Planting Seeds - Food & Farming News from CDFA
  1. CDFA Home
  2. Planting Seeds Blog
  3. Karen Ross, Secretary, California Department of Food and AgricultureCDFA's Planting Seeds Blog Page 7

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

Climate Smart Israel – a delegation update from Secretary Ross

Posted on June 21, 2016 by Karen Ross, Secretary, California Department of Food and Agriculture

Secretary Ross is traveling through Israel this week with a California delegation interested in adaptation strategies for climate change and drought Yesterday we started with an excellent overview of agriculture in Israel presented by Oren Shaked, a senior agricultural specialist … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Climate Smart Israel – California delegation set to learn about conservation strategies in a semi-arid land

Posted on June 16, 2016 by Karen Ross, Secretary, California Department of Food and Agriculture

Israel is regarded as perhaps the most climate-smart agricultural region in the world. It has to be, with annual rainfall of about 17 inches (source: World Bank). By comparison, portions of the Sierra Nevada, the source of much of California’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Public Service Recognition Week reminds us that our strength is our people

Posted on May 4, 2016 by Karen Ross, Secretary, California Department of Food and Agriculture

Keeping an eye on our food supply is at the core of what we do at the California Department of Food and Agriculture. Nutrition, food safety, quality – that’s important work. But there’s a lot more to it than that, … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

National FFA Week – Inspiration from our future farmers

Posted on February 26, 2016 by Karen Ross, Secretary, California Department of Food and Agriculture

Congratulations to the Future Farmers of America, FFA! This is National FFA Week, a tradition that began in 1947 when the National FFA Board of Directors adopted the week of George Washington’s birthday in recognition of his legacy as an agriculturist … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Winegrowers and cattle ranchers shine at Governor’s Environmental and Economic Leadership Awards

Posted on January 21, 2016 by Karen Ross, Secretary, California Department of Food and Agriculture

Each year Governor Brown sponsors GEELA, the Governor’s Environmental and Economic Leadership Awards, which recognize individuals and organizations for exceptional achievements in conservation and environmental stewardship. It is the state’s highest environmental honor. GEELA is a partnership with Cal-EPA, CDFA, … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Governor Brown’s budget invests in Climate Smart Agriculture

Posted on January 8, 2016 by Karen Ross, Secretary, California Department of Food and Agriculture

Governor Brown’s proposed budget for 2016-2017 would provide a total of $485 million to CDFA for its mission to promote and protect agriculture, including appropriations for invasive species programs, food safety and security programs, drought analysis and response, a new … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

California-grown flowers adorn award-winning floats at Rose Parade

Posted on January 5, 2016 by Karen Ross, Secretary, California Department of Food and Agriculture

Once again I was honored and thrilled to receive an invitation from the California Cut Flower Commission to spend time with them last week at the fabulous Rose Parade. The Commission has developed partnerships with the Buy California Marketing Agreement … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Rose Parade gives Cal Poly students a head start in promoting California agriculture

Posted on December 23, 2015 by Karen Ross, Secretary, California Department of Food and Agriculture

One of my favorite traditions as secretary is the Rose Parade on New Year’s Day. Each year I have an opportunity to join our colleagues from California Grown as they certify that a select number of floats are comprised of … Continue reading →

Posted in Agricultural Education, Agricultural Marketing | Tagged , | Leave a comment

“Can Creations,” Charitable Donations, and Holiday Celebrations at CDFA

Posted on December 17, 2015 by Karen Ross, Secretary, California Department of Food and Agriculture

By CDFA Secretary Karen Ross When I began several years ago as California’s agriculture secretary, I had an inkling that there would be some travel involved. Nothing like Santa’s annual trip, mind you, but certainly a busy schedule. Meetings, hearings and … Continue reading →

Posted in Food Access | Leave a comment

Delivering on Climate Smart Agriculture

Posted on December 11, 2015 by Karen Ross, Secretary, California Department of Food and Agriculture

Our trip to the Netherlands is just the start of greater collaboration with the Dutch in addressing climate change in the agricultural sector. The innovations in water use, green house technology, and saline agriculture are practical on-farm solutions that can … Continue reading →

Posted in Climate Change | Tagged , | Leave a comment