Author Archives: Karen Ross, Secretary, California Department of Food and Agriculture

State Veterinarian Dr. Annette Jones, Public Affairs Director Steve Lyle retiring By Karen Ross, CDFA Secretary As our CDFA family prepares to turn the calendar over to 2026, the adage “the only constant is change” seems particularly appropriate this time … Continue reading →

By CDFA Secretary Karen Ross Whenever I’m asked to describe or summarize California agriculture, especially for an audience that isn’t Californian, it’s an opportunity to start a conversation and learn what our more global audience thinks and knows about what … Continue reading →

“On average, groundwater provides roughly half the water we use as Californians, so implementation of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act is crucial to achieving future water resilience. The Groundwater Sustainability Plan determinations released today demonstrate the extremely complex issues within … Continue reading →

By Karen Ross, SecretaryCalifornia Department of Food and Agriculture Everywhere you look during this holiday season, you see the work of our California agricultural community.From the Christmas trees and poinsettias, to the resplendent holiday tables full of California-grown specialties, to … Continue reading →

By Karen Ross, SecretaryCalifornia Department of Food and Agriculture The dictionary defines gratitude as the state of being grateful:  THANKFULNESS. It is important to express appreciation to people every day, but especially at this time of year – a time to … Continue reading →

This morning, the USDA announced a framework designed to create “new, more and better markets for small and midsized producers” across our nation and here in California. Recognizing the supply-chain interruptions and disruptions brought on by both the pandemic and … Continue reading →

By Karen Ross, SecretaryCalifornia Department of Food and Agriculture The most visible elements of what we do at CDFA are about today: inspecting today’s harvest, stopping today’s invasive pest or animal disease, or responding to the latest emergency. And all … Continue reading →

By Karen Ross, SecretaryCalifornia Department of Food and Agriculture As I walked the (enormous) grounds of the World Ag Expo in Tulare earlier this week, I was impressed by how well this event truly shows how big – and yet … Continue reading →

Today, our California Trade Mission to Mexico concluded with a meeting with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of the United Mexican States (SADER). The meeting provided the opportunity for CDFA and SADER to renew our ongoing partnership with … Continue reading →