California Ag Day, our annual celebration of food and farming, is coming up soon, scheduled for March 20 at the State Capitol. While Ag Day is a great opportunity to share our story with the State Legislature and other parts of the Capitol community, it is also a perfect time to educate our children, and we always look for ways to make sure …
I am very, very pleased to introduce the “Growing California” video series, a partnership with California Grown, which is hosting the series on its web site. “Growing California” is an in-depth look at the many ways farming and ranching touches our lives. It goes well beyond food production, although that is certainly featured prominently. This series will also highlight food …
Two recent announcements by the USDA remind us all of the agency’s value as a federal partner in food and agricultural production. The USDA assists Californians in a variety of ways, from producer insurance programs to school nutrition and food security for needy families. One announcement was a reminder that February 4 is the deadline to respond to the 2012 …
The future outlook for agriculture is bright. Food production will have to roughly double by 2050 in order to meet population projections. And if we look where much of that growth is expected to occur–Asia–we know that California farmers and ranchers will have an excellent opportunity to meet the new demand. But there will be challenges, too, as increased food production will have …
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As we gather with loved ones over the winter holidays, so many of us are fortunate not only to have family around us but also to have so much good food to share. As Californians, we are blessed by the variety and quality of fresh, nutritious food that our farmers and ranchers provide. They do it year in and year out, …
I am pleased that Kings County dairy farmer Dino Giacomazzi has been named the 2012 recipient of the Leopold Conservation Award in California. The award is presented annually in eight states to land owners for achievements in land stewardship and management and is a fine representation of the great work our farmers and ranchers do as envirionmental stewards. Dino Giacomazzi is a fourth-generation dairyman from …
An account of Thanksgiving in Sacramento in 1850, the year California became a state, describes a scene where New Englanders in residence gathered to celebrate a holiday unfamiliar in the west but already traditional for them, and put on a feast for all, whether or not they were from New England. That spirit of celebration and generosity, of expressing thanks and giving to others, continues to …
As we launch our second annual Farm to Food Bank Month, I’m excited about the commitment and generosity of California’s farmers and ranchers to support our local communities and consumers with food donations. Nearly 1 in 9 individuals, or close to 4 million people, in California are food insecure. This means that over the course of one year about 10 …
We spend a considerable amount of time at CDFA working to prepare for the future. We’re developing a strategic plan that includes succession planning because we know the time will come to hand the reigns to a new generation to protect and facilitate food production in California. We also know that we’ll need thousands of new farmers and ranchers, and many more people to enter associated fields. …
This Sunday, America will pause to say “thank you” to its service members. The words seem small, but the sincerity we give them on this occasion is big enough to cover an entire nation – including the more than six million veterans who live in rural America. The notion of “giving something back” is inherent in the nature of farming, …
