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

In the Netherlands – The Taste and Feel of Climate Smart Agriculture

Posted on December 9, 2015 by Karen Ross, Secretary, California Department of Food and Agriculture

In the village of Valthermond in the east of the Netherlands, we visited Wageningen University‘s demonstration farm. Wageningen UR, like UC Davis, is one of the leading agricultural research universities in the world. Here, innovative practices on water and nutrient … Continue reading →

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Learning from the Dutch – Climate Smart Ag delegation lands in the Netherlands

Posted on December 7, 2015 by Karen Ross, Secretary, California Department of Food and Agriculture

  As discussions in Paris continue on climate change, I’m excited to be with a California delegation in the Netherlands focusing on Climate Smart Agriculture – defined as an approach for developing the technical, policy and investment conditions for food … Continue reading →

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Food brings us together all year – but Thanksgiving is special

Posted on November 24, 2015 by Karen Ross, Secretary, California Department of Food and Agriculture

Thanksgiving is built around a most basic blessing: food. What stands out as the highlight of this day for me, though isn’t the food itself so much as the sharing of it. The people around our tables – friends and … Continue reading →

Posted in Food Access | Tagged | 3 Comments

Farm-to-Food Bank Month a time for sharing and caring

Posted on November 16, 2015 by Karen Ross, Secretary, California Department of Food and Agriculture

More than four-million people in California are food-insecure and need a little help. It just doesn’t seem right to have that many people lacking nourishment in a state that produces such a bounty of healthy food. In recognition of that need, … Continue reading →

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Charter of Milan establishes important values for a sustainable world

Posted on November 12, 2015 by Karen Ross, Secretary, California Department of Food and Agriculture

The 2015 World’s Fair recently concluded in Milan, Italy, and an important development was the Charter of Milan, described by its authors as a moral, non-binding commitment to achieve such goals as regulations guaranteeing rights to food for all; stronger … Continue reading →

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GMO Testing Pilot Project to ensure compliance with National Organic Program

Posted on October 26, 2015 by Karen Ross, Secretary, California Department of Food and Agriculture

By Karen Ross, Secretary, California Department of Food and Agriculture and Jenny Lester Moffitt, Deputy Secretary, California Department of Food and Agriculture It has been said that “California is the capital of organic.” The strength of that statement is a … Continue reading →

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National Co-op Month a reminder of the cooperative nature of food and agriculture

Posted on October 21, 2015 by Karen Ross, Secretary, California Department of Food and Agriculture

Cooperatives are at the very heart of agriculture. Cooperative systems emerge at all levels of production and extend through many facets, from harvesting to marketing. Co-ops can be complex operations that serve as supportive foundations for farmers and ranchers, and … Continue reading →

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National Manufacturing Month – Recognizing where the harvest leads

Posted on October 14, 2015 by Karen Ross, Secretary, California Department of Food and Agriculture

For a lot of our farmers here in California, this is about the time of year when we stand back with pride and a little relief that the harvest is done. There is always plenty more work to be done, … Continue reading →

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

Food Safe Families with Oakland school children, the USDA and a ‘Big League Foodie’

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

I spent an energizing afternoon at Parker Elementary School in Oakland this week, where students took full advantage of a presentation about how to handle, prepare and store food safely and help protect their families from food poisoning. USDA’s Food Safety and … Continue reading →

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CDFA introduces California Farmer Marketplace

Posted on August 10, 2015 by Karen Ross, Secretary, California Department of Food and Agriculture

I am happy to announce the launch of the California Farmer Marketplace, www.cafarmermarketplace.com, by the California Department of Food and Agriculture’s Office of Farm to Fork. The Marketplace is a free statewide website that will feature fresh California produce, grains, … Continue reading →

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