Agriculture Programs

The Shasta County Department of Agriculture provides regulatory services to the apiary industry, helping to safeguard the health of the hives and the vitality of beekeeping in our county.

We also act as liaison between beekeepers and other members of the community.

Beneficial Insects

The Shasta County Department of Agriculture assists the State in the fight against noxious weeds by releasing insects that feed exclusively on those plants.

Certified Farmers' Markets

Shasta County is home to several Certified Farmers' Markets (CFM's) which operate seasonally. CFM's exempt farmers from many packing, sizing, and labeling requirements set by California regulation; providing a flexible marketing alternative without disrupting other produce marketing systems. When you visit a Certified Farmers market, you are assured that the products you purchase are direct from the farmer who produced them.

In order to ensure compliance with direct marketing regulation, the Shasta County Department of Agriculture:

Front Cover of the 2022 Crop & Livestock Report

Crop Statistics What is the Crop Report:

FAC § 2279. The commissioner shall compile reports of the condition, acreage, production, and value of the agricultural products in his county. The commissioner may publish such reports and shall transmit a copy of them to the director.
(Enacted by Stats. 1967, Ch. 15.)

Nursery/Phyto

Shasta County Department of Agriculture works in close cooperation with local production, wholesale, and retail nurseries to maintain the high standards synonymous with California nursery stock. Inspections are performed on a regular basis to assure Shasta County nursery stock is commercially clean of pests, weeds, and diseases.

Organic

Every person engaged in this state in the production or handling of raw agricultural products sold as Organic, shall register with the secretary before the first sale of the product. The County Agriculture Commissioner is no longer involved with the the registration process. All processors of organic agriculturally derived products that are not required to be registered as outlined in subdivision (b) (see below) shall register with the secretary.

Gypsy Moth green insect trap mounted on tree

Pest Detection

Despite regulations and best practices to keep them out, non-native insects sometimes invade California. The Shasta County Department of Agriculture conducts a comprehensive program to detect pests that may have inadvertently entered our county. Our goal is to identify and eliminate foreign pest populations before they become established.

Pest Exclusion

The Shasta County Department of Agriculture protects our local agricultural industry and environment from invasion by exotic pests by maintaining an extensive Pest Exclusion Program as a first line of defense. Despite rigorous regulations and best practices, non-native insects, weeds and plant pathogens are regularly transported into California. Exotic pests may flourish in new environments if imported without their natural enemies.

Pesticide Regulation

The Shasta County Department of Agriculture protects human health and the environment by regulating pesticide sales and use, and by supporting integrated pest management and best practices. We work closely with the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (CDPR) and the Structural Pest Control Board (SPCB) to enforce state laws and regulations pertaining to pesticide use, sales, licensing, worker protection safety, and pesticide use reporting.

Seed Inspection

The Shasta County Department of Agriculture enforces California Seed Law, protecting vegetable and field crop growers, as well as urban landscapers. Inspections are regularly performed at feed stores, nurseries, sod farms and garden centers to assure seed purity, germination, and labeling compliance. Poor quality seeds can cost farmers and home gardeners alike considerable amounts of time, money, and resources through reduced yields, poor crop quality, and contamination by weeds or other unwanted species.

Sudden Oak Death

Sudden Oak Death (SOD) was first observed in trees along the north coast of California in 1995. Many Oaks were rapidly dying with no identifiable cause. It was not until 2000 that University of California researchers were able to isolate Phytophora ramorum, a previously unidentified fungal-like pathogen, as the causal agent. Since then, many species of plants have been found to harbor P.ramorum, each with its own set of symptoms and levels of mortality. Associated hosts, which do not die of P.ramorum but may spread the disease, are also regulated.

Weed Eradication Certified Weed Free Forage Information

Some invasive foreign weeds have been singled-out by California as being exceptionally detrimental to agriculture and wildlands (see California's Pest Rating System). The Shasta County Weed Eradication Program is responsible for identifying these noxious weed populations and assuring that those populations are eliminated.

Shasta County Agriculture at its finest!