CDFA is proud to continue to spotlight the talented women leaders at our agency, as part of Women’s History Month. Meet Natalie Krout-Greenberg, Director of the Inspection Services Division.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EU0KjKLGw2g

Here’s a look back at another successful Ag Day yesterday at the State Capitol, with CDFA Secretary Karen Ross.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCKYKJz-g10

Happy Ag Day! California’s annual celebration of agriculture returned to the sunny west steps of the State Capitol today, bringing together farmers, ranchers, agricultural enthusiasts and leaders around this year’s theme: “Next-Gen Tools, Talent & Tech.” Special thanks to California’s First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom for sharing words of praise, pride and optimism about California agriculture; and to CDFA Secretary Karen Ross for doing double-duty at Ag Day on the west steps of the Capitol and at the concurrent “Bring Your Child to Work Day” festivities taking place today down the street at CDFA headquarters.

Thanks also to Judy Culbertson of Ag in the Classroom, who accepted a proclamation at this year’s event in anticipation of her retirement. We will miss her early-morning “live shots” from Ag Day on the local news, her unrelenting optimism in the face of weather that only a farmer could love, and especially her wise guidance in the months of planning leading up to each Ag Day.

Special thanks to our Ag Day 2024 Sponsors:

Green Acres
California State Floral Association
University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources
John Deere
got milk? / California Milk Processor Board
Association of California Egg Farmers / California Poultry Federation
California Strawberry Commission
California Prune Board
San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District
California Farmworker Foundation
Western Growers

The annual celebration of Ag Day is tomorrow! The State Capitol grounds will come alive with fresh food, farm animals, and entertainment. This year’s theme is “Next-Gen Tools, Talent, and Tech,” a look towards embracing the opportunities ahead for California agriculture

Ag Day is the agriculture community’s annual opportunity to showcase the bounty that our state’s farmers, ranchers and farmworkers produce. The event highlights the dynamic role our food system plays in every aspect of Californians’ lives.

The grounds open to the public at 11:30 am. Hope to see you there!

NOTE — CDFA will have a recruitment booth at Ag Day  The booth will have representatives available to provide information about permanent and seasonal jobs with CDFA and the the State of California. Please go to CalCareers to review available positions.

As CDFA continues to honor Women’s History Month, here is a video profile of Dr. Annette Jones — the first-ever woman in the roles of California State Veterinarian and director of the division of Animal Health and Food Safety Services. Dr. Jones has broken barriers while dedicating her career to safeguarding animal health and public safety.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mebwq1FTUbg

Link to story in Ag Alert

To advance farm-to-school projects statewide, CDFA’s Office of Farm to Fork announced it is accepting applications for up to $52.8 million in grant funding.

The deadline to apply for the 2023-24 California Farm to School Incubator Grant Program is April 4.

Through a competitive grant process, funds are available through multiple funding tracks: Track 1, the California Farm to School TK-12 Procurement and Education Grant; Track 2, the California Farm to School Technical Assistance Grant; Track 3, the California Farm to Early Care and Education Grant; and Track 4, the California Farm to School Producer Grant.

The amount of funds awarded depends on the number of applications received.

The California Farm to School Producer Grant is for food producers and public-serving distribution enterprises to sell California-grown or produced foods to the state’s school food market. Farmers are encouraged to apply for producer grant funding for the program, which helps build economic connections between farms and schools while enhancing healthy food offerings for students.

“Our Farm to School Incubator Grant Program offers a triple bottom-line win for farmers, local economies and kids,” CDFA Secretary Karen Ross said in a statement. “Farmers win in developing lasting relationships with local schools and students, local economies win in school food procurement dollars staying closer to home, and kids win through gaining the nutrition of California-grown or -produced food.”

To be eligible for program grants, applicants must show evidence of an established relationship with each California School Food Authority or childcare center operator of the Child and Adult Care Food Program to which they intend to sell food.

Grant funding prioritizes small to mid-sized food producers, military veterans and socially disadvantaged or limited-resource food producers. The program also focuses on producers using climate-smart agriculture practices and systems including certified organic or transitioning to certified organic, or other regenerative approaches.

McGrath Family Farmers Inc. in Ventura County, a past grant recipient, said in a statement that the farm “feels strongly about providing healthy, nutrient-dense organic food for our community.”

“We feel very happy the schools are highlighted for this cause and are thrilled to be a part of this program and to contribute,” the statement noted.

The CDFA Office of Farm to Fork received funding through the California Budget Acts of 2020, 2021 and 2022 to establish and continue the California Farm to School Incubator Grant Program. The program awarded $8.5 million to 60 farm-to-school projects in 2021 and $25.5 million to 120 projects in 2022.

CDFA Farm to School Program staff is conducting weekly Zoom sessions about the grant program request for applications. People may register for the Zoom sessions via the links under “Grant Info Sessions & Weekly Q&A Sessions” at www.cdfa.ca.gov/caf2sgrant/.

To apply or register for informational webinars, visit www.cdfa.ca.gov/caf2sgrant/. For more information or assistance, email cafarmtoschool@cdfa.ca.gov.

Next Tuesday, March 19, The State Capitol grounds will come alive with fresh food, farm animals, and entertainment at the annual Ag Day celebration.

This year, CDFA and its partners are thrilled to highlight the “Next-Gen Tools, Talent, and Tech” that help California agriculture lead and feed the world. Participants are invited to share their stories and information with state legislators, legislative staffers, state agency representatives, the news media, and the general public.

The marquee event on the west steps of the State Capitol is the California agricultural community’s annual opportunity to showcase the bounty that our state’s farmers, ranchers, and farmworkers produce. The event also highlights the dynamic role our food system plays in every aspect of Californian’s lives – from nutrition and public health to environmental stewardship and rural economic development.

NOTE — CDFA will have a recruitment booth at Ag Day  The booth will have representatives available to provide information about permanent and seasonal jobs with CDFA and the the State of California. Please go to CalCareers to review available positions.

On International Women’s Day (today, March 8), CDFA Secretary Karen Ross recognizes the vital role that women play in agriculture. Women are centrally connected to farming and ranching every step of the way and have a long tradition in that role. Throughout March, join CDFA in celebrating and supporting Women’s History Month.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOQjK_AY4uU

This is National Weights and Measures Week (March 1-7), and CDFA is marking the occasion by highlighting recent groundbreaking work to help extend California’s electric vehicle charging network.

The work addresses a major challenge faced by EV owners — a still-developing network of commercial charging stations, including a need for them to be universally accessible through a series of plugs, adapters and software applications that will allow EV drivers to recharge more widely and pay for the service on smart devices like phones and tablets.

CDFA’s Division of Measurement Standards worked with the EV industry leader, Tesla, to test and approve these advances, which are now operational on Tesla’s network and allow for the charging of other manufacturer’s vehicles on that network. Additionally, other charging station manufacturers and service providers may leverage the technology to help further in opening California’s expanding charging network to all EV drivers. These measures are adding substantial capacity to the state and national charger infrastructure, which is essential for consumer acceptance and transition to EVs.

The Division of Measurement Standards is committed to protecting fair commerce in California — the idea that consumers and other buyers of goods and services should always get what they pay for, and that sellers must receive fair payment. The recent progress on EV charging stations is another important example of the division showing national leadership by staying current with rapidly-developing technology in order to maintain equity in the marketplace.

March is Women’s History Month! CDFA celebrates the substantial contributions of women in agriculture, including marketing, land use, crop production, record keeping, financial management, and engagement in policy. Women are centrally connected to agriculture every step of the way.

Did you know that in California alone, 45,244 women ag producers manage 11.5 million acres, generating $22.2 billion in agriculture sales? We thank and honor their hard work, innovation, and commitment to sustainable ag practices. Join us as we celebrate and recognize women in ag throughout March.