It’s World Soil Day — an essential component of California’s annual Healthy Soils Week. In this video, we meet farmer Scott Park of Meridian, Sutter County, and we learn about the steps he follows for improved soil health in the production of corn, processing tomatoes and rice, among other crops. Park’s approach to nutrient management focuses entirely on keeping soil healthy, which increases water holding capacity and infiltration rates, increases soil fertility, and reduces greenhouse gas emissions by sequestering carbon.

Watch the video in Spanish

From a California Air Resources Board News Release

California officially kicked off a new international climate initiative that creates a partnership of subnational governments that are committed to reducing methane at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) hosted in Dubai.

The effort, which was initially announced in September during Climate Week, has expanded to 15 signatories, which include additions from Brazil, Canada, South Korea, Bolivia, Germany, Spain, and the United States.

The Subnational Methane Action Coalition creates collaboration with jurisdictions that oversee and regulate key sources of methane such as agriculture, energy and landfills to share goals and best practices in reducing the short-lived climate pollutant that accounts for almost 30% of current global warming and is 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide over a 20-year period.

“The science is clear that tackling methane emissions is one of the best investments we can make to fight climate change now and produce benefits in the near future to leave a better planet for generations to come,” said Liane Randolph, Chair of the California Air Resources Board. “California is ready to partner with governments across the world to implement actionable and effective solutions.”

“With leadership from our dairy families, California agriculture has been working to reduce methane emissions for a number of years. In addition, our efforts will require global solutions, bold ideas, and international partnerships to achieve the maximum reductions needed to accomplish our shared climate change goals,” said Karen Ross, California Secretary for the Department of Food and Agriculture.

California set a goal to reduce 40% of its methane emissions by 2030 compared to 2013 levels, and is leading the country with innovative solutions, including $100 million in funding to support a constellation of satellites that can monitor for large methane plumes. The California Air Resources Board (CARB), California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA), California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA) and California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) collaborate in the state’s international engagements on methane.

Since methane is a potent greenhouse gas with a short atmospheric lifespan, methane emissions reductions can reduce the effects of climate change in the short term, and are critical for putting the world on a path to limiting warming by 1.5°C.

Signatories of the Coalition include:

• California (US)
• Queretaro (Mexico)
• Gauteng (South Africa)
• Espirito Santo (Brazil)
• Cross River State (Nigeria)
• Yucatan (Mexico)
• Delhi (India)
• Colorado (US)
• Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil)
• Pernambuco (Brazil)
• Baden-Württemberg (Germany)
• British Columbia (Canada)
• Santa Cruz (Bolivia)
• Andalusia (Spain)
• Gyeonggi (South Korea)

Other partners in the effort include the Climate Group, which convenes subnational governments for climate action through the Under2 Coalition, and the UC Berkeley Center for Law, Energy, and Environment, which will work with state agencies and Initiative members to create action plans, track progress, organize regular peer-to-peer learning opportunities, and share best practices.

Research shows that lowering methane emissions can prevent up to 0.3°C of warming by 2050. While over 150 countries have agreed to collectively reduce global methane emissions by at least 30% below 2020 levels by 2030 through the Global Methane Pledge of 2021, meeting this target will require significant efforts from subnational jurisdictions.

Welcome to Healthy Soils Week 2023! We kick off the week with a video featuring CDFA Secretary Karen Ross. This year’s theme is “Common Ground: Soil Supports Us All!”

Throughout the week, CDFA will join key stakeholders to highlight various trainings and events focused on soil health.

Please visit the CDFA’s Healthy Soils Week 2023 page for more information about each of the week’s events.

Some of the Highlights

• Tuesday, December 5, 11:00 a.m. — the California Climate and Agriculture Network (CalCAN) Climate Solution Webinar will provide information about technical assistance needs to support on-farm climate resilience and healthy soils practices as part of a series related to a new report: Climate Platform for California Agriculture.

• Tuesday, December 5, 10 am – 1 pm — the Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF) will conduct a free, in-person event at the LangeTwins Family Winery and Vineyard in Acampo. Funded by CDFA’s Biologically Integrated Farming Systems Programs (BIFS) program, the event will include discussions about cover cropping and integrated livestock grazing in vineyards as part of a systems approach to land management.

• Friday, December 8 — Sustainable Nutrient Management and Soil Health Field Day in Salinas. University of California Cooperative Extension (UCANR) is offering this event, which will highlight water and nitrogen-use efficiency, Ag Order 4.0 updates, remote irrigation monitoring, and soil carbon management with field sensors.

• Friday, December 8 — 10:00 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. — legislative briefing hosted by the Senate Natural Resources Committee and the Assembly Committee on Agriculture. The event will take place at the California State Capitol Building, Room 127 (First Floor), Sacramento, CA 95814. Legislative staff are invited to learn about the connection between soil biodiversity, soil health, and the practices CDFA and its stakeholder partners are promoting through the Healthy Soils Program. Please RSVP to Artemio Armenta by Thursday, December 7.

Visit the Healthy Soils Week 2023 webpage to learn more.

By CDFA Secretary Karen Ross

It is the season to reflect on the year, gather around the table, and give thanks!  As someone who feels truly blessed to work with people I respect and admire, I feel thankful every day to be part of food and agriculture. 

It is my passion and my purpose to travel the state and share with all Californians what I see first-hand as the amazing miracle of California agriculture! The farmers, ranchers, farmworkers, and all others who play an integral role in our food supply are a testament to hard work, innovation, resiliency, and optimism every day regardless of the challenges.  That includes every one of our dedicated and talented CDFA staff members who are so passionate about our mission to ensure safe, nutritious, high-quality food and agricultural products — produced with the highest environmental and labor standards.

For many of California’s nearly forty million residents it is easy to take for granted what goes into the food on our table, but it’s important to remember that nutritional security is not assured.  In a world of harsher and more frequent extreme weather events, producing food with access for all is threatened by climate change.  I am grateful for the investment Governor Newsom and the Legislature have made in climate smart ag programs to support adaptation and the ability of farmers and ranchers to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and be part of the climate change solution by sequestering carbon.   

At the other end of the food chain, Governor Newsom, First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom, and the Legislature have made significant investments in Farm-to-School programs to support small and mid-sized, historically-underserved farmers and ranchers with local school procurement. It is a holistic investment that is combined with nutrition education and experiential learning to inspire healthy lifelong habits in students and their families, to help them avoid chronic diseases and fully achieve their potential. 

As young people learn about exciting agricultural technology and innovations that enhance our ability to produce food with care—for the environment as well as the people who make it possible–I know they will see what I do: California agriculture is about growing opportunity!  It’s a chance to be involved in a career -– a calling, really -– to produce food and ag products for healthy lives, healthy communities, and a healthy environment. How thankful I am for all the people who make our California agricultural bounty possible! 

From the American Farm Bureau Federation

Gathering around the table for a Thanksgiving dinner won’t take as much of a toll on your pocketbook this year compared to 2022, but the meal still reflects historically high costs. The American Farm Bureau Federation’s 38th annual survey provides a snapshot of the average cost of this year’s classic holiday feast for 10, which is $61.17 or less than $6.20 per person.

This is a 4.5% decrease from last year’s record-high average of $64.05, but a Thanksgiving meal is still 25% higher than it was in 2019, which highlights the impact high supply costs and inflation have had on food prices since before the pandemic.

The centerpiece on most Thanksgiving tables – the turkey – helped bring down the overall cost of dinner. The average price for a 16-pound turkey is $27.35. That is $1.71 per pound, down 5.6% from last year.

Farm Bureau “volunteer shoppers” checked prices Nov. 1-6, before most grocery store chains began featuring whole frozen turkeys at sharply lower prices. According to USDA Agricultural Marketing Service data, the average per-pound feature price for whole frozen turkeys declined further during the second week of November. Consumers who have not yet purchased a turkey may find additional savings in the days leading up to Thanksgiving.

“Traditionally, the turkey is the most expensive item on the Thanksgiving dinner table,” said AFBF Senior Economist Veronica Nigh. “Turkey prices have fallen thanks to a sharp reduction in cases of avian influenza, which have allowed production to increase in time for the holiday.”

The shopping list for Farm Bureau’s informal survey includes turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, rolls with butter, peas, cranberries, a veggie tray, and pumpkin pie with whipped cream, all in quantities sufficient to serve a family of 10 with plenty of leftovers.

Read more

With Thanksgiving and its generous tradition of sharing coming up next week, CDFA is urgently reminding Californians in fruit fly quarantine zones that they should *not* be moving homegrown produce off their property — citrus as well as other fruits and vegetables — as movement is forbidden under quarantine requirements and also creates a risk of spread of the invasive flies.

There are seven different fruit fly quarantines currently active in California, in the counties of Los Angeles, Ventura, Sacramento, Riverside, San Bernardino, Contra Costa and Santa Clara.

• What residents can do to help:
  • Do not take fresh fruits and vegetables off of your property.
  • Fruits and vegetables may be consumed or processed (i.e., juiced, frozen, or cooked) at the property of origin.
  • To dispose of fresh fruits and vegetables, double-bag and seal prior to placing it in a non-green waste bin.
  • Allow authorized agricultural workers access to your property to inspect fruit, check OFF traps, or conduct fruit fly eradication activities.
  • Report any suspect fruit fly maggots that you find inside of your backyard produce by calling the CDFA Pest Hotline: 1-800-491-1899.

Maps, quarantine restrictions, and other information is available online at: https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/plant/off/regulation.html

Californians are urged to adopt the principles of “Don’t Pack a Pest” to help prevent future introductions of invasive pests and diseases — by declaring all agricultural products for inspection upon entering the country and state, and by shipping Ag products through official channels that allow for proper treatment of commodities to protect against invasive species.