Author Archives: Office of Public Affairs

California is proud to celebrate National Farm to School Month this October! By combining local food purchasing, hands-on food education and climate-smart agriculture, CDFA’s Farm to School Program helps food system leaders transform school food for the better. Read on to see h w we’re celebrating this October!  $20m for the CA Farm to School Incubator Grant Program!   Research shows …

CDFA Secretary Karen Ross is in Rome, Italy this week and spoke at the United Nations FAO Global Conference on Sustainable Livestock Transformation. In her remarks, Secretary Ross emphasized California’s leadership in agricultural climate solutions, especially methane reduction, while highlighting the state’s agricultural diversity and commitment to sustainability. California is the leading agricultural state in the United States, producing more …

CDFA joins the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in recognizing today, September 29, as the International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste. FAO is calling for the expansion and strengthening of stakeholder efforts to reduce food loss and waste as a critical element of securing a sustainable food future across the globe, where an …

The all-new Terra Madre Americas food and culture festival is ready to begin its weekend-long run in Downtown Sacramento tomorrow, and the festivities are being kick-started today with an introductory session called, “Food for Thought; Nourishing Nature, Culture & Community.” CDFA Secretary Karen Ross was featured in an opening panel discussion this afternoon along with California Natural Resources Secretary Wade …

CDFA Secretary Karen Ross and CDFA Inspection Services Director Natalie Krout-Greenberg partnered with Salinas Valley agriculture leaders earlier this week to host a team of federal food safety officials, led by U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Deputy Commissioner for Human Foods Kyle Diamantas. It was an opportunity to spotlight National Food Safety Education Month with a focus on the …

The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) is proud to partner with California Grown during Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15 – Oct. 15) to highlight the stories of Latino and Hispanic farmers who help feed our state and nation. Through this collaboration, we’re celebrating the resilience, innovation, and deep agricultural traditions that shape California’s farming communities. Kathy Topete and …

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recently reported a travel-associated human case of New World Screwworm (NWS),  the first of its kind in the US, following an infected person recently returning from an outbreak-affected country. According to the USDA, human risk is low, and the agency adds that there have been no detections in American livestock.  While there …

CDFA joins the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in recognizing September as National Food Safety Education Month, with a continued commitment to supporting produce safety and education across California. Produce safety is a high priority in California. The Golden State’s hardworking farmers produce nearly half of the country’s vegetables and over three-quarters of the country’s fruits and nuts. In …

Hispanic and Latino producers are a vital part of California agriculture—bringing generations of knowledge and entrepreneurship to farms large and small and everything in between. This Hispanic Heritage Month we celebrate and honor the farmers, ranchers, and farmworkers, whose knowledge, resilience, and care for the land help feed California and the nation. We recognize their critical contributions to the state’s …