CDFA Deputy Secretary for Fairs Michael Flores (at podium) was at the kickoff event today for the Kings County Fair as it begins its four-day run in Hanford through June 18. Deputy Secretary Flores highlighted an $89 million slate of projects at Hanford and eleven other fairgrounds sites around the state. The projects include new and expanded safe-shelter space, kitchen and sanitation facilities, showers, and various other upgrades. The grants are part of the state’s Fairgrounds Resilience Centers Program.

In recognition of National Dairy Month (June), the Dairy Council of California has partnered with the San Francisco 49ers football club for an informative video about dairy’s important contributions to supporting nutrition security and healthy communities.

California is the leading dairy-producing state in the country, and dairy is its highest-valued commodity at more than $7.5 billion.

CDFA environmental scientist Sarah Standiford–of the agency’s Produce Safety Program–recently appeared on a podcast for MyAgLife about Produce Safety Rule inspections and what farmers can expect. Topics included why CDFA conducts food safety inspections, the steps of an inspection, how a grower can prepare, and how CDFA inspectors take an educate-then-regulate approach.

California farms with more than $25,000 in average annual sales of produce (averaged over the previous three years) are now subject to Produce Safety Program inspections to verify compliance with the Produce Safety Rule.

Click here to listen to the podcast.

Click here for information and resources about CDFA’s Produce Safety Program.

CDFA Undersecretary Christine Birdsong was in Japan this week on a trade mission along with USDA Undersecretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Alexis M. Taylor, representatives from 10 other state departments of agriculture, numerous farm organizations, and 40 agribusinesses looking to connect with future business partners in Japan.

The week included meetings with Japanese buyers seeking to import American food and farm products, meetings with Japanese government officials and industry groups to discuss trade issues, a tour of retail promotions featuring U.S. products, and visits to Japanese farms and packaging facilities.

Photo — Undersecretary Birdsong (standing, sixth from left) and the delegation visit an organic vegetable farm in Japan.

A reminder that this is Invasive Species Action Week in California. CDFA works to prevent invasive species from threatening our environment and food supply in a number of important ways, including 16 Border Protection Stations positioned strategically around the perimeter of the state.

Most years, more than 20 million private vehicles and 7 million commercial vehicles are inspected by Border Inspection Station employees to ensure they are pest-free and meet all regulatory requirements. 

Watercraft, self-moving vehicles, recreational vehicles and utility vehicles comprise about five percent of the traffic that passes through the stations annually. Commercial vehicles cover more than 25 percent of the traffic. The remaining 70 percent are classified as private passenger vehicles that are screened for routes of travel and determinations of pest risk.

As part of Pride Month activities, the USDA is hosting a webinar tomorrow (June 6), LGBTQI+ Mental Health in Agricultural Communities. This session will focus on the experiences of LGBTQ+ identifying people in agricultural and farming communities across the country.

The webinar–occurring from 11 am to 12:30 pm PDT–will feature a special message from USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack as well as from agency partners at the National Young Farmers Coalition’s Cultivemos Program, the North Central Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Center, and Not Our Farm.

Register here

The United Nations has declared today World Environment Day, and it’s an opportunity to revisit challenges brought by our changing climate and explore practices to maintain sustainability in the decades ahead.

In this video, Central Valley farmer and State Board of Food and Agriculture president Don Cameron shows us the work done on his Terranova Ranch to facilitate groundwater recharge.

The state of California is committed to increasing the potential capacity of groundwater recharge by 500,000 acre-feet, as outlined in Governor Newsom’s “Water Supply Strategy: Adapting to a Hotter, Drier Future,” and is expediting groundwater recharge projects so that local agencies may take advantage of this year’s snowpack runoff.

CDFA Secretary Karen Ross joined representatives from the dairy industry, food banks and Raley’s yesterday to kickoff National Dairy Month by announcing a partnership to increase donations of dairy foods to needy families in California.

During the month of June, the California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB) will match donations from Raley’s Food for Families Program for fluid milk for food banks.

Milk is the single food item most frequently sought by needy families.

“I am thrilled to be able to participate in something I’m so passionate about,” said Secretary Ross. “And that is seeing the food we produce being utilized to feed needy families. The state that grows the bounty is sharing the bounty, and that’s what our farm families do. I applaud our dairy farmers, our food banks, and Raley’s for committing to this very worthy program.”

In the photo, Secretary Ross participates in a milk toast with, from left, dairy farmer and CMAB member Maureen Lemos, Yolo Food Bank executive director Karen Baker, and Raley’s corporate director of public affairs Chelsea Minor.