Monthly Archives: October 2022

By CDFA Secretary Karen Ross My week in New Zealand touched on the similarities between our countries and the shared climate challenges related to agricultural production and sustainability, workforce development, and water. We met with growers who are staying on … Continue reading →

CDFA California Farm to School Program staff joined California First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom and local officials to tour Hoover High School in San Diego Unified School District earlier this week to see farm to school in action during Farm … Continue reading →

Governor’s Office News Release Less than a year after Governor Gavin Newsom issued an executive order targeted at relieving supply chain congestion, the pandemic-induced backlog of cargo ships at the state’s ports is rapidly fading. With the focus turning to … Continue reading →

CDFA plans to be on on hand to meet with growers and ranchers at the Latino Farmer Conference on November 17 and 18 in Escondido. The National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) and USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Services (NRCS California) are … Continue reading →

By CDFA Secretary Karen Ross Our travel today in New Zealand took us to the country’s vegetable bowl, the Pukekohe area near Auckland, which encompasses more than 10,000 acres and produces 26 percent of the nation’s vegetables by value. The … Continue reading →

Farmers and ranchers in the Delta interested in receiving financial incentives to reduce their water use and protect wildlife and water quality can now apply to participate in the Delta Drought Response Pilot Program launched by the State of California. … Continue reading →

By CDFA Secretary Karen Ross On the second day of New Zealand’s 2035 Oceania Summit, I had an opportunity to meet with Minister of Agriculture Damien O’Connor to discuss the aligned values of California and New Zealand on climate change. This bilateral … Continue reading →

By CDFA Secretary Karen Ross With themes of collaboration, innovation, and local solutions, the 2035 Oceania Summit in Auckland, New Zealand opened with a traditional Māori Pōhwiri (welcoming), including an emphasis on the wisdom of sharing traditional Baskets of Knowledge … Continue reading →

The California Underserved and Small Producers Grant Program (CUSP) was created through the 2021-2022 Budget Act and facilitates direct assistance to individual small and mid-scale and socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers who are facing challenges related to the current drought. … Continue reading →