The California State Fair has completed another successful season with a 17-day run that ended on Sunday, July 27. The Fair has provided a recap by the numbers:

• More than 750,000 guests came through the gates.
• 159,242 cars were parked
• 38 baby animals were born in the Baby Barn.
• 3,696 pounds of crops were harvested and donated to food banks from The Farm.
• 14,400 children completed the passport program at The Farm.
• 2.5 tons of whole wheat flour,  1,000 lbs. of cream cheese and 1 ton of cinnamon sugar were used to make the Country Fair Cinnamon Rolls.
• 75,000 corn dogs and 40,000 funnel cakes were eaten.
• 13,119 wine slushies were served.
• 12,191 scoops of gelato were served.
• 2,601 jumps were made in the Freestyle Motocross Show.
• 62,201 monorail rides were taken.
• 612 guests were hypnotized.
• 9,000 water efficient nozzles were given to guests to help save water
• 2,725 yards of manure were removed from the livestock area.
• 3.864 million feet of toilet paper were used.

Link to news release

CDFA Secretary Karen Ross (center) with the Department’s Lean 6 Sigma Training graduates. From left, Animal Health and Food Safety Services director Dr. Annette Jones, division analyst Kimberly McCarthy, Division of Measurement Standards environmental scientist Kevin Schnepp, and Division of Measurement Standards director Kristin Macey.

One of my priorities as secretary is process improvement, looking at all CDFA operations for opportunities to increase efficiency and, ultimately, improve our service to the people of California. It’s a key provision in CDFA’s Strategic Plan, recognizing that we have business relationships with many of our stakeholders. Governor Brown also believes strongly in this approach, and that’s why his Office of Business and Economic Development (GoBiz) offered Lean-6 Sigma Training to several state departments, including CDFA. A good way to think about the focus of the training is to isolate the first word of its name, Lean.

Lean-6 Sigma has roots in the private sector, originating at Motorola and made famous by Jack Welch at General Electric, who integrated the training during the company’s restructuring in the 1990s. In order to receive certification, participants must complete projects that have vastly improved the efficiency of processes within their departments.

At CDFA, we have two stories to tell. In our Division of Animal Health and Food Safety Services, Director Dr. Annette Jones, Milk and Dairy Food Safety Branch Chief Dr. Stephen Beam, and analyst Kimberly McCarthy worked together to streamline the process by which local governments receive reimbursements for work at dairies performed on behalf of the State. As a result, counties get their money faster. In our Division of Measurement Standards, Director Kristin Macey, environmental scientist Kevin Schnepp and team applied Lean-6 Sigma techniques to reduce its average time to evaluate new and prototype weighing and measuring devices by nearly half, from 138 days to 70 days.

We hope this is just the beginning of our association with this excellent training program, as our efforts to improve efficiency are ongoing. My congratulations to the CDFA employees who are pioneers in that regard. They’re leading the way.

Weird Al Yankovic with CDFA IT programmer and animator Jarrett Heather

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Sacramento Bee story by Vanessa Ochavillo

Jarrett Heather has been a fan of “Weird Al” Yankovic since he was 7 years old.

Now 37, Heather joins the rest of the country in enjoying Yankovic’s newly released parody video, “Word Crimes,” but the Elk Grove resident is doing so as a blossoming celebrity.

Heather, a software developer at the California Department of Food and Agriculture, produced the visuals for “Word Crimes.” The music video, a send-up of singer-songwriter Robin Thicke’s hit single “Blurred Lines,” is composed entirely of typographic animation. The technique employs moving text that is often cleverly fitted with closely associated images, logos and symbols to express an idea – Heather’s expertise.

“Back in November of last year, I got an email out of the blue from Al Yankovic offering a directing gig,” Heather said. “He had seen a project I had done in 2010 called ‘Shop Vac’ that was animated in a similar style and he thought I was the best person to add visuals to ‘Word Crimes.’ ”

Yankovic’s success, music critics agree, rests in the visual appeal of his music videos. Some of his most popular works include “White and Nerdy,” a parody of Chamillionaire’s “Ridin’,” and “Smells Like Nirvana,” which was inspired by Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” “Word Crimes” was released Tuesday, the second day of Yankovic’s daily video release for his latest eight-song album, “Mandatory Fun.”

“Word Crimes,” which as of Saturday evening had received nearly 8 million views on YouTube, is part educational and part joking. It features some of the most common “word crimes” in the English language, such as the interchanging of “fewer” and “less” and the careless use of “it’s” instead of “its” (no apostrophe).

I have no formal training. But my entire life I’ve been interested in how things work, whether it’s how music is made, how cartoons are drawn, or how gadgets are put together,” Heather said.

With a background in computer programming and interface design, Heather taught himself how to use the animation software Adobe Aftereffects. His first animation,“Shop Vac,” was a learning experiment. But it was good enough for Yankovic.

Though a fun project, “Word Crimes” was a challenge, Heather said.

With a tight deadline, he got to work as soon as he received the lyrics in early January, dedicating about 500 hours to the project. He drew many of the second-by-second animations by hand, before scanning and manipulating them on a computer. On average, it required two hours of work to create one second of video. All his sketches and doodles for “Word Crimes” now sit in a thick binder in his home studio.

“I stopped everything else in my life. Every night and every weekend, I was working on ‘Word Crimes,’” he said.

Heather would send a test clip to Yankovic via email, and the parody writer would send his reactions back right away. Their online correspondence went on almost daily for the first few weeks. Finally, the two met in person.

Rather than conducting business, Heather saw their meeting as an opportunity to be the Yankovic fan that he was, harkening back to his childhood days in rural Delaware. “He was very gracious about being ‘geeked out’ over,” he said with a laugh.

Are they friends?

“I would say yes, and I could only hope that the feelings are mutual. He’s been very encouraging, knowing how the spotlight was going to affect me” as a naturally shy person, Heather said.

With a full-time job, a family and “animation being so time-intensive,” he said he has been extremely selective in choosing from the steady stream of freelance opportunities that have come his way. Following the release of “Word Crimes” on Tuesday to a receptive audience, Heather is reconsidering.

“Now I need to reach a point in my life where I take all these skills and put them to work,” he said.

But he remains hesitant about making a full-time career out of animation. “It’s like making a top score in a video game. If I wanted to make my mark in musical comedy, where else can I go beyond Al? He is the entire genre.”

Link to story

California Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. will travel to Mexico City next week to meet with Mexican government and business leaders, help boost bilateral trade and investment opportunities between the two neighbors and expand environmental and economic cooperation.

Governor Brown also announced today that he has invited Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto to meet later this year in California to build on the partnership forged during the trade mission. Ahead of the trip, Governor Brown will meet with Mexico’s Secretary of Foreign Affairs José Antonio Meade Kuribreña in Sacramento today.

The Governor will be joined on the Trade and Investment Mission to Mexico by a delegation of state legislators and senior administration officials (including CDFA Secretary Karen Ross). A delegation organized by the California Chamber of Commerce with the help of the California Foundation for Commerce and Education that includes approximately 90 business, economic development, investment and policy leaders from throughout California will also participate in the trade mission.

The Governor first announced the Trade and Investment Mission to Mexico in his 2014 State of the State address and met with Mexican Consuls General from cities across California in March.

The trip follows Governor Brown’s 2013 Trade and Investment Mission to China. Over the past year, Governor Brown has also signed accords with leaders from Canada, Israel and Peru to combat climate change, strengthen California’s economic ties and expand cooperation on promising research. In February, Governor Brown established the California International Trade and Investment Advisory Council to help expand international business opportunities for California companies and appointed former U.S. Ambassador to Hungary Eleni Kounalakis as chair.

A preliminary itinerary of trade mission meetings and events is below. All events, times and locations are subject to change and require RSVPs from in-country reporters. Please note that all times are local, and unless specified, represent start times for events and meetings. Allow for ample check-in time. Updates to the itinerary will be reflected in the online media advisory at: www.gov.ca.gov.

Today, Wednesday, July 23, 2014

Sacramento Luncheon with Mexico’s Secretary of Foreign Affairs José Antonio Meade Kuribreña
When: Today, July 23, 2014. Members of the media must check in between 12:15 p.m. and 12:30 p.m. and will be seated at 12:40 p.m. Remarks will begin at approximately 12:50 p.m. A media availability will follow.
Where: California Chamber of Commerce, Esquire Plaza Building, California Room, 1215 K Street, 14th Floor, Sacramento, CA 95814
Media Coverage: The luncheon’s speaking program and media availability are open to invited guests and credentialed media only.

Monday, July 28, 2014

Meeting with the Governor of the State of Mexico Eruviel Ávila
When: Monday, July 28, 2014 at 8:00 a.m.
Where: Location is to be determined.
Media Coverage: The first few minutes of this meeting will be open to credentialed media only. In-country reporters interested in covering the meeting must RSVP by 5:00 p.m. Friday, July 25, 2014 to Raúl Vargas at raoulvargas@gmail.com with name, outlet and contact information.

California-Mexico Climate Change Memorandum of Understanding Signing and Summit with Mexico’s Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources 
When: Monday, July 28, 2014 at 12:30 p.m.
Where: Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Salón Morelos, Plaza Juarez 20, Cuauhtémoc, Centro, 06010 Mexico City, DF, Mexico
Media Coverage: This event will be open to credentialed media only. In-country reporters interested in covering the meeting must RSVP by 5:00 p.m. Friday, July 25, 2014 to Daniel Millan at dmillan@sre.gob.mx with name, outlet and contact information.

Visit California and AeroMexico Campaign Launch Press Conference
When: Monday, July 28, 2014 at 5:00 p.m.
Where: AeroMexico Offices, Paseo de la Reforma 445, Cuauhtémoc, 06500 Mexico City, DF, Mexico
Media Coverage: The press conference will be open to credentialed media only. In-country reporters interested in covering the press conference must RSVP by 5:00 p.m. Friday, July 25, 2014 to Roxana Perez at Roxana.Perez@1gms.com with name, outlet and contact information.

Media Availability with U.S. Ambassador to Mexico E. Anthony Wayne
When: Monday, July 28, 2014 at 6:45 p.m.
Where: Soumaya Museum, Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra 303, Granada, Miguel Hidalgo, 11529 Mexico City, DF, Mexico
Media Coverage: The media availability will be open to credentialed media only and follows a private meeting between the Governor and Ambassador. In-country reporters interested in covering this media availability must RSVP by 5:00 p.m. Friday, July 25, 2014 to the U.S. Embassy Press Office at emlistmx@state.gov with name, outlet and contact information.

Tuesday, July 29, 2014

California-Mexico Higher Education Memorandum of Understanding Signing and Breakfast with Mexico’s Ministry of Education
When: Tuesday, July 29, 2014 at 9:30 a.m.
Where: Casa de California, Carmen 1, Chimalistac, Alvaro Obregon, 01070 Mexico City, DF, Mexico
Media Coverage: This event will be open to invited guests and credentialed media only. In-country reporters interested in covering this event must RSVP by 5:00 p.m. Friday, July 25, 2014 to Daniel Millan at dmillan@sre.gob.mx with name, outlet and contact information.

Meeting with Mexico’s Secretary of Energy Pedro Joaquín Coldwell
When: Tuesday, July 29, 2014 at 11:30 a.m.
Where: Ministry of Energy, Insurgentes Sur 890, Col. Del Valle, Benito Juarez, 03100 Mexico City, DF, Mexico
Media Coverage: The first few minutes of this meeting will be open to credentialed media only. In-country reporters interested in covering the meeting must RSVP by 5:00 p.m. Friday, July 25, 2014 to Daniel Millan at dmillan@sre.gob.mx with name, outlet and contact information.

Meeting with Mexico’s President of the Senate Raúl Cervantes Andrade
When: Tuesday, July 29, 2014 at 1:00 p.m.
Where: Senado de la República, Av. Paseo de la Reforma 135, Insurgentes Centro, Col. Tabacalera, 06030 Mexico City, DF, Mexico
Media Coverage: The first few minutes of this meeting will be open to credentialed media only. In-country reporters interested in covering the meeting must RSVP by 5:00 p.m. Friday, July 25, 2014 to Beatriz Alfaro at betrichealfasenado@gmail.com with name, outlet and contact information.

American Chamber of Commerce of Mexico Luncheon and Media Availability
When: Tuesday, July 29, 2014 at 2:45 p.m. A media availability will follow.
Where: Hotel Camino Real Polanco, Molino Del Rey Room (luncheon) and Taxco Room (media availability), Mariano Escobedo 700, Anzures, Miguel Hidalgo, 11590 Mexico City, DF, Mexico
Media Coverage: The event and media availability will be open to credentialed media only. In-country reporters interested in covering this event and media availability must RSVP by 5:00 p.m. Friday, July 25, 2014 to Esther Gil Ordaz at egil@e-beaconpr.com with name, outlet and contact information.

Wednesday, July 30, 2014

California-Mexico Trade and Investment Memorandum of Understanding Signing and Breakfast with Mexico’s Secretary of Foreign Affairs José Antonio Meade Kuribreña and Secretary of Economy Ildefonso Guajardo Villarreal
When: Wednesday, July 30, 2014 at 9:00 a.m.
Where: Club de Industriales, Ballroom, Andrés Bello 29, Polanco, 11550 Mexico City, DF, Mexico
Media Coverage: This event will be open to credentialed media only and follows private meetings between the Governor and Secretary of Foreign Affairs and Secretary of Economy. In-country reporters interested in covering this event must RSVP by 5:00 p.m. Friday, July 25, 2014 to Daniel Millan at dmillan@sre.gob.mx with name, outlet and contact information.

Media Availability with Mexico’s Secretary of Labor and Social Welfare Alfonso Navarrete Prida
When: Wednesday, July 30, 2014 at 10:30 a.m.
Where: Club de Industriales, Auditorium, Andrés Bello 29, Polanco, 11550 Mexico City, DF, Mexico
Media Coverage: The media availability will be open to credentialed media only and follows a private meeting between the Governor and the Secretary. In-country reporters interested in covering this meeting must RSVP by 5:00 p.m. Friday, July 25, 2014 to Daniel Millan at dmillan@sre.gob.mx with name, outlet and contact information.

For social media updates and other announcements throughout the trade mission, please follow these twitter handles: @CAMexicoTrade; @JerryBrownGov; @GovPressOffice; @CAGoBiz; @CalChamber; @VisitCA.

Press releases and other content will also be posted at: www.business.ca.gov/MexicoTrade.aspx

**NOTE: A Spanish translation of this release can be found here.

Link to news release

UC Davis will be partnering with Northwest Agricultural and Forestry University in Yangling, Shaanxi

Officials from China’s Northwest Agricultural and Forestry University in Shaanxi province, and the University of California, Davis, today signed a memorandum of agreement that lays the groundwork for establishing the Sino-U.S. Joint Research Center for Food Safety in China.

The signing ceremony was held in the city of Yingchuan, China, during a meeting between high-level officials of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and China’s Ministry of Science and Technology.

“Today’s agreement is a landmark event for UC Davis and for our World Food Center and serves as yet another indication of our worldwide leadership in food and health,” said UC Davis Chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi. “We are incredibly pleased to join forces with Northwest A&F University and look forward to making discoveries and realizing solutions that will promote food safety in China and around the world.”

Signing the agreement today were Harris Lewin, vice chancellor of research for UC Davis, and Wu Pute, professor and vice president of Northwest Agricultural and Forestry University. Also present were Catherine Woteki, under secretary for research, education and economics at the U.S. Department of Agriculture; and Vice Minister Zhang Laiwu of China’s Ministry of Science and Technology.

The memorandum of agreement, which will extend over the next five years, calls for the center’s two lead universities to form a joint research team and research platform, carry out collaborative research projects and cooperate on other food safety-related projects. UC Davis’ World Food Center will identify a director to coordinate the research program. The Chinese partners will provide substantial funding for the new center, with details to be announced this fall.

“This is clear evidence that the entire UC system is fully committed to be front and center on the critical issues of food security, sustainability and health,” said UC President Janet Napolitano. She recently launched the UC Global Food Initiative as a systemwide collaboration to put the world on a path to feed itself nutritiously and sustainably.

Both the Sino-U.S. Joint Research Center and the UC Davis World Food Center will contribute to the UC Global Food Initiative.

“With UC Davis’ commitment to food safety research and China’s ever-increasing demand for food, the Joint Research Center is a natural partnership,” said Karen Ross, secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture. “Food safety will benefit from global scientific collaboration, and new findings will help the food and agriculture sector meet new challenges, improve the health of consumers and maintain the integrity of the global food supply chain.”

Link to full news release