Agriculture, Weights & Measures

If you've ever been to a farmers’ market, checked out at a grocery store, pumped gas, or wondered if your produce was organic, then you've benefitted from AWM. 

As part of the County’s Land Use & Environment Group, we're here to serve you.

What AWM does for you: 

• Ensures pesticides are used safely and investigates related illness.
• Prevents the spread of pests that harm agriculture and the environment. 
• Promotes the use of natural pest controls. 
• Verifies produce that is marked as organic.
• Ensures vendors at farmers' markets grow what they sell.  
• Verifies that commercial weighing and measuring devices and price scanners are accurate. 
• Protects people from injury and disease caused by wildlife.   
  
  

Announcements

• Valley Center HLB Citrus Quarantine Grower Meetings (April 10 and 11)
  • Citrus growers in or near the Valley Center HLB quarantine are invited to attend a meeting to learn more about the pest and disease, as well as quarantine requirements and compliance agreements: 
    
    
    • When: Thursday and Friday, April 10 and 11, at 3 p.m. 
    • Where: North Coast Church Pauma Valley
      32077 Community Church Dr.
      Pauma Valley, CA 92061.
       
• Citrus Quarantine Expanded in Valley Center (March 2025)
  • The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) has confirmed detections of the citrus disease Huanglongbing (HLB) in two trees in two residential properties in Valley Center on March 26, 2025. This detection will expand the existing Valley Center quarantine boundaries further into Pala and Pauma Valley, in addition to ongoing quarantines in Fallbrook, Rancho Bernardo, and Oceanside. 
    
    
    • Call the CDFA hotline at (800) 491-1899 to report suspicious pests or HLB disease symptoms.
    • View this interacive quarantine boundaries map.
    • Visit CitrusInsider.org to learn more.
       
• SprayDays California Pesticide Notifcation System Launches March 24, 2025
  • On March 24, SprayDays California launched statewide. The first-of-its-kind system provides info about specific pesticide applications used on farms before they happen. To learn more, visit CDPR's website or check out the following resources: 
    • Tutorial video (en Español)
    • General factsheet (Español | Tagalog)
    • Factsheet for growers and applicators (en Español)
       
• Pesticide Container Recycling Event
  • AWM's Pesticide Regulation Program is hosting a free Pesticide Container Recycling Event on Saturday, March 22. Please see this flyer (Español) to learn more.
    
    
• Climate Extremes Relief Funding
  • The Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF) is receiving applications for the California Underserved and Small Producer (CUSP) Extreme Weather program from March 1-April 1, 2025. Grants for farmers are up to $20,000 and are reimbursement-based, meaning the funds can cover costs that have already been spent during a disaster or extreme weather event.
    
    
    • Learn more about eligibility criteria, application timeline, and FAQ's: caff.org/cusp-extremeweather/.
    • To apply, make an account through CAFF's grant management software: grantinterface.com/Home/Logon?urlkey=caff. 
      
      
• New Information for Snail Compliance Agreements
  • The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) updated its Snail Free Master Permit (SFMP) Program compliance agreements. Please see the advisory to learn more.

• CDPR: 97% of Fruits and Vegetables Tested in California are Free of Illegal Pesticide Residues
  
  
• US EPA Update on Dacthal Herbicide Health Risks
  • On April 1, 2024, the US EPA announced new regulatory action on the herbicide Dacthal due to its significant risks to human health. No Dacthal use has been reported in San Diego County since 2021. To learn more, please read CDPR's notice or contact cdprweb@cdpr.ca.gov.
    
    
• Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in Dairy Cows
  • The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) has confirmed the positive detection of HPAI in multiple dairies in Central California. With HPAI detected in other dairies throughout the U.S., AWM has been engaged with CDFA as well as local farms and ranches, veterinarians, and other agencies to develop response plans and monitor for HPAI in poultry and livestock in the region. Learn more and stay up to date on CDFA's HPAI webpage.
    

• Compliance Agreement for Growers who Export Nursery Products to Canada or Mexico
  
  
• Desert Knapweed (Volutaria) Information and IPC Website
  
  
• Nursery License Renewal Late Fees

Private Applicator Certification Exam: Schedule Online

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