Monthly Archives: March 2021

By CDFA Secretary Karen Ross As we celebrate International Women’s Day today I’d like to recognize and thank the women in food and agriculture who work diligently and heroically to produce nutritious food, fiber and flora throughout the value chain. Women have always been a core part of food and agriculture and we are seeing that in the data we …

Did you know the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) State Organic Program (SOP) collaborates with CDFA’s Border Protection Stations to inspect organic products coming into California? SOP and border station staff recently inspected organic blueberries and organic seeds entering California at the Needles Border Inspection Station. The organic inspection included verifying proper paperwork and checking that packages follow …

By Miriam Jordan The sun-baked desert valley tucked behind the San Jacinto Mountains is best known for an annual music festival that draws 100,000 fans a day and a series of lush, oasis resort towns where well-heeled snowbirds go to golf, sunbathe and party. But just beyond the turquoise swimming pools of Palm Springs, more than 10,000 farmworkers harvest some …

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 compared to the previous year. California agricultural exports totaled $21.7 billion, an increase of 3 percent from 2018.  Top commodities for export included almonds, pistachios, dairy and dairy products, wine and walnuts. California’s agricultural …

By Kristin Macey. CDFA Director of Measurement Standards The year 2020 began on a hopeful note – as all new years do. Very soon, however, it transformed into the year that introduced a “new normal” to the world as we know it. That’s why this year’s theme for the U.S. National Weights and Measures Week (March 1 – 7, 2021) …