The state budget signed by Governor Newsom for 2025-2026 includes $600 million for CDFA programs, between baseline funding for core programs and new funding for the following projects:

Animal and Human Health Emergency Infrastructure: The budget includes $6.1 million and 29 positions to allow CDFA to effectively respond to the current and continued threats to animal and human health due to outbreaks of various animal health diseases, including strains of the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (Bird Flu) in California.

Advancing Farm to School: The Budget includes $24.9 million to advance the California Farm to School Network and California Farm to School Incubator Grant Program; and to further the recommendations of the Farm to School Roadmap for Success. The CDFA Farm to School Program will create equitable access to locally grown, climate-smart foods and hands-on educational opportunities through the Farm to School Incubator Grant Program, Farm to School Network regional events, conferences, and training opportunities; and through climate smart technical assistance for producers within the network.

Security and Infrastructure Remediation: The budget includes $2.5 million and 5 positions to manage, implement, and maintain remediation efforts to address real-time and critical information technology security vulnerabilities, and to provide urgent and ongoing management and monitoring of new critical security services.  This is in response to a cybersecurity incident and privacy data breach that the department experienced.  These resources will enhance CDFA’s information technology security framework to safeguard CDFA’s critical assets and sensitive data.

Turlock North Valley Animal Health Laboratory Operational Support: The budget includes $1.6 million to fund the increased costs associated with the new Turlock laboratory, which is scheduled to be competed in December 2025.  This new laboratory will enhance CDFA’s ability to detect, prevent, and respond to animal health disease outbreaks, enhance food safety, and protect public health.

Meadowview Biological Control Office Repairs and Laboratory Replacement: The budget includes $353,000 for the preliminary plans phase for the repair and replacement of the Meadowview Biological Control Program office and laboratory facilities. The Biological Control Program’s mission is to minimize the economic and environmental impact of noxious invasive weeds and exotic insect pests by facilitating the importation and establishment of their co-evolved natural enemies.  The current facilities are in a state of disrepair and lack the capacity to meet the Program’s operational needs.  The anticipated completion date of this project is October 2028.

Office of Pesticide Consultation and Analysis – Consultative Workload and Grants:  The Budget includes $1.5 million to address increased research costs to implement activities identified in the Sustainable Pest Management Roadmap, and to provide increased consultative support to the Department of Pesticide Regulation on pesticide review.  These resources will allow CDFA to fund additional research grants to develop pesticide alternatives to mitigate delisting and new restrictions on existing pesticides.

From a California Grown News Release

CA GROWN has unveiled a new digital destination—Experience California Agriculture—to spotlight the state’s diverse and dynamic agritourism offerings. From u-pick orchards and vineyard tours to farm stays and farm-to-table restaurants, the website serves as a gateway to authentic California farm-fresh food and farm experiences.

The newly launched platform offers interactive maps, regional guides, and curated directories for farm stands, farm stores, u-pick farms, family-friendly destinations, educational programs, and more. Designed for travelers, educators, and food lovers alike, the site emphasizes sustainability, accessibility, and the deep connection between California’s agricultural communities and those who want to experience them firsthand.

“California is more than the country’s leading agricultural state—it’s a living classroom and a place where food, family, and farming intersect in powerful ways,” said California Secretary of Agriculture Karen Ross. “This new website makes it easier than ever for people to connect with the people and places who grow our food and steward our land.”

Visitors can browse by region or category, explore detailed listings with real-time updates for everything from coastal farm tours to inland olive oil tastings. The site also features seasonal content, trip ideas, and tips for responsibly enjoying California’s working landscapes. CA GROWN partnered with MJR Creative Group of Fresno, CA to develop the site.

“Agritourism is how we bring the story of CA GROWN to life,” said Cherie Watte, Executive Director of the Buy California Marketing Agreement/CA GROWN. “This site is not just a tool for travel—it’s a way to build understanding and appreciation for the incredible diversity of crops, communities, and experiences found across the Golden State.”

The launch of Experience California Agriculture comes at a time when interest in local food, outdoor travel, and hands-on learning continues to grow. By bridging the gap between consumers and producers, the site helps ensure that the benefits of agritourism flow directly to California’s family farms and rural economies.

CA GROWN is an initiative of the California Department of Food and Agriculture, promoting the people and products behind California’s diverse agricultural bounty. Learn more at californiagrown.org.

On Sunday, June 15, 2025, CDFA employees proudly participated in the annual Sacramento Pride March. The event, which brought together thousands of participants and supporters, celebrated LGBTQ+ pride, resilience, and community. CDFA was honored to walk in solidarity, showing its commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

June is LGBTQ+ Pride Month — a time to celebrate progress, honor history, and reaffirm the agency’s support for LGBTQ+ rights. Pride Month traces its roots to the early morning hours of June 28, 1969, when patrons of the Stonewall Inn stood up to police during a raid. That resistance sparked the Stonewall Uprising, a pivotal moment in the LGBTQ+ civil rights movement. The first Pride march took place one year later and has grown into a nationwide celebration.

Thank you to everyone who joined CDFA in the march. A special thank you to Secretary Ross for sponsoring the participation and to Carl Baum for providing Pride T-shirts for CDFA marchers.

Pride Month Events
The CDFA DEI Committee invites all staff to continue celebrating Pride Month by attending upcoming events:

Pride Panel Discussion Moderated by Undersecretary Christine Birdsong
Date: Tuesday, June 17, 2025
Time: 11:30 am – 12:30 am
Zoom Registration Link: Register Here

Virtual Lunch & Learn: Cody Nicholson Stratton from Foggy Bottom Boys Farm
Foggy Bottom Farm is a 6^th generation organic dairy farm operating since the 1860’s in the foggy bottoms of the Eel River Valley on the North Coast of California.

Date: Thursday, June 19, 2025
Time: 11:30 am – 12:30 pm
Registration:  Zoom Link

CDFA’s report “Progress for California” highlights a variety of ways that agency programs benefit the state. A prime example is our work to prevent invasive fruit flies from becoming established and threatening our food supply.

Each year brings new infestations to the state, and each year CDFA successfully eradicates those infestations. An especially challenging year was a period spanning parts of 2023 and 2024, when there were record numbers of infestations and 17 different quarantines around the state.

Working with partners at agricultural commissioners’ offices, the USDA, and within the grower community, CDFA achieved 100 percent eradication, adding to its stellar record over the last five decades.

Learn more about invasive fruit fly prevention and eradication

Today, May 29, is National Learn About Composting Day! Ever wonder what happens to the banana peels and yard clippings you toss in the green bin?

In this video, Dana Yount, an environmental scientist at the California Department of Food and Agriculture, along with Henry Lou of Northern Recycling, and Kristen Pidcock, senior environmental scientist for CalRecycle, take us behind the scenes at one of the state’s largest composting facilities. From green bin to garden-ready compost, discover how your food scraps and yard clippings are transformed into nutrient-rich compost that supports local farms, gardens, and the environment.

Learn about the step-by-step process—from sorting and grinding to curing—and the surprising benefits compost offers, from improving soil health to boosting water retention and even helping fight erosion.

Discover how composting can enrich your soil and boost your farm’s sustainability. CDFA offers comprehensive resources, from technical assistance to incentive programs such as the Healthy Soils Program, to support your composting journey. Learn more at https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/healthysoils/ofcwg.html

In recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, Secretary Karen Ross shares an important reminder about the emotional well-being of our farmers, ranchers, and farmworkers — especially in immigrant and rural communities.

CDFA is partnering with trusted organizations to launch the Farmer and Farmworker Mental Health Resources hub, available in English, Spanish, and other languages.

Featured in the video are vital services, all free, confidential, and available 24/7 to support individuals and families in agriculture.

Join us in spreading awareness and connecting our agricultural communities with the support they deserve. Explore resources at www.cdfa.ca.gov

California FFA student Brendy Puckett earns inaugural $10,000 scholarship from Youth for the Quality Care of Animals (YQCA)

Livestock exhibitions are a hallmark of local and state fairs, and teaching our student exhibitors how to care for their animals in preparation for the fair season is an important opportunity to pass on these important skills and values.

Livestock exhibitors participating in a fair in the Network of California Fairs are required to participate in Youth for the Quality Care of Animals (YQCA), a national, multi-species quality assurance program for youth ages 8 to 21. In 2025, YQCA begins its inaugural scholarship program, with a total of $30,000 going to seven students chosen from among the approximately 76,000 annual users throughout the US – including more than 15,000 in California this year.

The top scholarship award of $10,000 goes to Brendy Puckett, a senior at Peter Johansen High School in Modesto, who participates in FFA. In the award announcement, YQCA noted, “Brendy stood out as an exceptional candidate due to her deep-rooted passion for agriculture, her experience raising multiple species of livestock, her commitment to learning and growth, and her aspiration to become an agriculture teacher — a path through which she hopes to inspire future generations of agricultural leaders.”

The YQCA Board has two California representatives: Tara Beach with the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, and JessaLee Goehring with the California FFA Association, California Department of Education. 

The YQCA program focuses on three pillars: Food Safety, Animal Well-Being, and Character Development. All livestock exhibitors who show animals during the annual fairs in California must take this age-based training annually. YQCA was developed back in 2017, and CDFA’s Fairs & Expositions Branch began requiring the training the following year. YQCA is available as an online program for youth everywhere in the US, and certification is also available through instructor-led training and a test-out program. YQCA collects fees for providing the curriculum and training, funding both the program’s operations and the scholarships.

CDFA’s Office of Farm to Fork is pleased to announce that 12 projects across the state and the people they serve are now benefiting from more than $30 million in California Nutrition Incentive Program (CNIP) Grant funding.

The projects will endeavor to increase the purchase of California-grown fresh fruit and vegetables by CalFresh shoppers at 303 Certified Farmers’ Markets, Community Supported Agriculture programs, mobile markets, and small retailers statewide.

2025 CNIP Grant funding is being distributed in two phases over 2.5 years. Phase I this year is comprised solely of state funding. Phase II next year is state funding that may be augmented by federal funding. Grantees are eligible to receive funding in both phases.  

CNIP has been shown to support CalFresh shoppers by empowering them to increase their consumption of fruits and vegetables. For every benefit dollar they spend, shoppers receive an additional dollar that can be spent on fruits and vegetables at the market or retail outlet, within set parameters.

“I’m eating better because I can afford to get fresh food, fresh vegetables and fruit that I wouldn’t get otherwise,” a CalFresh shopper said about the program in a study by the Nutrition Policy Institute (UC Agriculture and Natural Resources). “It gives me a chance to taste and to eat foods that I might not otherwise be exposed to.”

CNIP supports local farmers by increasing demand for their California-grown fresh fruits and vegetables. CNIP has been shown to have a positive effect on the local economy, with every $1 in CNIP incentives generating $3 in local economic activity.

A detailed list of grantees and project descriptions is available on the CNIP webpage. 
 
CNIP is administered by CDFA’s Office of Farm to Fork, which leads CDFA’s food access work.