Author Archives: Karen Ross, Secretary, California Department of Food and Agriculture

Today, our California Trade Mission to Mexico concluded with a meeting with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of the United Mexican States (SADER). The meeting provided the opportunity for CDFA and SADER to renew our ongoing partnership with a signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) focusing on climate smart agriculture, plant/animal health and international collaboration. It was …

I had a nice breakfast today. Covered all of my food groups. It was fresh and tasty – which is pretty easy to do in California, even when we’re just emerging from winter. And I thought, as I often do when I’m eating a quiet meal, about the many farmers and ranchers, skilled workers and other professionals whose work makes …

Secretary Ross: “It was a very good visit about opportunities to cooperate and also to learn from one another. The discussion included the possibilities of future partnerships that would allow California to be a supporting team member on Algeria’s exciting development agenda to ensure food security – it was a lively discussion.”

I recently had the opportunity to meet with Marianne Vaes, Agricultural Counselor for the embassy of the Netherlands in Washington DC. Counselor Vaes was here with her advisor Caroline Feitel to build upon our close relationship with the Netherlands. After visiting the Netherlands in 2015 as part of our first Climate Smart Agriculture mission to study climate analogues, we continue …

By CDFA Secretary Karen Ross Here in California, harvest is practically a rolling, year-round occurrence. It’s just one of the many blessings of this wonderful place if you’re a farmer. It’s fitting, though, that National Farmers Day comes at the traditional harvest time of year. The bustle and excitement of this season remind us that farmers are much more than …

A trip to Southern California this week was a welcome reminder of the remarkable work our employees do to protect us from threats posed by invasive species. My first stop was the joint CDFA/USDA Medfly Preventative Release Program in Los Alamitos. Every day small airplanes fly over the Los Angeles Basin and release millions of sterile Medflies that are reared …

The invitation for the ‘Grand Reveal’ this morning in Roseville promised: “See what happens when you take 60 acres, stir in $10 million, and toss for 304 days!”  I was happy to make the drive to Placer County to learn more about a unique partnership between the County of Placer and Placer Valley Tourism to renovate the Placer County Fairgrounds. …

As Earth Day was celebrated this weekend, I couldn’t help but think about how lucky I am to have grown up on a farm with a dad who inspired me with his love for the land.  His life-long curiosity led him to constantly look at new and innovative practices to steward natural resources and improve the care of his cow-calf …