Monthly Archives: June 2024

As Pride Month nears an end, CDFA presents Q&A with Siobhan Reid, a five-year employee with the agency’s IT service desk. Siobhan discusses some of the dynamics of gender transition in the workplace as well as personally.  How long has your journey been? Where are you in your transition? I am four years into the rest of my life! Like …

The United Nations has declared 2026 as the International Year of the Woman Farmer, and the USDA hosted an event today in Washington DC to promote the announcement. CDFA is excited to celebrate the announcement and highlight the pioneering roles that both Secretary Ann Veneman and Secretary Karen Ross have had in leading the agency. Both women have also served at the …

A cohort of current and future leaders selected from CDFA’s nine divisions recently completed the agency’s Executive Leadership Academy training course. The course, offered in partnership with UC Davis, consists of six seminars over a six-month period which support our employees’ development both personally and professionally. Topics covered include high-priority leadership competencies and include assessments to support self-awareness and growth.   CDFA’s objectives in …

This week a delegation of California organic companies traveled to Guadalajara and Mexico City to meet with foreign buyers and learn about market opportunities for organic products. California is the nation’s largest agricultural producer of organic products, and Mexico imported more than $234 million in U.S. organic products in 2023. CDFA partnered with California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF) to help …

June is LGBTQ+ Pride Month, and this week, CDFA’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Committee and the agency’s Office of Civil Rights commemorated the month with a panel discussion featuring CDFA employees who are members of the LGBTQ+ community. Moderated by CDFA Undersecretary Christine Birdsong, the conversation included the panelists’ personal journeys, their experiences at CDFA, and their reflections on …

Today, CDFA joins in the commemoration of Juneteenth, marking the end of slavery in the United States. This is also an opportunity to acknowledge the history and achievements of Black Americans throughout our country, including California agriculture. CDFA strives to support Black farmers and ranchers through grant programs, and the agency provides opportunities for leadership and voices to be heard through …

This week, CDFA is celebrating and highlighting the importance of pollinators in our state’s agriculture. National Pollinator Week (June 17-23) promotes the valuable services provided by pollinators such as bees, birds, butterflies, bats, beetles, moths, wasps, and flies. Pollinators are critical to California’s agriculture. The overwhelming majority of food crops rely at least partially on some type of insect pollination. …

CDFA encourages Californians to vote for their favorite farmers’ market in the 2024 America’s Farmers’ Market Celebration (AMFC)! This summer, American Farmland Trust is giving away $15,000 in prizes to the markets that receive the most votes. This is an annual ranking of the top farmers’ markets in the United States, as voted on by the public. Since 2008, AFMC …

From a USDA news release USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack has announced awards of $50 million to 141 awardees in 40 states and Puerto Rico, through the Farm Labor Stabilization and Protection Pilot Program (FLSP Program), reaching 177 unique agricultural operations and over 11,000 workers. California will receive $4.4 million from the program, for 10 different recipients. The awards will help …

The California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) is accepting nominations for its annual Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Achievement Awards. Nominations will be accepted through June 30, 2024.  The DPR IPM Achievement Awards honor the innovations and achievements of individuals and organizations leading in the adoption of safe, effective, and sustainable IPM practices in agricultural, urban, and wildland settings throughout California. …