Monthly Archives: September 2020

By CDFA Secretary Karen Ross I am saddened by the recent loss of John Anderson, DVM, farmer, scientist and environmentalist, who passed away on August 19, 2020. It seems quite fitting to pay tribute to him during this week of highlighting California’s amazing biodiversity. John was a leader in demonstrating the positive impact of hedgerows in enhancing biodiversity, which in …

Governor Gavin Newsom has released his latest “On the Record” column encouraging Californians to get counted in the 2020 Census by September 30. The column is part of a media collaboration with California Black Media, Ethnic Media Services, ImpreMedia, Univision and LGBTQ outlets Bay Area Reporter and Los Angeles Blade to contribute original content from the Governor on important topics impacting …

Recent heat waves have caused California’s energy grid to take a beating, which forced the California Independent System Operator, the entity that operates the state’s power grid, to institute rolling blackouts. How do California’s farmers and ranchers deal with energy uncertainty during times like this, when the intense heat demands an increase in irrigation? For many years, they have been …

In 2019, California’s farms and ranches received more than $50 billion in cash receipts for their output. This represents a slight increase over reported cash receipts for 2018. California’s agricultural abundance includes more than 400 commodities. Over a third of the country’s vegetables and two-thirds of the country’s fruits and nuts are grown in California. California is the leading US …

As Californians, we’re lucky to live in a state that grows an abundance and variety of fresh fruits and vegetables – more than 300 different crops! Many of us are fortunate enough to be able to take advantage of this seasonal bounty by visiting our local farmers’ markets. Thankfully, there are programs that make it easier for everyone to access fresh fruits and veggies straight from the markets – including low-income older adults.   Each year, from May through September, …

USDA News Release California agricultural operations have been significantly impacted by the wildfires, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has technical and financial assistance available to help farmers and livestock producers recover. As agricultural producers move into recovery mode and assess damages, they should contact their local USDA Service Center to report losses and learn more about program options …

From a USDA News Release U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will extend several flexibilities through as late as December 31, 2020. The flexibilities allow summer meal program operators to continue serving free meals to all children into the fall months. This unprecedented move will help ensure – no matter what the situation …

As wildfires continue to burn in California, local fairgrounds are fulfilling their mission to offer resources during times of crisis by providing shelter for people and animals as well as base camp facilities for firefighters. The fairs that have provided assistance are – Santa Cruz, Sonoma-Marin, Napa, Alameda, Salinas Valley, Sonoma County, Plumas-Sierra, Tehama, Modoc, Lassen, Los Angeles, Solano, Glenn, …

From a National Association of State Departments of Agriculture news release At the virtual annual meeting of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) today, top employees of three state departments of agriculture were honored for their service and achievements, including California State Veterinarian Dr. Annette Jones, who received the James A. Graham Award in recognition of an …