Author Archives: Office of Public Affairs

National Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15 – Oct. 15) continued this week with CDFA’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee hosting a panel of Hispanic leaders working at the California Department of Food and Agriculture. CDFA Undersecretary Christine Birdsong moderated the panel, which included CDFA Marketing Services Director Kathy Diaz-Cretu and two veterinarians with CDFA’s Animal Health Branch, Dr. Everardo Mendes and …

CDFA urges statewide partners to celebrate October as National Farm to School Month and is inviting them to attend the 2023 California Farm to School Conference on October 24-25 in Palm Springs. CDFA, in partnership with the office of California First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom and the Alice Waters Institute, will host the conference. California’s farm-to-school leadership includes awarding $34 million …

CDFA joins the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations in recognizing today as the fourth observance of the International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste. According to the FAO, 13 percent of the world’s food is lost in the supply chain and an additional 17 percent of food is wasted in households, food services and …

CDFA undersecretary Christine Birdsong and deputy secretary Rachael O’Brien this week joined Assembly speaker Robert Rivas, Assemblymember Esmeralda Soria, Cal-EPA secretary Yana Garcia, and Department of Pesticide Regulation director Julie Henderson on a tour of farms along California’s central coast. The objective was to to learn more about sustainable pest management and the collaborative work needed to support safe, effective …

This week (Sept 25-30) has been designated as Delta Week, according to a Senate Concurrent Resolution introduced by State Senator Bill Dodd of Napa. California’s Delta is formed by the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers and supports more than 750 species of plants (including agriculture) and wildlife, as well as more than 55 species of fish. The Delta hosts more …

CDFA staff members today joined partners from the state Department of Pesticide Regulation and the University of California’s Agriculture and Natural Resources division to discuss invasive species at the 56th annual Native American Day at the State Capitol. Topics of interest included citrus health, the state’s Sustainable Pest Management Roadmap, and best practices for handling firewood. CDFA is committed to …

With National Hispanic Heritage Month underway (Sept 15 — Oct 15), CDFA wishes to acknowledge the extensive contributions of Hispanics in California. According to the 2017 Census of Agriculture, California has a total of 14,597 Hispanic producers. CDFA recognizes that diversity in agriculture is a critical strength and is committed to working with underserved farmers, ranchers, and farmworkers in meeting the challenges ahead …

News release from Office of the Governor WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: California is taking its climate action around the world and launching a new pledge to cut global methane emissions. NEW YORK – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced California is launching a new pledge for governments around the world to commit to cutting global methane emissions, one of the worst climate pollutants. …

The annual Climate Week NYC is occurring this week in New York Earlier this month several members of CDFA’s Office of Environmental Farming and Innovation (OEFI) traveled to Mexico City for meetings and informational exchanges on strategies to adapt to a changing climate. Scientists Tawny Mata, Kevi Mace, Carolyn Cook and Michael Wolff each participated and helped show the many …

The annual Climate Week NYC is underway. Each year, climate leaders from all over the world gather to spur progress and champion change that is already occurring. Governor Gavin Newsom and other state officials are in New York City, calling attention to California initiatives like a faster-than-scheduled installation of electric vehicle charging stations. CDFA’s Division of Measurement Standards (DMS) is …