Author Archives: Office of Public Affairs

Today, CDFA Undersecretary Christine Birdsong met with Chilean Ambassador Juan Gabriel Valdés. The discussion focused on opportunities to further collaboration on agricultural trade, climate smart agriculture and issues related to drought and wildfires. California and Chile share a strong agricultural partnership through the University of California Davis – Chile Life Sciences Innovation Center (UC Davis Chile).

By CDFA Secretary Karen Ross Visiting last week with farmers, ag tech companies, and academic researchers in Denmark and the Netherlands demonstrated the shared priority of investing in science-based tools and agricultural technology to advance climate resiliency on working lands. From biological and nature-based solutions, to seed development and on-farm automation – agriculture can address climate challenges with increased sustainability, …

From a news release by the Governor’s office. (Top photo — Secretary Ross, third from right, with First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom, Governor Newsom, and other Earth Day attendees at Soil Born Farms in Rancho Cordova) On Earth Day, California First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom, joined by Governor Newsom and CDFA Secretary Karen Ross, convened stakeholders to explore opportunities to …

CDFA attended today’s Black Farmers Conference at Fresno State University. Representatives from the CDFA Office of Farm Equity, the Urban Agriculture Grant Program, the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program, the Fertilizer Research and Education Program and the Citrus Pest & Disease Prevention Division offered help and insight about how to take advantage of available grant programs, how to develop good …

Today is National Rendering Day! The Meat, Poultry and Egg Safety Branch within CDFA licenses and inspects rendering plants and promotes the safe and legal collection, transportation, processing and disposal of dead livestock, animal and fish materials, and used cooking oil. Rendering is recycling, an environmentally friendly way to reuse materials that would otherwise be wasted. The rendering industry plays …

News release from the office of Governor Newsom WHAT TO KNOW: California is managing water supplies to expand storage, maximize delivery throughout the state, mitigate flooding, and help communities recover from years of extreme drought – announcing a 100% water allocation for the State Water Project, the highest since 2006. With reservoirs nearing capacity and snowmelt runoff beginning, the state …

Learn more about CDFA’s Healthy Soils Program

By CDFA Secretary Karen Ross Secretary Ross is leading a climate and trade delegation to Denmark and the Netherlands to focus on building partnerships for California. (Photos: Right — Secretary Ross with US Ambassador Shefali Razdan Duggal, USDA Under Secretary Alexis Taylor, and Josette Lewis of the Almond Board of California. Below — discussing sustainable pest management solutions at Koppert) …

April is Invasive Plant Pest and Disease Awareness Month (Photo — inspection dog Yeti on the job in San Diego County, alongside handler Jeremy Partch) The purpose of California’s Dog Teams, a joint program between CDFA, the USDA, and county agricultural commissioners, is to enhance inspection and surveillance activities related to plant products entering the State of California via parcel …