CDFA Secretary Karen Ross joins Salinas Mayor Dennis Donohue to conclude the 2026 Salinas Biological Summit. (Inset) Secretary Ross acceptsa resolution from Mayor Donohue for her work in advancing biological alternatives to traditional chemicals in agriculture.
CDFA Secretary Karen Ross and CDFA staff attended the 2026 Salinas Biological Summit in Salinas June 23-24, joining attendees from around the world to discuss the transition of agriculture from traditional chemicals to biological alternatives, such as for pest management and fertilizing materials.
In her opening remarks, Secretary Ross welcomed participants and highlighted the power of partnerships and shared purpose.
“This summit is about people coming together to make things happen for the good of others,” Secretary Ross said.
During the summit, Secretary Ross met with delegations from the United Kingdom and Brazil. California State Board of Food and Agriculture President Don Cameron moderated a discussion on California’s approach to sustainable pest management. CDFA Fertilizing Materials Inspection Program Manager Nick Young discussed the evolving biostimulant landscape.
To conclude the event, Secretary Ross joined Salinas Mayor Dennis Donohue for a fireside chat discussing the past, present and vision for the future.
“Climate change is increasing pest and disease pressure on agriculture worldwide with limited resources registered to counter it,” Secretary Ross said. “California agriculture is known for quality and innovation at scale. The Salinas Biological Summit has grown to global significance in response to the growing interest of California growers to integrate biological solutions into plant and soil health management. This is the next chapter of agricultural resilience.”
Pictured: Jerry James Stone visiting Sweet Thistle Farms – Clovis, CA – flower, vegetable and pumpkin farm co-located with Rocky Oaks Goat Creamery
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 the sun – and there’s certainly no substitute for a perfectly ripened mandarin, plucked straight from the tree. When you visit a U-pick farm, you not only enjoy the freshest, most nutritious (and delicious) produce possible, but you also get an up-close and personal look at where your food really comes from.
Here’s a general guide to when some of California’s most popular U-pick crops are in season, along with a few of our favorite farms to visit. Start planning your weekends accordingly!*
*Be sure to check each farm’s website to see what’s in season before planning your U-pick adventure, as available berry varieties and U-pick dates are subject to change.
Citrus – November through March
Need proof that there’s always something in season in the Golden State? Look no further than California citrus! Mandarins, lemons and grapefruit are at their peak all winter long. If you’re in Northern California, Sunset Ridge Fine Fruits offers some of the juiciest sun-ripened citrus we’ve ever tasted. Southern California natives should check out the U-pick citrus offerings at Cal Poly Fruit and Crops – the San Luis and Pomona locations both offer U-pick at the campus farm.
U-pick berries are the OG agritourism experience. California’s U-pick berry season runs from March through October, with different varieties of berries ripening at different times throughout the state. Southern California farms, like Carlsbad Strawberry Company, kick off the fun with strawberries in March, while Northern California farms like Gizdich Ranch don’t start their season until closer to May.
Granny May’s Strawberry Farm in Granite Bay, CA with owner Elisabeth Saechao | Placer County
Plump peaches, sweet tart cherries and honey-scented apricots are synonymous with summer – and they’re even sweeter when you pick your own. Head to these U-pick farms to see for yourself.
Apple picking is the quintessential wholesome fall activity. Apples thrive in the California foothills and the cooler coastal areas, which makes a trip to your favorite U-pick apple farm the perfect excuse for a quick weekend getaway.
Not all pumpkin patches are created equally. While most offer the chance to pick the perfect pumpkin, not all offer the opportunity to actually pick your own pumpkin. If you want a true U-pick, straight-from-the-vine pumpkin experience, here’s where you need to head.
Dutch Hollow Farms – U-Pick Flower Farm in Modesto
Flowers – Always in Season
Is there anything more romantic than strolling through a California U-pick flower farm, gathering a bouquet of freshly cut blooms? Thanks to the Golden State’s temperate climate, you can get your U-pick flower fix virtually all year long.
CDFA Milk and Dairy Food Safety Environmental Scientist Ann Slama pictured on site at a California dairy farm.
Whether you’re pouring it over cereal, stirring it into coffee, or enjoying a slice of California cheese, the journey your milk and dairy food took was carefully monitored from the farm all the way to your table.
For CDFA’s Milk and Dairy Food Safety Branch (MDFS), that journey is a primary focus. Our mission to protect California consumers starts by ensuring milk and dairy products are safe, wholesome, and accurately labeled.
To do this, the MDFS team stays busy across the entire state, conducting food safety inspections at every critical step in the supply chain.
Step 1: On the Farm
Safety begins exactly where the milk does: on the dairy farm. Inspecting the dairy and the milk produced there helps ensure a safe and high-quality finished product. Annually, MDFS conducts over 1,200 food safety inspections on dairy farms, and collects and tests approximately 4,400 farm samples across California, to help ensure health, safety, and quality standards are maintained at the point of origin.
Step 2: Safety on the Road
MDFS Environmental Scientist Carlie Hughes conducts a farm sampling and bulk milk tanker inspection.
Once milk leaves the farm, it must remain protected during transit. We don’t just inspect those vehicles; we evaluate the procedures and protocols used when transporting milk to ensure no contamination occurs.
Annually, our team performs more than 1,400 bulk milk tanker truck inspections to verify transportation equipment meets California sanitary standards. We also conduct more than 950 drive evaluations each year to confirm the professionals moving our milk are maintaining a clean, safe, and secure supply chain.
Step 3: At the Processing Plants
The processing plant is where more heavy lifting happens. Everything from milk receiving to final packaging must be inspected and checked for compliance. Safe finished products are our top priority.
Annually, MDFS carries out more than 5,000 food safety inspections at processing facilities throughout California, including more than 2,100 separate checks on pasteurizer equipment to ensure this critical safety step is working properly. Finally, we collect and test over 12,000 samples of milk and milk products each year to help ensure the dairy foods arriving in your fridge are safe and wholesome.
Step 4: On the Label
CDFA’s Milk and Dairy Food Safety Branch works quietly behind the scenes helping ensure the milk and dairy foods delivered to your local supermarket are checked for quality, safety, and proper labeling.
Correct labeling of dairy products on store shelves is another important part of food safety, and accurate information is vital to consumer protection and nutrition. We work hard to help California’s dairy industry offer its high-quality products to the state, across the nation, and around the world. Throughout the year the MDFS team will review more than 1,400 labels to ensure that the information provided to the consumer is accurate, truthful, and not misleading.
A Commitment to Quality
CDFA’s Milk and Dairy Food Safety Branch continues to work quietly and tirelessly behind the scenes to help ensure the milk and dairy foods you enjoy stay safe. From the milk collected on the farm to the labels you read in the grocery aisle, CDFA is proud to have a key role in providing California dairy you can trust to be safe and delicious.
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.
Meet the farmer behind one of Humboldt County’s longest-standing apple farms and learn how tradition, stewardship, and innovation continue to shape the future of California agriculture.
June 17 is National Lettuce Day, a chance to recognize California’s lettuce growers and farmworkers who help produce one of the state’s most important vegetable crops.
Head lettuce: 2.8 billion pounds with a value of $1.2 billion Leaf lettuce: 1.4 billion pounds with a value of $1.17 billion Romaine lettuce: 3.8 billion pounds with a value of $2.2 billion
Romaine is California’s largest lettuce crop by both production and value, with 3.8 billion pounds grown and a value of $2.2 billion.
This National Lettuce Day, we celebrate the dedication of California’s lettuce growers and farmworkers whose work helps make California the nation’s leading producer of head, leaf, and romaine lettuce.
With signs raised that said, “Y’all means y’all,” approximately 25 California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) employees proudly joined several state departments and agencies at the annual Pride March this past Sunday, and associated activities in Sacramento.
The event brought together employees, community members, and partner organizations to recognize and celebrate the diversity that defines California.
For Dahmoon “D” Maeesomy, who represents CDFA’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee as co-chair, this event has encouraged other state departments and agencies to join. “We were the first state of California agency to participate in the annual Pride March in Sacramento, and for me, it represents California and everyone we serve,” said Maeesomy.
CDFA staff participated alongside colleagues from across state government, demonstrating a shared commitment to fostering an inclusive environment for all who live and work in our state.
The march saw a strong turnout, with participants lining the streets to show support for California’s diverse communities and to recognize the importance of belonging, visibility, and community engagement.
As part of the day’s activities, CDFA team members connected with fellow state employees, highlighted the department’s ongoing efforts to support an inclusive workplace culture, and engaged with attendees from across Sacramento and beyond. The event reflected the strength and unity of California’s public workforce and underscored the value of collaboration across departments.
Thank you to all CDFA employees who participated, volunteered, or supported the event. Your involvement helps affirm our department’s commitment to serving all Californians with respect and integrity.
California leads the nation in prune production, with Golden State growers producing 73,210 tons of prunes valued at $153 million.
Today, we celebrate California’s prune industry and thank everyone who helps bring this nutritious fruit from orchard to table. From the farmers and farmworkers who carefully harvest plums, to those who safely dry, process, package, and transport them.
Prunes are a delicious and versatile food that can be enjoyed as a snack, blended into smoothies, mixed into trail mix, baked into muffins and breads, or incorporated into savory recipes for a touch of natural sweetness. For more on prunes, check out California Grown’s blog on Prunes are What???
Thank you to the dedicated people throughout the supply chain who help turn fresh plums into the delicious prunes we enjoy every day.
Read more about California’s delicious and nutritious prunes, below:
CDFA Medal of Valor Recipients Eduardo Guerrero (third from left); Bailey White (ninth from left), and Felix Salas (eight from right) — pictured with Secretary Karen Ross, Deputy Secretary Arima Kozina, Victoria Hornbaker, Plant Health and Pest Prevention Services Division Director (second from right), including relatives, and CDFA management staff.
Every day, California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Pest Exclusion employees stand on the front lines of protecting California’s agriculture from invasive pests and diseases. But on two separate days in 2024, three employees faced emergencies where their commitment to public service extended far beyond their normal duties.
Today, three CDFA employees with the Plant Health and Pest Prevention Services (PHPPS) Branch’s Pest Exclusion Program were recognized with the Governor’s State Employee Medal of Valor for demonstrating courage, quick thinking and selfless service during dangerous situations:
Eduardo Guerrero, Agricultural Technician III (Seasonal)
Felix Salas, Plant Quarantine Supervisor I
Bailey White, Plant Quarantine Inspector
Pictured: Eduardo Guerrero; Secretary Karen Ross, Bailey White, Felix Salas, Deputy Secretary Arima Kozina.
The awards were presented during the 2026 Governor’s State Employee Medal of Valor Award Ceremony at the California Highway Patrol Academy in West Sacramento, where 36 state employees from six departments were honored for heroic actions that protected the lives and safety of others. The award, given on behalf of Governor Gavin Newsom, is the state’s highest honor for heroism.
CDFA Deputy Secretary Arima Kozina participated as the department’s medal presenter.
“CDFA employees work every day to protect California’s food safety, strengthen agricultural communities and safeguard our natural systems, often in remote locations and under challenging conditions,” said CDFA Secretary Karen Ross. “Eduardo, Felix and Bailey represent the very best of public service. Their courage, professionalism and willingness to act in moments of crisis made a profound difference and exemplify the values we hold at CDFA.”
The Governor’s State Employee Medal of Valor is one of the highest honors bestowed upon California state employees and recognizes individuals who have demonstrated extraordinary courage, often placing their own safety at risk to protect the lives of others.
Eduardo Guerrero: Stopping a Wildfire Before It Spread
On September 8, 2024, Eduardo Guerrero was working at the Tulelake Border Protection Station in Siskiyou County when a passing motorist reported a small wildfire burning along the highway near state-owned housing cabins.
While his colleague, Plant Quarantine Inspector Erin Addison, called 911, Guerrero immediately grabbed a fire extinguisher and rushed toward the flames. In the hot, dry conditions of a remote area near the Modoc National Forest, the fire had already begun spreading through dry grass and threatened to become a larger wildfire.
After knocking down most of the flames, Guerrero noticed embers still burning. The fire reignited and he had to use a shovel and use dirt to put it out completely—working tirelessly for an hour at night. Knowing emergency responders could take time to arrive due to the station’s remote location and limited cell service, he returned to retrieve a shovel and continued working alone to extinguish the remaining hot spots.
His decisive actions prevented the fire from spreading, protected nearby state housing and helped ensure the safety of travelers and residents.
Felix Salas and Bailey White: Running Toward a Burning Vehicle to Save a Life
At approximately 2:40 a.m. on December 8, 2024, Felix Salas and Bailey White were working at the Blythe Border Protection Station in Riverside County when a vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed crashed into a safety barrier and became engulfed in flames.
Without hesitation, the two employees grabbed fire extinguishers and ran toward the burning vehicle. Working together, they extinguished the flames and discovered the driver trapped inside the heavily damaged cab, unable to escape because his leg was pinned.
With smoke filling the vehicle, Salas and White pried open the door to allow the driver to breathe. They remained with him, offering reassurance and keeping him calm until emergency medical personnel arrived.
Their bravery, teamwork and willingness to put themselves in danger saved the driver’s life.
CDFA congratulates Eduardo Guerrero, Felix Salas and Bailey White for their remarkable service and for representing the very best of California public service.
Happy Pride Month! This June, the California Department of Food Agriculture (CDFA), is celebrating the colors that make California extraordinary — both in our communities and across our fields.
From strawberries and mandarins to lemons, avocados, grapes, and plums, California leads the nation in producing some of the world’s most iconic fruits and specialty crops. The same diversity that strengthens our agriculture is what strengthens our people.
We’re proud of the farmers, farmworkers, researchers, educators, partners, our CDFA employees, and advocates throughout agriculture, who help cultivate a more vibrant, inclusive, and resilient future every day.
This Pride Month, we celebrate the power of diversity, the richness of California agriculture, and the many colors that help our communities and farms thrive.
Pictured: CDFA Secretary Karen Ross speaking at the 16th World Processing Tomato Congress, which opened on June 8 and brought together participants from around the world to discuss issues affecting the industry and opportunities for future collaboration.
California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Secretary Karen Ross delivered the opening keynote address at the 16th World Processing Tomato Congress, held in Monterey, California.
The biennial World Processing Tomato Congress brought together more than 400 delegates from over 30 countries, including tomato growers, processors, researchers, policymakers, and allied industry representatives. The event served as a global forum for collaboration and strategic planning within the processing tomato sector.
Secretary Ross welcomed attendees to California and highlighted the partnership between CDFA and the processing tomato industry. Her remarks also emphasized the importance of tomatoes to California agriculture—producing over 90% of the nation’s processing tomatoes.
The congress returned to California after previous gatherings were held in international production centers including Greece, Chile, and Italy. Organizers noted that California remained the leader in the processing tomato sector, accounting for the majority of U.S. production and a significant share of the global supply.
Pictured: Mike Montna (left), representing the California Tomato Growers Association, introduced Secretary Karen Ross before her remarks on June 8, 2026 in Monterey, California.
