By CDFA Secretary Karen Ross I was pleased to visit Riverside County earlier this week to learn more about two major efforts to protect California agriculture. The day started with a visit to the joint CDFA/USDA virulent Newcastle disease (VND) … Continue reading →

By Kaitlin Washburn The Citrus Pest and Disease Prevention Committee (an advisory body to CDFA and citrus growers) has endorsed a set of best practices on how to combat huanglongbing (HLB), a disease that devastates citrus orchards. The recommendations were … Continue reading →

By Jules Bernstein, UCR UC Riverside scientists have decoded the genome of black-eyed peas, offering hope for feeding Earth’s expanding population, especially as the climate changes.  Understanding the genes responsible for the peas’ drought and heat tolerance eventually could help … Continue reading →

The California Department of Food and Agriculture is celebrating its 100th anniversary as a state agency in 2019. Throughout the year this blog will feature a number of items to commemorate this milestone. Today we continue with the Centennial Reflections video … Continue reading →

CDFA undersecretary Jenny Lester Moffitt and Department of Pesticide Regulation acting director Val Dolcini recently traveled to Riverside County to join a tour of several projects being utilized in the Asian citrus psyllid/huanglongbing eradication program, with an emphasis on integrated … Continue reading →

Statement from California State Veterinarian Dr. Annette Jones Thanks to cooperation from Southern California residents in very difficult circumstances, and a tremendous commitment from emergency response teams, the joint CDFA/USDA Virulent Newcastle Disease Project has found no new positive detections … Continue reading →

The California Department of Food and Agriculture is celebrating its 100th anniversary as a state agency in 2019. Throughout the year this blog will feature a number of items to commemorate this milestone. Today we continue with the Centennial Reflections … Continue reading →

By Julia Mitric As a generation of farmers in California enters retirement age, these growers and ranchers face difficult choices about what to do with their farms and how to support themselves as they age. There is no “cookie-cutter formula” … Continue reading →

Secretary Karen Ross with the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) was very pleased this afternoon with Governor Gavin Newsom’s announcement that he has confirmed the appointments of current CDFA Undersecretary Jenny Lester Moffitt and CDFA Deputy Secretary Rachael O’Brien. Secretary Ross also … Continue reading →