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Category Archives: Agricultural Marketing

CDFA hosts fresh fruit importers from Mexico

September 29, 2026   Office of Public Affairs

Last week, CDFA in collaboration with the U.S. Embassy in Mexico hosted a delegation of fresh fruit importers and retailers to visit orchard and packing operations, as well engage in educational programing focusing on food safety and post-harvest handling.  The visit connected growers with foreign buyers and expanded trade connections in California’s third largest agricultural export market valued at more …

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Posted in Agricultural Marketing, CDFA Inspection Services, Specialty Crops, Trade | Tagged | Leave a comment

Secretary Karen Ross on Leadership, Innovation, and the Future

August 24, 2026   Office of Public Affairs

Secretary Karen Ross is featured in the July edition of the ONOR Journal in a conversation about leadership, innovation and preparing the next generation for the future. In the feature, Secretary Ross shares insights drawn from her career in agriculture and public service, emphasizing that while technology and innovation are transforming agriculture, people remain at the heart of progress. “Today’s …

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Posted in AG Vision, Agricultural Education, Agricultural Marketing, CDFA Public Affairs, CDFA Secretary Karen Ross, Climate Smart Agriculture, Community-based Food System | Leave a comment

CDFA celebrates a nutritional super fruit this National Avocado Day!

July 31, 2026   Office of Public Affairs

Happy National Avocado Day! California is the nation’s leader in avocado production, harvesting 170,000 tons in 2025! According to the 2023-24 California Agricultural Statistics Review, California producers represent 96% of the U.S. market, with 47,600 acres dedicated to growing these nutritional super fruits, generating $239 million. Leading counties for avocado production include Ventura, San Diego, Riverside, Santa Barbara and San …

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Posted in Agricultural Marketing, Specialty Crops | Tagged , | Leave a comment

What’s in Season at U-Pick Farms Across the State? 

June 24, 2026   Office of Public Affairs

California is a beautiful patchwork of mountains, beaches, valleys, and deserts. This remarkable diversity not only draws visitors from around the world but also makes California the most productive agricultural state in the nation. It’s the reason there’s always something fresh and delicious in season. Seasonal produce is always spectacular, but you can’t beat a just-picked berry, still warm from …

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Posted in Agricultural Education, Agricultural Marketing, Food Access, Growing California, Nutrition, Specialty Crops, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

From Orchard to Classroom: Clendenen’s Cider Works Cultivates Community Through Local Food

June 19, 2026   Office of Public Affairs

For more than a century, Clendenen’s Cider Works has been rooted in Humboldt County agriculture. Today, Clif Clendenen carries on his family’s legacy by growing fresh apples, producing local cider, and embracing sustainable farming practices on his five-acre orchard. Through a California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Farm to School grant, Clif is also helping bring locally grown, nutritious …

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Posted in AG Vision, Agricultural Education, Agricultural Marketing, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Smart Agriculture, Conservation, Drought, Environment, Farm Labor, Farm to School, Food Access, Growing California, Healthy soils, Nutrition, Specialty Crops, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Artichokes: All About California’s Official State Vegetable

May 15, 2026   Office of Public Affairs

Courtesy of CA GROWN Artichokes have been grown in California since the late 1880s, but they didn’t always have their modern-day it-girl status. Initially, most of America’s artichokes were imported from France, until World War I disrupted that supply line. California growers banded together to form the Artichoke Growers Association (now the California Artichoke Advisory Board), consolidated packing and transportation, and …

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Posted in Agricultural Marketing | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Trade Mission to Thailand Represents Opportunities for California Exporters

May 5, 2026   Office of Public Affairs

California Department of Food and Agriculture Secretary Karen Ross traveled to Thailand from April 24 to May 1 as part of a National Association of State Department of Agriculture (NASDA) trade mission focused on strengthening agricultural trade relationships and expanding California’s presence in a key Southeast Asian market. Thailand, along with Vietnam, Indonesia, and Malaysia, has emerged as a critical …

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Posted in Agricultural Marketing, Trade | Leave a comment

World Ag Expo February 10-12: It’s Show Time!

February 10, 2026   Office of Public Affairs

California Agriculture Secretary Karen Ross joined industry and community leaders for the official opening of the 2026 World Ag Expo in Tulare today, followed by an on-site meeting of the State Board of Food and Agriculture on Ag Tech and workforce issues and opportunities. She previewed the event yesterday on local TV station ABC 30, speaking about the generational challenges …

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Posted in Agricultural Education, Agricultural Marketing, State Board of Food and Agriculture | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Secretary Ross meets with US Trade Representative’s chief agricultural negotiator

June 5, 2023   Office of Public Affairs

CDFA Secretary Karen Ross met today in Sacramento with the US Trade Representative’s chief agricultural negotiator, Doug McKalip. The discussion centered on international trade opportunities for California’s farmers and ranchers. California is the nation’s leading agricultural exporter, with more than $22.5 billion in exports, representing approximately 10 percent of overall U.S. ag exports.

Posted in Agricultural Marketing, Climate Smart Agriculture, Trade | Leave a comment

2022 Census of Agriculture is here!

November 29, 2022   Office of Public Affairs

USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) mailed an invitation to respond online to the 2022 Census of Agriculture on November 22. A paper questionnaire will follow in December and responses are due February 6, 2023 either online, by mail, or telephone. This is your chance to have a voice in the future of agriculture in our state and the U.S. …

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Posted in Agricultural Marketing | Leave a comment