Author Archives: Office of Public Affairs

One of Governor Gavin Newsom’s highest priorities for California is equity. At CDFA, that means equity across all of the department’s divisions and programs, including the access that stakeholders have to our funding and resources. Grant Funding In recent years, we have redoubled our efforts to improve access for historically underserved producers to grant programs such as those offered through our Office …

CDFA Secretary Karen Ross is one of several business and government participants in USDA’s first agricultural trade mission since 2019. The mission is underway in Dubai, home to Gulfood – the largest annual food show in the world. “This event is such a tremendous opportunity for participants not just because of its sheer size, but also for the quality of …

Nono Zhang and Maya Horvath, two California students, had the opportunity to join CDFA Undersecretary Christine Birdsong and Natalie Krout-Greenberg at the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) Winter Policy Conference in Washington D.C. Nono is from China and attends UC Davis. Maya is from Southern California and is studying at the University of Kentucky. Both students participated …

IPM is “Integrated Pest Management.” #WhatIsIPM? IPM is any approach to pest control or management that uses the least toxic, effective method to solve pest problems, including using natural predators to manage pests, hand-pulling weeds, and using traps or baits to address pest issues. It’s about understanding the options, and keeping current with new ones as they are developed. IPM …

From a Western Growers news release Growers are keen to adopt automation to bridge the growing labor gap and ensure that their crops can be picked in time, according to the Global Harvest Automation Report, a first-of-its-kind study commissioned by Western Growers. The report is the first in a new annual series that will track, measure and report on industry progress in …

From a USDA news release USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack has announced that the USDA is investing $1 billion in partnerships to support America’s climate-smart farmers, ranchers and forest landowners. The new Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities opportunity will finance pilot projects that create market opportunities for U.S. agricultural and forestry products that use climate-smart practices and include innovative, cost-effective ways to …

February is Spay and Neuter Awareness Month in California, and CDFA partners in the effort with its Pet Lovers License Plate Grant Program, which is funded through the purchase, renewal, or transfer of Pet Lover’s specialized license plates through the DMV.   Funds from the program are awarded on a competitive basis to municipal and non-profit veterinary facilities that offer …