Budget-friendly recipes don’t have to be boring. If you’re looking for fresh and delicious cooking ideas, created with affordability in mind, California Grown’s got you covered.
Every recipe developed by our friends at California Grown is designed to celebrate California’s agricultural abundance. The goal is simple: to highlight the Golden State’s 400+ specialty crops and inspire Californians (and anyone beyond our borders) to take advantage of the fresh, vibrant flavors at their fingertips.
Since the pandemic, budget-friendly recipes have only increased in popularity. California Grown has met that demand, taking always-in-season ingredients commonly found at food banks and in home kitchens, transforming them into simple and satisfying meals. From hearty breakfasts to kid-friendly snacks, these recipes are designed to be flexible, offering the perfect opportunity to get creative, swap in your favorite produce, or use up whatever you have on hand.
Pantry staples, including California olive oil, canned tuna, and California ripe olives, get the glam treatment in this flavorful, Italian-inspired Fresh Tomato and Tuna Pasta!
Looking for some last-minute dinner inspo? There’s a good chance you’ve already got all the ingredients you need to make one of California Grown’s most popular recipes – Pasta Foriana.
Get your grill on! Our friend Britney tops her Honey Garlic Chicken with an always-in-season canned peach salsa that delivers big flavor on a small budget.
Tuna Nicoise Salad, a classic French dish, gets a California-style makeover. Fluffy oven-roasted potatoes (from California…obviously) provide the perfect base for this flavorful, healthy meal.
Unless you’ve been sleeping under a rock, you’ve probably noticed that beans are experiencing a serious glow-up. The once-humble pantry staple is now the star of countless viral recipes. Try this plant-based take on Chicken Marbella and find out what the fuss is all about.
Slow-Cooker Chili: the recipe you’ll have on repeat all year long. If you’ve got ten minutes in the morning to open cans of beans and chop a few fresh veggies, you’ll have a hearty meal waiting for you at the end of the day.
Nothing beats the irresistible aroma of freshly-baked Fig and Mandarin Focaccia! Bright, juicy mandarins and sweet dried figs mingle with fragrant herbs to create a flavor-packed focaccia that feels indulgent – without breaking your budget.
Cookies for breakfast? Yes, please! Oatmeal Breakfast cookies taste like dessert, but they’re packed with healthy, accessible ingredients like CA GROWN dried fruits and nuts. We won’t tell if you don’t.
This creamy Strawberry Smoothie tastes more like an indulgent milkshake. Naturally sweet California Prunes enhance the flavor of the strawberries and mellow the tangy yogurt. It’s the perfect budget-friendly breakfast, snack – or even dessert!
Once you try Cantaloupe Granita, you’ll never settle for an artificially flavored snow cone again. The Pistachio Brittle Bark garnish called for in this recipe is optional, of course, but highly encouraged.
The presentation began with an overview of the new Climate Resilience Strategy for California Agriculture and was followed by a panel discussion featuring producers and technical assistance providers with firsthand implementation experience.
Panelists included Chris Kelley, Ritta Martin, Randi Black, and Tyler Donnelley. The discussion focused on the impacts of climate change and efforts to build climate resilience through climate-smart agricultural practices.
CDFA Deputy Secretary for Climate and Working Lands Virginia Jameson (standing, right) leads the Climate Resilience Strategy for California Agriculture (RSA) Legislative Briefing, April 30, 2026, Sacramento.
The legislative briefing began with an overview of the RSA by Deputy Secretary Jameson and was followed by an excellent group of panelists, Chris Kelley, Ritta Martin, Randi Black, and Tyler Donnelley, who have firsthand experience dealing with the impacts of climate change and are working to build climate resilience.Ritta Martin (center), Grant Manager for SWEEP and HSP Block Grants from Glenn County RCD discusses why programs centered around small farms are important for climate-smart agriculture practices to succeed and how it relates to the health of the people who live and work there.Randi Black, UC ANR Dairy Advisor, Sonoma TAP for AMMP, explains the current climate-smart agricultural practices with dairy production and tradeoffs that are seen with the transition to climate-smart agriculture.
Additionally, Black explains the limitations placed by lack of funding to transition further into climate-smart agriculture and explains the possible opportunities if the funding was met. With the RSA “waste” materials such as manure, compostables, and byproducts can be used to create value and strengthen farm operations.After the legislative briefing, the room opened to a question-and-answer session and an open discussion where legislative staff, interns, and other attendees were able to engage and ask questions related to the panelists’ experiences, programs, and ideas of what the next few years will look like with the implementation of climate-smart practices. The panelists provided valuable insight on the importance of climate-smart agriculture in addressing environmental efforts through discussions of climate change mitigation impacts, community strengthening, and results of implementing climate-smart agriculture.
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 growth market for U.S. agricultural exports, particularly in dairy, tree nuts, and fresh fruit. California’s annual ag exports to Thailand alone were valued at approximately $226 million, underscoring the importance of continued engagement in the region. The trade mission, funded at the federal level, reflected a broader commitment to strengthening economic ties within the fast-growing Southeast Asian economy.
Throughout the week, Secretary Ross collaborated with fellow state representatives from Kansas, Maryland, South Dakota, and Tennessee. The delegation participated in a series of high-level briefings and meetings with organizations including the Thai Chamber of Commerce and the American Chamber of Commerce in Thailand, as well as U.S. agricultural cooperators active in the region. Among them was the California Milk Advisory Board, which reported strong growth in California cheese sales in Southeast Asia.
Additional perspectives were shared by embassy representatives from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom, all of whom highlighted opportunities for collaboration and strategic partnerships across the Association of Southeast Asian Nations – ASEAN markets.
A key highlight of the mission included a visit with the executive leadership of CPF Foods, a global agri-food company with significant operations in farming, feed production, livestock, seafood, and food processing. The delegation engaged in discussions on sustainability, innovation, and the role of emerging technologies—including artificial intelligence—in addressing future global food demands. The visit concluded with a formal dinner hosted by the company’s senior chairman, offering further opportunity for dialogue on shared agricultural priorities.
The delegation also welcomed participation from the U.S. Meat Export Federation, which highlighted promising growth prospects for American beef in Thailand. Conversations emphasized the complementary role of U.S. feed grains in supporting Thailand’s livestock sector and expanding market access for American producers.
Retail visits to Gourmet One and Tops Supermarket showcased evolving consumer preferences and a growing demand for premium U.S. products, including California cheese, specialty crops, wine, and beef. These visits illustrated how shifting demographics and rising incomes in Thailand are driving increased interest in high-quality imported goods.
In addition to commercial engagements, Secretary Ross and the delegation met with Thailand’s Food and Drug Administration and Department of Agriculture to better understand regulatory frameworks and technical trade barriers. While discussions addressed non-tariff measures, the need for tariff reductions on U.S. agricultural products remained a central focus.
The trade mission marked a productive and insightful week, reinforcing California’s commitment to expanding its global agricultural footprint. Secretary Ross’s participation highlighted the state’s leadership in international trade and its proactive approach to building partnerships in key emerging markets across Southeast Asia.
I’ve said those words to my CDFA colleagues and coworkers so many times over the past 16 years, in meeting rooms and at Ag Day and at holiday parties, in personal conversations and public venues. And I’ve meant it every single time.
Public Service Recognition Week is May 3-9. To our CDFA employees, I say once more, “Thank You. We see what you do for California agriculture every day, and we appreciate it.”
CDFA doesn’t quite fit the mold when you think of a government agency or an office-hours kind of organization. It’s a dynamic and vibrant place to work, full of expertise and creativity and commitment and experience. We have gained a reputation as a workplace that openly welcomes expertise in all forms and benefits from the diversity of our people. Your education, experience and technical expertise are the foundation that makes us all better.
CDFA employee are located throughout the state of California where agricultural production, packaging and processing occur every day of the year but also in remote rural areas where Border Protection Stations are located and throughout urban areas in farmers’ markets, schools and where many pest prevention and exclusion activities occur and verification of scales and measuring devices ensure accuracy for consumer protection and fair business practices. I am always inspired by my conversations with CDFA staff who talk with passion about the sense of mission to protect the ability of California to have a secure, safe, and healthy food and fiber production system so important to our Nation and the world.
This year, I want to also include my appreciation for the workers at the County Agricultural Commissioner and Sealers offices around our state, who are truly our partners in carrying out inspections, enforcement, outreach and so many other aspects of this work. Your local knowledge and expertise is part of the “secret sauce” that makes California agriculture taste so good and work so well.
I’m proud to work alongside you, and I’m thankful for all of the lessons and laughter and friendship along the way.
Here in California, our farmers and producers are deeply committed to sustainable agriculture. More than 98% of California farms are family-owned, and conserving resources while caring for the land ensures that it remains productive for generations to come.
Throughout April, people across the globe have celebrated Earth Month, a holiday designed to raise awareness of conservation efforts and sustainable initiatives that help ensure a healthier planet. In celebration of Earth Month, let’s learn more about sustainable agriculture and explore some of the innovative ways that farmers throughout the state have learned to work in concert with their natural environment.
What exactly is sustainability in agriculture?
The word “sustainable” is a bit of a buzzword. Over the last few decades, the term has been used carte blanche, causing a bit of confusion about what sustainability actually entails. Our friends at California Grown use “the 3Es” to help explain the three most important tenets of sustainability in agriculture.
Environmentally Sound: Environmental sustainability is the poster child for sustainable agriculture. Think solar panels, drip irrigation and cover crops.
Socially Equitable: Social equity refers to how businesses care for their people and community. Is the business making the surrounding community a better place and improving employees’ lives?
Economically Sound: We know…it’s not polite to talk about money, but in this instance, it’s hugely important. If a business can’t stay in business, the operation is not sustainable!
Sustainable agriculture looks different throughout the state
Some of the misunderstandings surrounding sustainability may stem from the fact that it’s less of a checklist and more of a moving target. Because no two farms, vineyards, ranches or dairies are the same, sustainability looks different on every one – and in many ways, there’s no true finish line. In fact, certified sustainable farms are required to continually demonstrate improvement, always seeking new ways to reduce their carbon footprint, conserve resources, preserve biodiversity, and protect the land.
Let’s take a closer look at how California farms and ranches across the state are working with their unique environments and embracing sustainable agriculture.
Tulelake Basin
Scott Sues grows horseradish and mint in Far Northern California’s Tulelake Basin, an area defined by wetlands and wildlife. The boundaries of his farmland also happen to be within one of California’s few wildlife refuges where farming is still allowed. Deer, antelope, and elk are considered part of the environment – not pests – even when they snack on mint. Scott and his team pay special attention during harvest to protect local wildlife.
Water management in the Tule Lake basin is also unique. Because the land sits on an ancient lake bed, deficit irrigation can cause the soil to crack and damage nearby roads and structures. Instead, flood irrigation helps maintain soil stability. Scott explains, “The Klamath Reclamation Project is developed in a way that brings water from the top of the system down through it. Water is applied to a farmer’s field to the north of me. Then, through a series of drain ditches, they recollect the water, pumping it up for the next farmer to use. So, the land is actually part of our sponge and part of our water supply here. By flood irrigating and moving those crops around, we’re actually sustaining the floor of our valley.”
Scott’s neighbor, Marc Staunton, grows potatoes using a wetlands rotation system—farming fields for four years, then flooding them for two years to return them to wetland conditions. Marc explains, “What we’ve found is that a two-year full-season flood almost mimics returning back to that natural state of being a perpetual wetland. There’s a dramatic reduction in disease pressure, weed pressures go way down, soil nutrients go way up. It’s like virgin soil that’s never been farmed.”
Sonoma and Napa
Emeritus Vineyards in Sebastopol CA with Winemaker Keith Hammond, Vineyard Manager Riggs Lokka, President Mari Jones – Sonoma County
Over 99% of all Sonoma vineyards are certified sustainable – making this part of California Wine Country the world’s most sustainable wine region. At Emeritus Vineyards, water conservation takes center stage. Their vineyard is exclusively dry-farmed – meaning Mother Nature is in complete control. Riggs Lokka, Emeritus’s second-generation vineyard manager, explains, “We allow rainfall to justify how vigorous the vines will be and how much crop they’ll produce.”
Part of the reason this is possible is Sonoma’s proximity to the coast, but varietal selection also plays a key role. Emeritus Vineyards specializes in Pinot Noir, a grape particularly well suited to dry farming. With less water, the vines experience mild stress, producing smaller berries with more concentrated flavor – and, consequently, sought-after wines.
In nearby Napa Valley, the vineyards and wineries are equally committed to sustainable grape growing and winemaking. Steve Matthiasson, owner and winemaker at Matthiasson Wines, was an early proponent of sustainable winemaking and even helped author the state’s first sustainability handbook, Lodi Rules. At Matthiasson Wines, Steve prioritizes soil health to improve the quality of his grapes and reduce water usage. He strategically employs cover crops to reinvigorate soil, encourage beneficial microbes and prevent water run-off. Healthier soil helps the vines become more resilient, heat-tolerant, and drought-resistant—allowing the team at Matthiasson to use less water while still producing world-class wines.
Central Valley
California sunshine isn’t just a stereotype – on average, California residents enjoy over 260 sunny days each year. The Central Valley – made up of the San Joaquin and Sacramento Valleys – boasts more sunny days than any other locale. Local growers are using this abundant, renewable energy source to their advantage in several ways.
San Joaquin Valley
Growers throughout the Central Valley specialize in vine-dried raisins. While all raisins are sun-dried grapes, traditional raisins are harvested and then laid on paper trays between the rows to dry. Vine-dried raisins remain on the vine to dry naturally, making them a more sustainable option. Drying on the vine reduces labor, paper usage and post-process production. DOV raisins also boast a higher yield – double the tonnage per acre while using the same amount of water.
DOV raisin harvest at River Ranch Raisins, Madera, California
Solar power and renewable energy are among the most recognizable sustainability practices. Growers and producers across the state have embraced solar energy to make their operations more sustainable—nowhere more so than in the Central Valley. Bee Sweet Citrus, a Central Valley citrus grower, packer, and shipper, boasts a massive solar system spanning the entire roof of its 200,000-square-foot processing facility that powers much of its operations. Relying on solar power isn’t just environmentally sustainable, it’s economically sustainable – saving the company hundreds of thousands of dollars in energy costs each year.
It’s no secret that Central Valley is home to the majority of California dairies – if you’ve ever driven down Highway 99 you’ve likely seen a fair number while traveling through. While dairies have been the source of countless click-bait headlines regarding their environmental impact, many local farm families are generating clean energy from an unexpected source – manure! At Fiscalini Farmstead, methane digesters create enough renewable energy to power the facility, along with an additional 300 homes.
Sierra Foothills
The Sierra Foothills of California, also known as Gold Country, are home to some of the state’s oldest orchards – some even dating back to the 1860s! This region was once a thriving agricultural area known for apples, stone fruit, citrus and winegrapes. Over time, production centers shifted, and many of these orchards and vineyards were abandoned.
Brendan Barnard, owner of Posterity Ciderworks, has made it his mission to seek out and rehabilitate old heirloom apple orchards throughout the Sierra Foothills. He explains, “When these orchards were abandoned, they were full-sized trees. They didn’t necessarily need irrigation and fertilization because they were growing down 30, 40, 50 feet, and they were able to tap into the native groundwater and grow in essentially a zero-input system.”
Once Brendan identifies an orchard he wants to restore, he partners with the property owners—teaching them how to properly care for the trees and, when needed, managing the orchard himself. The partnership benefits everyone involved: Brendan gains access to heirloom organic apple varieties, while landowners are compensated for their fruit – which helps fund future property maintenance and preserves the orchard.
Los Angeles County
Debellis Ranch, Los Angeles County, California
Sustainable agriculture doesn’t always require fancy technology. At DeBellis Ranch, a small family farm outside of Los Angeles, sustainability is much simpler. The U-pick flower farm employs native plants to attract pollinators, chooses drought-tolerant flower varieties like zinnias and ranunculus and boasts a unique method of “integrated pest management”. A team of adorable cats prowl the rows, eliminating threats like rats, rabbits and squirrels that would otherwise munch on the flowers. “We used to lose entire rows overnight,” owner Annji DeBellis shares with a smile. “Now? Our cats sleep in the rows and keep everything safe. And yes, we feed them, they just love to hunt.”
Yolo County
Sierra Orchards, a Regenerative Organic Walnut and Almond Grower – Winters, California
Sustainable, organic, and regenerative farming have distinct definitions, but many practices overlap. Sierra Orchards, a COOC certified walnut and almond grower in Yolo County California, embraces regenerative farming ideals – many of which also happen to be sustainable.
Cover crops are used extensively throughout the orchard to improve soil health and control weeds, pests, and diseases. Then, rather than tilling or mowing, hundreds of sheep are brought in to consume the cover crop. Sean McNamara, a second-generation farmer at Sierra Orchards explains, “The sheep incorporate the cover crop without the use of tillage. They package up those nutrients and organic matter into manure and urine, which is an amazing fertilizer. They help control insects and shoots and introduce more oxygen and sunlight to the inner orchard. Most importantly, the sheep reduce our tractor passes in half. So, whereas we would start mowing in March, we don’t have to start mowing until sometime in late June.”
San Diego
Carlsbad Strawberry Company, San Diego County, California
Carlsbad Strawberry Company is a popular U-pick farm in San Diego, California. The property has been in the family for generations, but as the San Diego metropolitan area expanded north, the once sleepy Carlsbad was suddenly prime real estate – and operation costs reflected this fact. In the early 2000s, owner Jimmy McNamara floated the idea of adding a few U-pick days at the end of the season to create a little extra income. His family initially laughed off the idea, but eventually relented.
Locals embraced Jimmy’s vision, and as word of mouth traveled, interest continued to grow. As word spread, the farm expanded the model to include seasonal events like pumpkin patches, corn mazes, and holiday celebrations.
The shift proved economically sustainable while also creating an opportunity to connect the community with agriculture. Jimmy notes, “People don’t know where their food comes from these days, and if they get to pick it and enjoy it, it’s really something else. Kids need to learn that the food doesn’t come out of a plastic bag or a clamshell.”
Article by Hilary Rance and photography by James Collier + Hilary Rance for CA GROWN.
Fort Bragg Unified offers a farm to school model of success through (clockwise from top) students pickling cucumbers from the school farm, digging into garden education, being served school meals from produce grown on campus and taking advantage of CDFA grant funding to install new sinks, a greens bubbler and an electric commercial salad spinner to dramatically increase processing efficiency.
Fort Bragg Unified School District (FBUSD) in Mendocino County offers a farm to school model of success by connecting local food procurement, scratch-cooked meals and hands-on food education to foster lifelong habits of good nutrition to its students.
Fort Bragg’s farm to school culture is built around school gardens, a school district farm, and middle and high school agriculture programs that provide students with opportunities for career exploration and growth.
With support from CDFA’s Farm to School Incubator Grant, FBUSD upgraded four school garden spaces and invested in equipment to improve the efficiency of processing produce grown at school for its cafeterias. The district also invested $30,000 (and counting) in local food procurement to purchase foods like apples, tomatoes and winter squash from local producers. CDFA grant funding also helped FBUSD hire a veteran garden teacher to provide coaching and mentorship to new educators, as well as deliver over 200 Harvest of the Month lessons featuring local farmers in which students gained a deeper understanding of food origins and community connections.
“[We’re] thrilled to have the opportunity to apply for and receive a CDFA Incubator Grant to address these critical needs and keep farm to school programs growing and thriving,” said FBUSD Director of Nutrition Services Pilar Gray. “Impact has been extraordinary!”
If you’ve ever been to Ag Day at the State Capitol, you’ve seen the remarkable range of people and organizations either directly representing the farmers and ranchers, or in a variety of ways supporting what the agricultural community does. California Agriculture Day was held April 21, 2026.
We asked California Agriculture Day attendees how their work makes California agriculture better – give a listen to what they had to say!
The videos feature CDFA Secretary Karen Ross (right) and a sample of perspectives from across California’s food supply chain (from left):
Kristin Hilleman, Director of Food and Nutrition Services for Capistrano Unified School District, representing the California School Nutrition Association at Ag Day
Cherie C. Watte, California Grown Executive Director, partnering with CDFA to host Ag Day
Michael Ackley-Grady representing CDFA’s Farm to School and Farm to Fork programs at Ag Day
Happy Earth Day! We celebrated California Agriculture Day on the steps of the California Capitol just yesterday, and it helps provide a particularly positive perspective for our observance of Earth Day today.
Especially in California, agriculture has an important role to play in building climate-smart and highly resilient food systems.
Earth Day is an excellent opportunity to highlight the recent launch of the California Agricultural Research and Innovation Roadmap, a collaborative project with our UC and CSU systems, Community Colleges, the Ag Tech Alliance, and Western Growers. It’s an ambitious and important effort to bring innovative, science-based solutions to the challenges we face in a hotter, drier future. It presents key objectives to help us achieve climate resiliency as presented in last month’s release of the Climate Resilience Strategy for California Agriculture.
Through CDFA’s Climate Smart Agriculture programs, we support farmers and ranchers in adopting practices and technologies that prepare them for drought, extreme heat, shifting pest pressures, and other climate challenges, while continuing to feed communities across California and beyond.
Through innovative programs, collaborative partnerships, and science-driven on-farm practices, we provide practical tools to enhance environmental and economic sustainability. From the ways we address pest infestations and quarantines, to the ways we respond to diseases that threaten the health of livestock, to the ways we support local and regional food systems through our Farm to Fork and Farm to School program to connect institutional procurement to markets for growers implementing climate-smart practices, we strive to make modern agriculture part of the solution. As an important economic driver and as an agricultural community, we are helping California achieve its ambitious climate goals, bring more nutritious, delicious food to students and families, and deliver our bounty to consumers at the local farmers’ market and on commodity exchanges around the globe.
California agriculture is recognized not only for its quality and quantity, but also for the sustainable, innovative, forward-thinking way our food is grown. Earth Day is about celebrating the progress we have made – together.
California Agriculture Day, the state’s annual celebration of agriculture on the west steps of the State Capitol, brought together farmers, ranchers, agricultural enthusiasts and leaders today around this year’s theme: “California Leads.”
California’s First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom joined the celebration, praised the much-needed rain, and connected the economic might of the industry and the productivity of its people to the health of students and the pride of all Californians. CDFA Secretary Karen Ross toured the booths, displays and demonstrations, and thanked California farmers, ranchers and agricultural stakeholders for their leadership.
California Agriculture Day returns to the west steps of the State Capitol tomorrow: Tuesday, April 21, 2026. Come on out and help us celebrate our agricultural community!
The event is open to elected officials and staff from 10:30 am – 11:30 am and open to the public from 11:30 am – 1:30 pm.
Our theme this year is “California Leads,” a nod to all of the ways our farmers, ranchers and rural communities lead the nation and the world when it comes to productivity, innovation and sustainability.
2026 is the International Year of the Woman Farmer, so we will also be celebrating the achievements of California women in agriculture, who outpace the national average by making up 38% of producers and operating more farms than any other major ag state.
