaculture, and apiculture; specialty crop, meat, and other processors; distributors; and farmers markets.

Small businesses and nonprofits in these industries can apply for a grant to cover COVID-related expenses such as workplace safety measures (e.g., personal protective equipment (PPE), retrofitting facilities for worker and consumer safety, shifting to online sales platforms, transportation, worker housing, and medical costs. The minimum funding request is $1,500 and the maximum funding request is $20,000.

The RFA and the PRS Grant Portal provide more details about eligibility for the grant. Eligible entities are required to obtain a free DUNS Number from Dun & Bradstreet (D&B) before applying for this program. USDA has created a custom PRS DUNS number portal at https://support.dnb.com/?CUST=PandemicResponse.

Application resources, including frequently asked questions, tip sheets in English and Spanish on applying for a DUNS Number, videos on “How to Apply” and more, are available on the PRS Grant Portal.

For more information, you can also reach out to the PRS help desk, Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-9 p.m. ET at 301-238-5550 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Details

Written by: Editor

Published: 07 October 2021

Created: 07 October 2021

Last Updated: 07 October 2021

State Assembly member Cecilia Aguiar-Curry (D-Winters) announced Wednesday the governor’s signing of her comprehensive legislation to legalize and regulate hemp cannabinoids, or CBD, in California.

That legislation, Assembly Bill 45, allows CBD derived from hemp to be produced and sold in the state once it meets rigorous testing and regulatory requirements, established in the bill.

An urgency measure that received bipartisan support in the Legislature, AB 45 goes into effect immediately.

Hemp is not marijuana. While both hemp and marijuana are members of the cannabis family, they are uniquely distinctive plants.

Hemp-derived CBD does not produce a “high” because CBD derived from hemp contains only trace amounts — less than 0.3% — of THC, the psychoactive component in marijuana products.

AB 45 caps the amount of THC in any hemp product at that 0.3% level, guaranteeing the product will not be intoxicating.

Consumers in California have been seeking out hemp-derived CBD because it can provide relief from pain, inflammation, anxiety, insomnia and other conditions.

Many people have been purchasing hemp-derived CBD products over the internet, and at their local natural foods shops, fitness centers and health stores for some time, without the knowledge that these products are illegal and unregulated.

In fact, seniors are a significant portion of the people choosing to use hemp CBD, because they do not want to visit a marijuana dispensary.

“California consumers have been unwittingly purchasing unregulated hemp CBD products for far too long,” said Aguiar-Curry. “AB 45 puts in place a rigorous system for testing and labeling hemp CBD so that we can be sure these products are safe in our state. I want to thank Gov. Newsom for his partnership in helping develop this legislation, and the economic and health benefits that will result.”

State Sen. Ben Allen (D-Santa Monica) partnered with Aguiar-Curry in this effort, carrying companion legislation in the State Senate this year.

“With this bill we were looking to lessen the bureaucratic barriers that prevent cannabis licensees from creating products that can treat debilitating medical conditions like epilepsy, anxiety, and chronic pain,” said Allen. “Now, with AB 45, many promising hemp-derived CBD products are a step closer to reaching the Californians who really need them.”

Aguiar-Curry worked closely with representatives of the hemp industry in crafting the legislation to ensure its workability for growers and CBD producers while putting in place stringent regulatory authority to ensure the hemp CBD products Californians consume is clearly labeled and non-intoxicating.

“The hemp community owes Asm. Aguiar-Curry a deep debt of gratitude for her extraordinary leadership during our three year battle to ensure that hemp products such as CBD could be legally sold in California,” said Jonathan Miller, general counsel to the US Hemp Roundtable, a sponsor of the legislation. “AB 45 will make a meaningful difference in the lives of hemp farmers, small businesses and product consumers, and its passage would not have been possible without Asm. Aguiar-Curry’s passionate persistence.”

“We cannot thank the author enough for her tireless and unparalleled work to get comprehensive hemp regulations passed. Assembly member Aguiar-Curry has been steadfast in her approach to create a level playing field between cannabis and hemp while protecting the health and safety of all Californians,” said Lindsay Robinson, executive director of the California Cannabis Industry Association. “AB 45 establishes a long overdue, comprehensive framework for the manufacture and sale of hemp products in California, but our work is not over. We look forward to working with the author on future legislation to establish a pathway for the incorporation of hemp into the cannabis supply chain.”

“This is an opportunity for California to make it easier for its people to access a non-intoxicating alternative product they want, and for farmers to establish themselves in a fast-growing industry,” Aguiar-Curry said. “As a farmer myself, I’m excited we can provide this opportunity for California farmers, manufacturers and retailers to benefit from a booming global market for food and topical CBD products. It’s a victory on so many levels, three years in the making.”

Aguiar-Curry represents the Fourth Assembly District, which includes all of Lake and Napa Counties, parts of Colusa, Solano and Sonoma counties, and all of Yolo County except West Sacramento.

Details

Written by: Editor

Published: 06 October 2021

Created: 06 October 2021

Last Updated: 06 October 2021

Assembly Bill 535, written by Assembly member Cecilia Aguiar-Curry (D-Winters), was signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom. AB 535 establishes clear guidelines for how companies from the olive oil industry can use the term “California” by requiring companies in their product labeling and marketing to disclose the minimum percentage of California olives on the front of the container in the same font and size as the term “California.” 

This measure will protect consumers and farmers by providing clear information about the source of the olives and olive oils in the products they buy.

“California has the best agricultural products, and the highest environmental and labor standards, in the world. Consumers look for California-grown foods because they associate California with quality. Allowing companies to trick consumers into thinking they’re buying a California product because they slap ‘California’ on their package undercuts everything we’re trying to accomplish as a State,” said Aguiar-Curry.

“Assembly member Aguiar-Curry has done California’s farmers a huge service by bringing the critical issue of truth in labeling to the forefront,” said McEvoy Ranch President Samantha Dorsey. While the passage of AB 535 will directly benefit California’s olive farmers, it also indirectly benefits any farmer growing and selling crops in the Golden State. McEvoy Ranch is celebrating the passage of this bill and will continue to hold open discussions with our customers to ensure that they understand the true value of California grown and produced olive oil.”

“We are pleased to see the Governor sign this bill and take a stand to defend California olive oil,” said the Tribal Council of the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation. “Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation takes pride in our 100% California olive oil brand, Séka Hills, made with olives grown and milled in the Capay Valley in Yolo County. This legislation will help customers distinguish our premium products from products that are made with olives grown outside of California. This is good for California farmers, this is good for consumers, and we thank Assembly member Cecilia Aguiar-Curry for her continued efforts to protect California agriculture.”

California has had a thriving olive oil industry since the mid-19th century. The state produces approximately 4% of the world’s olive oil from over 75 varieties of olives.

Due to California’s well-established reputation for producing high-quality olive oils, the demand for California olive oil is steadily increasing.

Because of this spike in demand, there has been an increase in branding of olive oil with the term “California” or a California regional designation when the product on shelves is actually blended using oils sourced from other regions of the world, including Spain, North Africa and Argentina. Such blends have been found to contain as little as 14% of Californian olive oil.

As a result, a bottle of olive oil may be advertised and branded as “California” or a specific California region, but actually come from other countries. This has led to consumer confusion, and places California olive farmers and oil producers at a competitive disadvantage.

By establishing stronger guidelines for how olive oil producers follow in their branding, labeling, packaging, and advertising, AB 535 provides consumers with clear information about what they are purchasing.

AB 535 does not restrict blending oils from different sources and destinations, but it makes clear through establishing standards that when “California” is used, the disclosure label will tell the truth. This bill strengthens the integrity of the world renowned California olive oil brand.

Aguiar-Curry added, “This bill will ensure that consumers know exactly what they are buying, and it will help to support our local farmers who are producing world class oils from olives grown here in our California. These companies have made a lot of money by confusing consumers. But, their moment of making a profit off our state is coming to an end.”

AB 535 builds upon previous legislation from Sen. Wolk in 2014, who created the California Olive Oil Commission to distinguish the purity of California olive oil from imported alleged to contain counterfeit ingredients, and thereby penetrate the U.S. market.

The California Olive Oil Commission has found several brands of California olive oil which are currently misleading the public by using a California or regional name on their labels that deceptively imply olive oil grown in California is contained within the product.

Aguiar-Curry represents the Fourth Assembly District, which includes all of Lake and Napa Counties, parts of Colusa, Solano and Sonoma Counties, and all of Yolo County except West Sacramento.