CDFA's Planting Seeds Blog

Video: CDFA helps California’s Hmong farmers conserve water and reduce emissions

Posted on January 4, 2018 by Office of Public Affairs

California farmers Fong Tchieng and Vang C. Thao have a lot in common. They both have farming operations in the Central Valley. They both belong to the state’s vibrant – and growing – Hmong farming community. And most importantly, they have both partnered with state agencies to save water and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Funded through California’s Cap-and-Trade Program and administered by the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), the State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program, or SWEEP, has helped both these growers conserve water and reduce emissions by installing water and energy saving technologies.

Both Mr. Tchieng and Mr. Thao have used SWEEP dollars to invest in technologies like energy efficient pumps, drip irrigation systems and flow meters. According to the growers, these investments have helped them save water and reduce energy costs.

“This is a big upgrade compared to what we had,” said Kong Thao, who helps his father run their 34 acre farm in Fresno, CA. “With the water system that we have now, we’re finally at a point where we can relax a little and be able to do this for many years to come.”

Like other growers, California Hmong farmers have also struggled with the prolonged effects of the State’s historic drought. According to a 2016 survey conducted by the University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE), 52 separate operations said the drought had affected their farm. The survey also found that 22 percent of growers said their wells had dried up, and 51 percent reported a decreased water flow.

But unlike larger growers, many Hmong farmers do not always have the resources or necessary information to get help. To help bridge this gap, CDFA has partnered with UCCE to assist farmers in the SWEEP application process.

“California’s Hmong community plays an integral role in this state’s agricultural bounty,” said CDFA Secretary Karen Ross. “We need to continue working with our partners to make sure that SWEEP dollars are available for all those who qualify, regardless of their size or resources.”

Since its inception in 2014, SWEEP has extended funding to 587 projects, totaling more than $62 million. To learn more about SWEEP, please visit: https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/oefi/sweep/. You can also click here to see more videos on additional SWEEP awardees.

Posted in Climate Smart Agriculture, Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Another beautiful weekend for California Grown at Tournament of Roses

Posted on January 3, 2018 by Office of Public Affairs

CDFA secretary Karen Ross participated in the Tournament of Roses at the annual certification of floats and other parade vehicles as California Grown. The certification is for vehicles containing at least 85 percent California flowers. In this photo Secretary Ross joins a Melitta Kauppinen, a Cal Poly engineering student who was part of the university’s Rose Float team. The secretary was once Melitta’s Sunday School teacher at a Sacramento church.

The Cal Poly float “Dreams Take Flight,” a collaborative student-led effort from the Pomona and San Luis Obispo campuses,won the Past Presidents Award for innovation in the use of floral and non-floral elements.

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“Holiday Farmers Market” helps kids practice food literacy over holiday break

Posted on December 27, 2017 by Office of Public Affairs

CDFA Deputy Secretary Jenny Lester Moffitt recently joined CDFA’s Farm to Fork staff at St. Hope Public School 7 in the Sacramento area to help distribute donated produce to students and families in low-income areas.

In partnership with Trinity Fresh, the Food Literacy Center hosted this “Holiday Farmers Market” at three elementary schools in the Sacramento City Unified School District Dec. 19-21.

With the distribution of 7,500 pieces of fresh produce, this program provided students and their families with 5 servings per day for 5 days to satisfy the recommended daily servings of fruits and vegetables.

CDFA Deputy Secretary Jenny Lester Moffitt with students from St. Hope Public School 7.

CDFA Deputy Secretary Jenny Lester Moffitt helps students choose fruits and vegetables.

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Remembering Christmases on the Farm

Posted on December 22, 2017 by Karen Ross, Secretary, California Department of Food and Agriculture

Remembering Christmas on the family farm in Nebraska

By CDFA Secretary Karen Ross

As Christmas approaches this year, I’ve been on the road quite a bit and I’ve spoken with a lot of farmers and their families. On the drive back from Monterey, and before that from Napa and Sonoma, and up and down the Central Valley, I’ve seen the lights strung along fence lines, and the festive decorations at our wineries and dairies and so many other kinds of farms and ranches and agricultural operations.

I find myself getting a bit nostalgic this year, remembering Christmases on my own family’s farm in western Nebraska. How the snow and the solitude and the silence were such a part of the season. How family was always at the center of it. How there was still work to do – no presents were opened on Christmas morning until the cattle were fed! Even when everything was weighted by a chill, we would take the time to simply be with one another during the holidays, sharing stories, laughing, enjoying good food – lots of it – and letting the laughter seal our memories of things truly worth remembering about each other, about all that binds us together the rest of the year.

Surrounded by wide open spaces on the family farm in Nebraska

There is something special about Christmas on a farm, and it warms my heart to know that so many of the people I work with, both here at CDFA and in the larger agricultural community, are experiencing it as part of their family’s celebration this season. This farm girl is the luckiest person in the world to get to do what I am so passionate about for people and issues. Though I work in an office most days now, I remember Christmas on the farm, surrounded by the land (these pictures show the wide open spaces of my childhood) and immersed in all the potential that the land gives us. It makes me proud to work for farmers, for ranchers, for Californians who appreciate what this industry does, what it means. And, I am especially grateful for the fantastic people who work at CDFA. They are dedicated true public servants!

So Merry Christmas to you. And especially for those of you spending the season on the farm, enjoy your family and all that is so special about this wonderful place, California, that agriculture calls home.

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Video – Happy holidays from the California Almond Board

Posted on December 22, 2017 by Office of Public Affairs

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Annual Food Drive Demonstrates Spirit of Giving

Posted on December 21, 2017 by Office of Public Affairs

The annual California State Employees Food Drive, chaired by CDFA, is showing strong momentum as it aims for a goal of 800,000 pounds of food for needy Californians. CDFA employees are demonstrating the Department’s commitment this season through a series of events.

Each year CDFA joins other agencies in placing barrels in common office spaces for donations, and each year the agency hosts “Coffee with the Secretary” to help fill those barrels. This year’s event, bringing CDFA employees together with Secretary Ross in a casual holiday atmosphere, resulted in generous donations of food and cash.

Prior to Thanksgiving CDFA employees donated over 1,100 pounds of turkey to support the annual Turkey Drive. Turkeys were distributed by the Sacramento Food Bank and Family Services and helped provide Thanksgiving dinner for many in the region.

CDFA employees also supported the Food Drive by participating in the annual Run to Feed the Hungry, organized by the Sacramento Food Bank and Family Services. Registration fees alone raised over $500 and provided a great opportunity to get out and enjoy some exercise and fresh air before Thanksgiving celebrations.

The Food Drive kicked off on September 29 with a Certified Farmers’ Market produce donation event in downtown Sacramento. A short time later CDFA organized a benefit golf tournament that raised enough money for 8,000 pounds of food, the equivalent of 6,667 meals. The golf tournament provided an opportunity for some of CDFA’s stakeholders to participate in the Food Drive through sponsorships, including the California Strawberry Commission, the Olive Oil Commission of California, California Cherries, California Pears, and California Grain and Feed Association. We appreciate their generosity.

The need for food in California is substantial. According to the California Association of Food Banks, 5.4 million Californians contend with food insecurity, which is defined as the occasional or constant lack of access to the food one needs for a healthy, active life. More than two-million of those people are children. That need is what motivates California state employees to commit to this effort each and every year.

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Video: Climate Smart Agriculture in action at Russow Farms

Posted on December 20, 2017 by Office of Public Affairs

The California Department of Food and Agriculture’s (CDFA) investments in irrigation technology and other advancements through its State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program (SWEEP) are explored in this video about Russow Farms.

Through the SWEEP program, CDFA’s Office of Environmental Farming and Innovation provides financial assistance in the form of grants to implement irrigation systems that reduce greenhouse gases and save water on California farms.

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CDFA veterinarian wins prestigious national award

Posted on December 19, 2017 by Office of Public Affairs

Dr. Kent Fowler

CDFA Animal Health branch chief Dr. Kent Fowler was honored this year by the United States Animal Health Association (USAHA) with its National Assembly Award, presented annually in recognition of outstanding, dedicated service and leadership in regulatory veterinary medicine.

Dr. Fowler was recognized for his work in preparation for potential future outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease; for his support and acceptance of an official treatment for Piroplasmosis in horses, including efforts to establish a communications infrastructure for equine diseases; and for working closely with public health and animal health officials on bovine tuberculosis issues.

“Dr. Fowler’s many years of distinguished service in California uniquely qualify him for this award,” said California State Veterinarian Dr. Annette Jones. “Besides advocating nationally for new, practical regulatory approaches to disease control, Dr. Fowler’s experience in private practice solidified his understanding of the realities of animal production and the importance of practical solutions to challenging problems.”

Before joining CDFA in 2004, Dr. Fowler practiced large-animal veterinary medicine on the central coast of California for nearly 30 years. He attended UC Davis, receiving both his B.S and Doctorate degrees there.

The USAHA works with state and federal governments, universities, veterinarians, livestock producers, national livestock and poultry organizations, research scientists, the extension service and several foreign countries to control livestock diseases in the United States. USAHA represents all 50 states, 4 foreign countries and 34 allied groups serving health, technical and consumer markets.

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Video – Meet a CDFA veterinarian in the field

Posted on December 18, 2017 by Office of Public Affairs

Thank you to the California Association of Professional Scientists for this video.

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Holiday celebrations and food drive donations around CDFA

Posted on December 15, 2017 by Office of Public Affairs

Cookies, cocoa and canned goods donations for the annual California State Employees Food Drive set the mood this morning at California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) offices throughout the Sacramento area as CDFA Secretary Karen Ross and Acting Undersecretary Kevin Masuhara made their annual holiday visits. Sharing a snack with staff members and seeing the cheerfully decorated trees and cubicles has become a holiday tradition at the department.