Whether you’re celebrating March as Women’s History Month, National Celery Month, or International Year of the Woman Farmer — produce grower Isabel Rosas Garcia has an impact that reaches far beyond the field. In fact, her work as a farmer, community partner, and advocate for fresh food access reflects the commitment to sustainable farming and nutrition that many farmers like Isabel bring to the table.
Isabel, a proud Latina farmer and founder of Dream Farm, a certified organic grower, has spent the past seven years fully committed to agriculture. She grows a diverse range of crops including celery, leafy greens, strawberries, broccoli, carrots, and more—bringing fresh, locally grown produce to her community.
But Isabel’s impact goes far beyond the field. She is deeply focused on getting healthy food into the hands of local students and families. By working to distribute her produce to schools and donating organic vegetables, she is helping ensure that young people have access to nourishing, fresh food.
Through her efforts, Isabel is not only contributing to California’s leadership in celery production—she’s also strengthening her community. She takes pride in helping nourish other families and making fresh produce more accessible for the next generation.
California leads the nation in celery production, growing an impressive 1.4 billion pounds valued at $484 million each year. In the Salinas Valley, one of the state’s most productive agricultural regions, farmers like Isabel Rosas Garcia are part of that legacy.
This National Celery Month, Women’s History Month and International Year of the Woman Farmer — Isabel Rosas Garcia reminds us that behind every bunch of celery is a farmer whose dedication helps feed and uplift communities.
Pictured: Isabel Rosas demonstrates her farm and celery harvest during the Latino Farmer Conference in Monterey – November 2024.
California Agriculture Day returns to the west steps of the State Capitol on Tuesday, April 21, 2026. Are you ready to celebrate our agricultural community?
Our theme this year is “California Leads,” a nod to all of the ways our farmers, ranchers and rural communities lead the nation and the world when it comes to productivity, innovation and sustainability. Just for starters:
California grows more than 400 different commodities, growing more than a third of the country’s vegetables and two-thirds of the country’s fruits and nuts.
For more than 60 consecutive years, California has been the number-one agricultural state in the nation.
California grows just over 50% of the nation’s produce.
California’s Central Valley is the most productive agricultural region in the world, providing 25% of the nation’s food.
California women in agriculture outpace the national average, making up 38% of producers and operating more farms than any other major ag state.
California’s Farm-to-School Program serves as a model for the nation, connecting California grown foods with school meal programs in 86% of California counties.
California’s agricultural industry constantly seeks to incorporate the latest scientific and technological production and marketing techniques to meet the demands of changing consumer needs and complex world markets.
Come on out and join us on April 21 and find out even more about all the ways California agriculture leads. The event is open to elected officials and staff from 10:30 am – 11:30 am and to the public from 11:30 am – 1:30 pm.
Secretary Karen Ross (fourth from left), pictured with this year’s Common Threads honorees in Fresno.
Secretary Karen Ross celebrated the International Year of the Woman Farmer 2026 during the Common Threads Awards Luncheon in Fresno, highlighting the vital role women play across California agriculture. Speaking during Women’s History Month on March 10, she noted that women farmers are leaders, innovators, and stewards of the land who strengthen rural communities and help sustain the state’s food system. With more than 45,000 women producers stewarding over 11 million acres of farmland in California, Secretary Ross emphasized that 2026 is an opportunity to celebrate their achievements, share their stories, and inspire the next generation shaping the future of agriculture.
This article was published and posted originally by The AgCenter
It is not every day you walk into a room and immediately feel your spirits lift, but that is exactly what happened at the Common Threads Central Valley 30th Annual Awards Luncheon on March 10th.
From the moment guests arrived, the atmosphere was electric with warmth, pride, and genuine joy. Colleagues embraced across the room, laughter filled the air, and there was a shared sense that something truly special was about to take place. The Central Valley agricultural community had come together to do what it does best, show up for one another, and the energy was infectious.
What followed over the course of that luncheon was one of the most uplifting, inspiring, and joyful afternoons we have had the pleasure of being a part of.
The event was hosted by Common Threads Central Valley, a collaborative partnership formed in 1997 by the California Agricultural Leadership Foundation (CALF), the Ag One Foundation at Fresno State, and the Jordan College of Agricultural Sciences and Technology at Fresno State. For 30 years, this organization has made it its mission to recognize women from Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Merced, and Tulare counties who have deep roots in agriculture and have made a lasting difference in the industry and the communities around them. Reaching that 30-year milestone is something to be genuinely proud of, and the luncheon carried that sense of accomplishment in every moment.
The afternoon was made even more meaningful by the presence of Karen Ross, Secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture, who took to the podium and delivered remarks that set the perfect tone for everything that followed. Secretary Ross spoke passionately about the role women have always played in making agriculture so special, particularly here in California, and touched on the California Grown campaign and its mission of honoring the people and stories behind the food on our tables. She extended her heartfelt congratulations to all six honorees, expressing how proud she was of each and every one of them. Her words were a powerful affirmation of what the room already knew – that women are not just a part of California agriculture, they are at the very heart of it.
Also addressing the crowd was Marsha Vucovich, who served as Chairperson of this year’s event committee and whose leadership helped bring the entire luncheon together. The committee behind Common Threads deserves enormous credit for the care and dedication they pour into making this event what it is each year. This year’s committee included Jane Bedrosian, Shannon Birkner, Julia Campos, Carol Chandler, Georgene Diener, Gayle Holman, Lauri King, Beth Kuhn, Mia Mirassou, Karen Musson, Rebecca Quist, Debbie Raven, Dana Souza, Rod Stark, Cristel Tufenkjian, Mai Vang, and Betty Young. It takes a village to pull off something this special, and this group did it beautifully.
Then came the recognitions, and one by one, the stories of this year’s six honorees unfolded in the most beautiful way. Each introduction drew the room in a little closer. There was Allie Cushnyr, a Kern County native whose curiosity about insects as an intern led her all the way to becoming a senior agronomist with Holloway – a career built entirely from passion and determination. There was Bridget Kidder, who not only helps sustain the multi-generational Barcellos Farms operation but shows up every day for her students at Porterville College, mentoring the next wave of agricultural professionals with genuine care and dedication.
When Shannon Shipley’s name was called, the applause said everything. Nearly five decades with N&S Tractor, starting from the parts counter in 1978 and rising to Director of Parts across 16 dealerships, her story is the kind that makes you sit up a little straighter and feel proud of this industry. Angie Tarr brought a wave of warmth to the room, her journey from Sacramento Valley roots to Fresno State and into the heart of the local beef and livestock world was a story that many in attendance could feel personally. And Audrey Taylor, raised on a Riverdale farm, a state FFA champion, and ultimately a beloved educator for 30 years, had the whole luncheon smiling from ear to ear.
The final recognition of the afternoon brought the room to a breathtaking close. Alcidia Freitas Gomes, who arrived in Fresno from the Azores at just three years old, grew up in the dairy industry, and went on to spend 31 extraordinary years with Ag One, has helped raise more than $120 million for students and programs over the course of her career. When that number was shared, the room fell into a brief, reverent quiet before erupting into well-deserved applause. It was one of those moments that reminds you why events like this one matter so much.
One of the most touching traditions of the Common Threads luncheon is that each year, alongside recognizing the honorees, donations are made to charities personally selected by each of the women being celebrated. This year was no exception. Allie Cushnyr chose the Kern County Museum and the Lori Brock Discovery Center, Bridget Kidder selected the Monache FFA Booster, Shannon Shipley chose Valley Children’s Hospital, Angie Tarr selected Central Valley Honor Flight, Audrey Taylor chose the Reedley FFA Alumni and Supporters, and Alcidia Freitas Gomes selected the Ag One Foundation. It is a beautiful reflection of who these honorees are – women who, even in a moment dedicated entirely to them, choose to give back to the causes and communities closest to their hearts. It speaks volumes about their character and about the kind of community Common Threads has always worked to nurture.
Walking out of this event, the feeling was one of pure gratitude for the six extraordinary women honored, for the organization that has championed them for 30 years, and for a community that knows how to show up and celebrate the people who make it great. Agriculture in the Central Valley is not just an industry. It is a community, a calling, and a legacy. And afternoons like this one are a beautiful reminder of just how bright that legacy shines.
Congratulations to Allie Cushnyr, Bridget Kidder, Shannon Shipley, Angie Tarr, Audrey Taylor, and Alcidia Freitas Gomes. You are an inspiration to all of us.
Secretary Karen Ross welcomed Martin Heydon Minister for Agriculture, Food, Fisheries and the Marine of the Government of Ireland today at CDFA. The conversation highlighted the bioeconomy, climate and sustainable agriculture, research and innovation, and the International Year of the Woman Farmer.
California remains one of the top U.S. exporting states to Ireland, reflecting strong economic, trade, and cultural ties between the regions.
While not surprising based on news reports about declining global demand for wine, declines in grape crush tonnage and price data for the 2025 crop year are a painful confirmation of trends that growers, processors and other stakeholders in California’s wine sector are experiencing.
The 2025 crush totaled 2,759,202 tons, down 6.2% from the 2024 crush of 2,942,673 tons. White wine varieties accounted for the largest share of all grapes crushed, at 1,316,716 tons, down 6.0% from 2024. Red wine varieties crushed totaled 1,306,727 tons, down 10.8% from 2024. Tons crushed of raisin type varieties totaled 11,541, down 51.2% from 2024, and tons crushed of table type varieties totaled 124,218, up 132.3% from 2024.
The Grape Crush Report includes the total number of tons crushed for concentrate production. In determining grape tonnage crushed for concentrate production, each processor was required to report the estimated equivalent tons of grapes crushed for grape concentrate. For the 2025 season, this total was 337,705 tons, 12.2% of the 2025 grape crush total. This report provides only the aggregate figure for grapes crushed for concentrate production and does not include information by district, type, or variety.
The 2025 average price of all varieties was $978.60, down 3.8% from 2024. Average prices for the 2025 crop by type were as follows: red wine grapes, $1,280.63, down 4.4% from 2024; white wine grapes, $707.12, down 0.9% from 2024; raisin grapes, $312.75, up 5.5% from 2024; and table grapes, $201.00, up 33.4% from 2024.
A groundwater well by an irrigation canal in Maxwell, California. (Andrew Nixon/DWR)
The Department of Water Resources (DWR) has released the final version of California’s Groundwater: Bulletin 118 – Update 2025, the State’s official and most comprehensive report of groundwater monitoring, conditions, and management across California.
The report builds upon the previous update in 2020 and contains critical information about the state’s groundwater supplies from 2020 to 2024, a period marked by record-setting dry and wet weather events and increasing ambient temperatures.
It shows considerable progress made by California and local agencies towards reaching the goals of groundwater sustainability outlined in the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). Among the successes noted in the report, California has seen improvements in groundwater recharge efforts, drinking well protection, and increased funding for tribal projects.
California’s groundwater basins are the state’s largest and lowest cost water storage and a critical natural infrastructure asset, with storage capacity exceeding 1 billion acre feet, about 25 times all surface reservoirs combined. Sustainable yield in high and medium priority basins is about 12 million acre feet annually.
Groundwater is central to California’s water resilience, supplying about 40 percent of statewide demand in average years and nearly 60 percent in dry years. The driest 22-year stretch in at least 1,200 years, including four major droughts (2001 to 2002, 2007 to 2009, 2012 to 2016, and 2020 to 2022), has increased both reliance on and stress to groundwater.
From 2020 to 2022, California experienced its three driest consecutive years on record leading to reduced surface water supplies and increased reliance and stress on groundwater basins. As a result, hundreds of wells went dry across the state, and many groundwater basins are still recovering.
More than 32 million Californians (about 82 percent) rely on groundwater for some portion of their water supply, including over 7 million people in non-basin areas where it is often the only source. Groundwater use is about 79 percent agriculture, 19 percent urban, and 2 percent managed wetlands.
Management and data improvements are accelerating in the state’s highest use basins. The 94 high and medium priority basins account for about 95 percent of groundwater pumping. Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) annual reports compiled by groundwater sustainability agencies (GSAs) now serve as the most comprehensive statewide groundwater data source.
Groundwater levels show early signs of improvement, but significant challenges remain. From 2014 to 2024, 41 percent of monitored wells rose five feet or more, while about 20 percent declined by five feet or more. Despite these gains, land subsidence continues to be widespread and impactful, with about 4,000 square miles experiencing more than 0.5 feet of subsidence in the past five years.
SGMA has spurred more than 1,500 local projects and management actions. Their estimated cost is in the billions, underscoring the scale of effort ahead and the importance of continued collaboration, improved measurement, and coordinated management across local, state, and federal partners to support long term sustainability.
What you need to know: California is investing $23 million to help connect California grown fresh food to Californians who qualify for CalFresh, WIC, and Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Programs.
Local strawberry farmer selling directly to consumers at certified Farmer Market – Downtown Sacramento (8th and W Streets)
Governor Newsom today announced that California is continuing its national leadership in bringing fresh and healthy California grown fruits and vegetables to tables across the golden state. Through the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Office of Farm to Fork, California is connecting locally grown food to eligible Californians who qualify for benefits through the CalFresh, Women Infants and Children (WIC), and Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Programs.
California continues stepping up to ensure that every Californian has access to locally grown fruits and vegetables. We’re supporting our farmers, strengthening local markets, and connecting families with fresh, nutritious produce—improving health outcomes while keeping food dollars in our communities. Governor Gavin Newsom
As the country’s top agricultural producer and creator of the nation-leading Farm to School program, California is proud to continue expanding access to our nutritious fruits and vegetables for kids and families across the state. We are thrilled to invest in the Golden State’s farmers and communities to ensure everyone has the opportunity to eat healthy and every kid has the best start in life. First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom
Connecting farmers to families
The state’s investments empower eligible Californians to increase their consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables. CalFresh shoppers can benefit from the program simply by spending their benefits at participating Certified Farmers Markets throughout the state and other retail outlets. For every dollar spent by eligible Californians, they will receive an additional dollar that can be spent on fruits and vegetables at the market or retail outlet, within set parameters, increasing their ability to purchase and consume healthy, California-grown fresh fruits and vegetables for themselves and their families. The projects will also support California’s vibrant farming communities selling at participating markets.
California’s investments help address food insecurity among low-income Californians while simultaneously supporting and expanding markets for California farmers. Past investments have been shown to have a positive effect on the local economy, with every dollar in incentives generating three dollars in local economic activity.
Incentivising Farm-to-Fork
California is distributing approximately $21.5 million to increase the purchase of California-grown fresh fruit and vegetables by CalFresh shoppers at 12 projects across the state. Current nutrition incentives support CalFresh shoppers at more than 280 locations throughout California.
Awards will allow grantees to sustain incentive distributions and benefit the farmers and shoppers participating in the program at 303 participating Certified Farmers’ Markets, Community Supported Agriculture programs, mobile markets and small retailers across California through spring 2027. The 12 grantees range in location, size and operations.
Across the state, the Office of Farm to Fork’s investments are connecting Californians to locally grown affordable food, while the Ecology Center works with over 50 organizations and operates at over 290 Certified Farmers’ Markets in 38 counties.
10 of the grantees will distribute nutrition incentives and provide technical support at 121 Certified Farmers’ Markets in the following 19 counties across California: San Diego, Riverside, Los Angeles, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Marin, San Francisco, Alameda, Contra Costa, Napa, Sonoma, Solano, Mendocino, Lake, Butte, Siskiyou, Humboldt, Lassen and Modoc. One grantee will focus solely on providing technical assistance for WIC FMNP and SFMNP nutrition incentives that utilize electronic FMNP Farmers’ Market Cards at nine certified farmers’ markets in the Bay Area. A detailed list of grantees and project descriptions for the 2026 CNIP Expansion Grant is available on the CNIP webpage.
Building on California’s success fighting hunger with access to healthy food
In 2025, more than 4 million California children received SUN Bucks food benefits via EBT cards, with each eligible child receiving $120 in food benefits.
California was the first state to implement a statewide Universal Meals Program for schoolchildren, providing all public TK-12 students access to two free meals per school day, regardless of income. California’s Farm to School program, championed by First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom, works in tandem with Universal School Meals to ensure California students have access to two free school meals that are locally-sourced, delicious, and nutritious.
In October 2025, Governor Newsom signed a landmark law phasing out the most concerning ultra-processed foods from school meals in California – protecting children’s health and setting higher nutrition standards across the state.
Governor Newsom previously signed AB 418 (Asm. Gabriel, 2023) and AB 2316 (Gabriel, 2024), banning four potentially harmful chemical food additives from products sold statewide, including red dye 3 and brominated vegetable oil, which is often used as a stabilizer in citrus-flavored beverages, and prohibiting schools from serving and selling foods containing synthetic food dye additives associated with risks to health harms in children, including cancer, damage to the immune system, and neurobehavioral issues. The federal government and numerous states have taken similar actions following CA’s lead.
In 2024, Governor Newsom signed a legislative package to increase enrollment in state food assistance programs, reduce youth consumption of processed foods, and increase access to healthy, locally grown food in all California communities.
In 2023, California became the first state to codify President Biden’s new federal guidelines on school nutrition standards to reduce sugar and salt in school meals, and established a process for California to maintain those standards should a different federal Administration lower the standards.
As the nation’s leading agricultural producer and exporter, California offers a diverse range of healthy, sustainable, and high-quality foods to the global marketplace. Working collaboratively with trade partners throughout the state, CDFA is supporting a number of programs and events to make business connections and explore foreign markets.
Meet with Foreign Buyers CDFA, in partnership with the Western U.S. Agricultural Trade Association (WUSATA), will host one-on-one meetings with more than 20 buyers from India, Japan, South Korea, and Southeast Asia during the “Best of the West”inbound trade mission. Events will take place in San Francisco (April 14), Fresno (April 16), and Los Angeles (April 17).
Learn How to Export CalAgX+is an export accelerator designed to help export-ready specialty crop companies expand in international markets. The next session begins May 19, with a focus on dried fruit and nut companies. In-person classes will be offered in Chico, Modesto, and Bakersfield in partnership with the California Center for International Trade Development.
Access Market Development Funding Through WUSATA’s FundMatch program, companies can access support for international marketing activities—from trade shows to retail promotions and advertising. Learn more and connect with the team at upcoming events in Oakland, Fresno, and San Diego the week of March 23.
Explore New Markets Join a free March 31webinar highlighting opportunities in Egypt, one of Africa’s largest economies and a growing market for California exports. Representatives from the U.S. Embassy in Cairo will provide insights on demand for products including tree nuts, dairy, cotton, and processed vegetables.
CDFA Inspection Services Division Director and California Agricultural Neighbors (CAN) co-lead Natalie Krout-Greenberg welcomes stakeholders.
The California agriculture industry continues to demonstrate that science and partnerships are the cornerstones of advancing food safety.
In April 2021, CDFA Secretary Karen Ross called for industry participation to help solve recurring food safety incidents. This action followed a number of leafy green outbreaks between 2018 and 2020 that were traced back to the California Central Coast growing region and linked to a unique isolated strain of E. coli O157:H7. In response, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Western Center for Food Safety at UC Davis launched a five-year California Longitudinal Study (CALS) in coordination with CDFA, highlighted as part of the FDA Leafy Greens STEC Action Plan. The CALS study aims to understand environmental factors that may pose risks to food safety in the growing environment.
Today, FDA released a constituent update reflecting progress and initial findings of this five-year research study. This is the largest, most comprehensive sampling study conducted in the Central Coast growing region to date. Outcomes of the research are consistent with historical scientific literature and offer insights that the current food safety regulations, metrics and practices are effective when implemented consistently and judiciously. Additionally, with this emerging body of environmental data, California agriculture will explore new, innovative ways to focus on prevention measures for continuous improvement of food safety.
CDFA Secretary Karen Ross sets the stage for researchers’ presentation of initial findings from the California Longitudinal Study (CALS).
“Produce safety is a shared commitment across the entire supply chain,” said CDFA Secretary Karen Ross. “The California Longitudinal Study is the result of our public and private sectors working together to advance science-based practices, improve transparency and reinforce consumer trust. It’s all part of California agriculture’s essential mission of feeding the United States and beyond safely, sustainably and reliably. Initial findings verify that the actions we’re taking in the Central Coast region to enhance food safety are moving us in the right direction, and we are committed to maintaining this focus.”
California’s produce industry continues to make significant strides through improvements in food safety risk education and on-farm practices, led by coordinated efforts among government, academic institutions and industry associations. Ongoing training, inspections and audits, data sharing and innovative technology help ensure that fresh fruits and vegetables reach consumers safely. Equally important are the ongoing partnerships forged through California Agricultural Neighbors (CAN), which began in 2021. CAN is a locally led, locally convened group that brings together diverse agricultural stakeholders across the Salinas Valley to explore and reinforce where food safety advancements, rooted in One Health principles, can be discussed, fostered and implemented. One Health is a collaborative, multidisciplinary, systems-thinking approach that recognizes the health of people is interconnected to the health of animals, plants, and our shared environments.
“As stewards of the land and the food system, members of CAN know the significant responsibility inherent in feeding a nation and recognize that food safety and food security are fundamentally interconnected,” said Natalie Krout-Greenberg, director of CDFA’s Inspection Services Division and co-lead of CAN. “Stakeholders engaged in CAN remain committed to advancing produce safety through continued collaboration, shared learning, adaptive practices, and sustained collective commitment.”
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) recently released the 2024 Census of Horticultural Specialties report, the only source of detailed production and sales data for floriculture, nursery, and specialty crops for the entire United States.
Horticulture production occurred primarily in 10 states, which accounted for 67% of all U.S. horticulture sales in 2024. California ($3.07 billion), Florida ($2.15 billion) and Oregon ($1.29 billion) led the nation in sales.
The national data show that horticulture operations sold a total of $18.3 billion in floriculture, nursery and specialty crops in 2024. Horticultural sales in 2024 compared to 2019 all show an increase in sales and number of operations due to the addition of mushroom and hemp grown under protection in the latest Census of Horticultural Specialties. The number of horticulture operations in the United States totaled 23,060.
Top commodities in U.S. horticulture sales in 2024, and compared to 2019, were:
Nursery stock, $5.34 billion, up 17%
Annual bedding/garden plants, $2.67 billion, up 19%
Sod, sprigs and plugs, $1.70 billion, up 34%
Potted flowering plants, $1.29 billion, up 7%
Potted herbaceous perennials, $1.36 billion, up 47%
Propagative horticultural materials, bareroot, and unfinished plant materials, $780 million, up 8%
Food crops under protection, $1.01 billion, up 44%
