Planting Seeds - Food & Farming News from CDFA

Monthly Archives: December 2020

12 Days of Gratitude – Day #8, gratitude for commitments to equity and diversity

I am grateful for the important work of state government to ensure our programs and services can benefit every community of concern.  COVID-19 has starkly demonstrated disproportionate impacts to vulnerable populations, which makes Governor Newsom’s commitment to diversity and racial … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

12 Days of Gratitude with Secretary Karen Ross – Day #7, gratitude for Certified Farmers’ Markets

As the COVID-19 outbreak spread earlier this year and Californians were facing challenges brought-on by quarantine directives, certified farmers’ markets emerged as even greater essential hubs of local food availability. While initial disruptions in national and regional supply chains created … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

12 Days of Gratitude with Secretary Karen Ross – Day #6, gratitude for fairs

As a 4-H kid who loved the annual county fair growing up, I have a special appreciation for our state’s fairgrounds and the people who operate them.  I am especially grateful for the evolution of these properties into a critically … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

12 Days of Gratitude with Secretary Karen Ross – Day #5, gratitude for climate-smart agriculture

Through the many challenges of 2020, I am exceptionally thankful for the leadership of California farmers and ranchers who are implementing climate-smart agriculture practices and embracing innovation for climate and water resiliency.  These adaptations are essential if California is to … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Governor Newsom Signs Executive Order on Actions in Response to COVID-19, Including Extending Housing for Migrant Ag Workers

Governor Gavin Newsom today issued an executive order addressing a variety of issues in response to the pandemic, including extending the availability of housing for migrant agricultural workers, providing a 90-day extension on tax returns and tax payments for small businesses and … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

California Farmworker Foundation partnering with state to administer COVID-19 tests

The California Farmworker Foundation has joined a pilot project with the state of California to administer COVID-19 tests in the field for farmworkers. On October 30th, Governor Newsom announced the opening of the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) Valencia … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

12 days of Gratitude with Secretary Karen Ross – Day #4, gratitude for partnerships dedicated to poultry health

Some of the good news to emerge from 2020 included the eradication of Virulent Newcastle Disease (VND), a deadly bird illness that poses a threat to avian populations across the country. The outbreak began in Southern California in 2018 and … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

12 days of Gratitude with Secretary Karen Ross – Day #3, gratitude for commitments to food security

One of the first issues to emerge in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic was a food emergency. Farmers and ranchers who supplied restaurants, hotels, schools and other institutional food service customers suddenly saw those channels shut down. On the … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

12 Days of Gratitude with Secretary Karen Ross – Day #2, gratitude for CDFA employees

The many challenges of 2020 have included dramatic changes in the ways that CDFA employees—as well as a large number of workers in the public and private sectors—do their jobs. We have asked our employees to telework, or work from … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

California Horticulture Sales reach $2.63 Billion in 2019

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) has released the 2019 Census of Horticultural Specialties report, the only source of detailed production and sales data for floriculture, nursery, and specialty crops for the entire United States. The … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment