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Author Archives: Office of Public Affairs

Celebrating National Cherry Day: Honoring California’s Cherry Growers

Posted on July 16, 2026 by Office of Public Affairs

National Cherry Day – July 16 Sweet, vibrant and a favorite summertime treat, cherries are a delicious reminder of the dedication and hard work behind California’s diverse agricultural landscape. This National Cherry Day, we’re celebrating the growers, farmers, farmworkers and … Continue reading →

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Secretary Ross lauds innovations in agriculture via new AI Supercomputing Center at Fresno State

Posted on July 14, 2026 by Office of Public Affairs

A new F3i Supercomputing Center at Fresno State is now offering Central Valley stakeholders access to advanced computing and artificial intelligence (AI) tools to accelerate innovation across California’s food and agriculture supply chain. A partnership between Fresno State, the UC … Continue reading →

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Governor Newsom signs legislation securing permanent funding for nation-leading Farm to School Program championed by First Partner

Posted on July 13, 2026 by Office of Public Affairs

From the Office of Governor Gavin Newsom What you need to know: Governor Newsom signed SB 172, which permanently funds California’s nation-leading Farm to School Program, ensuring schools can continue serving students healthy meals made with California-grown ingredients. Championed by First … Continue reading →

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California Celebrates National Blueberry Day with a Sweet 2025 Harvest

Posted on July 8, 2026 by Office of Public Affairs

July 8 is National Blueberry Day, and California has a lot to celebrate. In 2025, the Golden State harvested 81.47 million pounds of blueberries, which is a remarkable milestone that reflects the hard work, care, and dedication of growers, harvesters, … Continue reading →

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CDFA invites stakeholders to give input for next round of Specialty Crop Block Grant Program

Posted on July 7, 2026 by Office of Public Affairs

The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) invites you to participate in listening sessions for the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP). These sessions are designed for specialty crop stakeholders to provide feedback to the SCBGP team ahead of … Continue reading →

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Celebrating America’s 250th birthday and agriculture’s foundational place in it this Independence Day

Posted on July 3, 2026 by Office of Public Affairs

From CDFA Secretary Karen Ross Happy 250th birthday America! As we celebrate our Nation’s founding, the California Department of Food and Agriculture offers a message of gratitude for the farmers, ranchers, farmworkers and all who work so hard to produce … Continue reading →

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Secretary Ross recognizes Jay Van Rein for 25 years of service to CDFA

Posted on July 3, 2026 by Office of Public Affairs

CDFA Secretary Karen Ross celebrated Jay Van Rein’s 30 years of state service during a recent ceremony for his retirement as acting director of the CDFA Office of Public Affairs. He worked 25 years for CDFA. “Jay’s thoughtful and artistic … Continue reading →

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Protecting California Agriculture During Fourth of July Travel

Posted on July 2, 2026 by Office of Public Affairs

As California moves into the Fourth of July travel period and into the summer — thousands of vehicles will be crossing into and through the state. That seasonal surge in travel makes one thing especially important: keeping invasive pests and … Continue reading →

Posted in AG Vision, Agricultural Education, Biodiversity, Border stations, Environment | Tagged | Leave a comment

Montna Farms: A Multi-Generational Rice Farm Advancing Sustainability in California Agriculture

Posted on June 29, 2026 by Office of Public Affairs

This video was developed by CDFA in collaboration with the California Rice Commission, highlighting the shared commitment to sustainable rice farming and agricultural stewardship in California. At Montna Farms in Sutter County, California rice farmer Nicole Montna Van Vleck shares … Continue reading →

Posted in AG Vision, Agricultural Education, Animal Welfare, Biodiversity, Conservation, Drought, Environment, Farm Labor, Trade, Water | Tagged | Leave a comment

California celebrates nearly 3.5 billion universal school meals served

Posted on June 26, 2026 by Office of Public Affairs

From the Office of Governor Gavin Newsom California’s Farm to School program, championed by First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom, works in tandem with universal school meals to ensure more California students have access to two free school meals that are … Continue reading →

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