Join us today in recognizing Learn About Composting Day. Compost reduces waste, builds soil organic matter, and provides rich benefits for growing at any scale. In this video, a CDFA compost specialist shows us preparations for planting trees on a California farm and points out the critical role of compost.
Learn more about compost and CDFA’s Healthy Soils Program.
Congratulations to Central Valley farmer Joe del Bosque for recently being recognized at the California State Capitol with the 2024 Latino Spirit Award. Joe was nominated and presented with the award by Assembly Agriculture Committee Chair Esmeralda Soria.
“Joe Del Bosque is an example of the best in agriculture in the Central Valley. His work and advocacy has benefited our communities and state. Joe has uplifted Latinos in all of the spaces he has been a trailblazer in. I am honored to recognize Joe at the State Capitol for his impact and contributions to California agriculture with the 2024 Latino Spirit Award,” California State Assembly Agriculture Chair Soria said.
“Joe’s well-deserved recognition highlights his exemplary leadership in his local community and his significant role as a leader in California agriculture. He and his family are always welcoming to visitors, whether it’s school children or international visitors. I especially appreciate his passion for improving the health and safety of farmworkers,” California Department of Food and Agriculture Secretary Karen Ross said.
The California Latino Legislative Caucus presents the annual Latino Spirit Award honor to prominent Latinos in technology, business, education, public service, and various other fields.
In this CDFA video, Del Bosque talks about his family’s farming operation in Firebaugh, California.
During Mental Health Awareness Month, CDFA emphasizes the agency’s mental health resources webpage tailored to the agricultural community. Available in both English and Spanish, these resources aim to provide crucial support during challenging times.
CDFA Secretary Karen Ross emphasizes the importance of recognizing the stressors that can occur in farming and agriculture, underlining the availability of mental health resources. “Farming and agriculture can be stressful, and we want to remind the farming community of the mental health resources that are available,” she said. “We are grateful to our partners in providing the necessary resources for mental health support in our communities.”
Governor Newsom’s recent announcement of www.MentalHealth.CA.Gov further underscores the commitment to mental health support by the State of California. This comprehensive website serves as a one-stop hub for a diverse array of resources aimed at supporting the mental well-being of all Californians.
Agriculture was one of the key themes for the Punjabi American Working Group at its workshop on Saturday, May 18, at the Madera Gurudwara Sahib. CDFA representatives from the Office of Environmental Farming and Innovation and the Citrus Pest and Disease Prevention Division, were on-hand to provide information about the agency’s programs.
This event brought together farmers, industry experts, and state and federal government representatives to discuss pressing issues and opportunities in agriculture. The workshop covered a wide range of topics including global marketing challenges, the sustainability of family farms, climate change, and drought resilience.
CDFA Secretary Karen Ross delivered a video address, highlighting the vital contributions of Punjabi farmers to California’s agriculture. She expressed excitement about the newly established Punjabi American Growers Group (PAGG) and emphasized the importance of culturally appropriate and multilingual technical assistance for climate-smart agriculture, underscoring the partnership with technical assistance provider Farms-R-Us.
She noted their significant roles in growing crops like rice, walnuts, peaches, almonds, and raisins, and highlighted the remarkable growth in the Central Valley and southern San Joaquin areas. “The role of Punjabi immigrants and the contributions that Punjabi farmers have made in the transformation of California agriculture over the 100 years that we’ve been welcoming people from the Punjabi region of India is invaluable,” said Secretary Ross. “I am especially excited about the partnership that we now have with your organization working with a technical assistance provider called Farms-R-Us on all things climate-smart agriculture.”
The event also included updates on water markets, drought resilience, and the impacts of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) on farming. Participants had the opportunity to engage in roundtable discussions, network during lunch, and visit the vendor expo for additional information. Key partners in the event included USDA Natural Resources Conservation Services (NRCS), CDFA, the Department of Water Resources (DWR), local Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs), UC Agriculture and Natural Resources (UCANR), the Farm Service Agency (FSA), CSU Water, and several agricultural organizations like the Almond Board and Blue Diamond.
Congratulations to the Punjabi American Growers Group on a successful event and thank you to all who participated and contributed to its success.
California, home to an astonishing variety of plants, animals and other organisms, is a global biodiversity hotspot. Conserving this rich biological diversity requires creativity and collaboration. In 2018, the California Biodiversity Initiative was launched to secure the future of our state’s biodiversity by integrating its protection into California’s environmental and economic efforts.
With Executive Order N-82-20, Governor Newsom set a bold goal: conserving 30% of California’s lands and coastal waters by 2030. This 30×30 initiative aims to conserve and restore biodiversity, expand access to nature, and enhance climate resilience through voluntary, collaborative action.
Together, we can protect the incredible biodiversity that makes California unique. Learn more about CDFA’s efforts and activities related to the California Biodiversity Initiative.
With approximately 270 attendees at the UC Davis State of the Science Summit: Strategies to Reduce Livestock Methane, California Department of Food and Agriculture Secretary Karen Ross, kicked off the two-day event (May 21-22) this morning at UC Davis. Hosted by the CDFA and the UC Davis College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, the event gathers experts and stakeholders to discuss strategies for reducing methane emissions in animal agriculture.
The summit began with a welcome address by CDFA Deputy Secretary for Climate and Working Lands Virginia Jameson, followed by an opening presentation from Secretary Ross.
The Secretary talked about the importance of partnerships to address climate. “Government has to get the policy right as a signal to markets. Using the cap-and-trade approach has generated revenues from auctions to invest in our transition to carbon neutrality. That’s been especially important for California agriculture, where nearly one billion dollars in total investments have gone to climate smart ag practices and programs,” said Secretary Ross. “We cannot do our work without research and technical assistance. Our friends in academia are critically important to generating that objective, evidence-based science and data, as well as the social science of how behavior changes happen.”
Secretary Ross also stressed the significance of the private sector and the importance of voluntary incentive approaches to help make a difference. “But in all of this, we cannot forget the technical assistance providers,” added Secretary Ross, and thanked the USDA California Natural Resources Conservation Service among other organizations providing technical assistance to farmers, ranchers and the agricultural community.
On the summit’s key theme regarding methane reduction, Secretary Ross thanked dairy farmers in California for the progress the state has made in reducing livestock methane emissions. “Our dairy families have been leaders; they’ve done it with developers of dairy digesters, and they’ve done it with Resource Conservation District, Cooperative Extension and others to really support the adoption of these alternative manure management practices.”
On methane reduction targets, Secretary Ross said that since 2016, to meet the 40 percent reduction goal, California is approximately halfway there with dairy digesters. And the state, which has invested $227 million for 140 projects, with $489 million in matching funds altogether with alternative manure and healthy soils programs, has helped reduce, over a ten-year period, approximately 25 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents.
Robert Bonnie, Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation at the USDA, followed Secretary Ross and provided a national perspective on enteric methane. Secretary Ross and Under Secretary Bonnie helped set the stage for a series of informative presentations and panel discussions, with an engaging fireside conversation, moderated by Dean Helene Dillard, of the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at UC Davis.
Today, the Summit continues with more sessions and opportunities for collaboration. Tomorrow marks the final day, where participants will discuss research and strategies that can help the dairy and beef industries achieve their climate goals. CDFA Undersecretary Christine Birdsong is scheduled to deliver the closing address.
As interest in regenerative agriculture continues to grow, we are seeing the introduction and evolution of the term in California policies and programs. From references in legislation to inclusion in government programs, as well as policies promoting local food systems – the term regenerative agriculture is now widely used in California.
The principles behind the concept of regenerative agriculture reflect practices that have been used by any number of farmers as well as Native American Tribes for generations. Even so, the regenerative terminology is gaining traction and support like never before due in part to the ongoing climate change and biodiversity crises.
CDFA will host the second Regenerative Agriculture Work Group Session this Friday, May 24 from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m, both in-person at the CDFA Headquarters auditorium (1220 N Street, Sacramento, CA 95814) and virtually on Zoom. To register for the event, please use the link: https://csus.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMkc-mhqDorEtMFnsJNFil2GR2758yIzXSs#/registration
In the 2021-2022 Ag Vision 2030 process, agricultural stakeholders identified as the number one priority for California agriculture the need to “Foster climate-smart, resilient, regenerative food systems.” The State Board of Food and Agriculture identified the definition of regenerative as a project to take on.
The Board consulted the CDFA’s Environmental Farming Act Science Advisory Panel (EFA SAP), and between December 13, 2022 and March 9, 2023, the EFA SAP worked to create a framework for the definition. The panel then sent the State Board a letter with the framework in May 2023.
In December 6, 2023, CDFA held the first public listing session focused exclusively on the topic. Additional listening sessions were held on January 11 and February 22. The next listening session will be May 29. Tribal-focused listening sessions were held on April 16 and April 29.
Concurrently, CDFA appointed 14 individuals to serve on a Regenerative Agriculture Definition Work Group in 2023. Through a series of facilitated meetings, the Work Group will draft a recommendation for a definition of regenerative agriculture to submit to the State Board for consideration. The Work Group
For more information about the process and background, please visit our website www.cdfa.ca.gov/RegenerativeAg/.
CDFA Environmental Program Manager Dr. David Morgan (top left), who oversees the department’s Citrus Pest and Disease Prevention Division Biological Control Program, recently hosted a tour of the Mount Rubidoux Field Station in Riverside for Advanced Placement Environmental Science students from Corona High School. Dr. Morgan provided an informative presentation on Pierce’s disease and innovative pest management techniques. The students were thoroughly engaged and inspired as they toured the facility and learned about these advanced methods. CDFA is proud to help continue empowering the next generation with knowledge and tools to drive innovation and equity in environmental science.
May 20 is World Bee Day! Celebrate with us! 🐝🌼
Bees are essential to California’s agriculture and ecosystems. Did you know that California is home to 1,600 species of bees? While you might think of bees being social, most are solitary species.
CDFA, through its Pollinator Habitat Program, does several things to support these pollinators. But what can YOU do?
🌻 Plant Native Plants: Use resources like Calscape (https://www.calscape.org/) to find native plants suited to your area.
🏡 Create Bee Habitats:
– For Ground-Nesting Bees: Provide mulch-free, well-drained, sunny soil.
– Stem-Nesting Bees: Preserve hollow stems and logs. Wait until spring to trim back dead stalks, leaving stems 8-24 inches high.
CDFA Undersecretary Christine Birdsong met today with Deputy Minister Tran Thanh Nam, of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Vietnam, and signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on shared opportunities around climate, trade and research collaboration.
Key objectives of the agreement include:
California’s agricultural exports to Vietnam are valued at more than $336M, with tree nuts, dairy and table grapes among the top exports. Collaboration and partnership with Vietnam provides opportunities for California’s farmers and ranchers to expand export markets while enhancing climate resilience for shared challenges.
