California Secretary of Agriculture Karen Ross highlighted the International Year of the Woman Farmer during the World Ag Expo in Tulare, CA; a campaign prompted by the United Nations and the CA Grown program to raise awareness and promote the essential global role women hold in the agriculture industry, from production to trade.
“Women are helping to grow the future of California Agriculture. The number of dynamic, fearless, accomplished women leading farms, driving innovation and shaping the future of food has grown more than 13 percent in the last decade,” said Karen Ross, California Secretary of Agriculture. “We need to celebrate their contributions to the global agricultural industry here at the World Ag Expo where we are witnessing cutting edge technology, equipment and educational opportunities, and every day.”
California is home to over 45,000 women producers who collectively steward more than 11 million acres of farmland. Women play essential roles across the food system that are critical to food security, nutrition and economic resilience. Their essential role in every facet of the food and farming system is celebrated at the World Ag Expo, where more than 100,000 visitors from 70 countries are scheduled to visit. The event hosts over 1,200 exhibitors displaying state-of-the-art technology and equipment over a three-day period, as well as educational opportunities, including seminars by agricultural experts and cooking demonstrations by California Grown.
Secretary Ross was joined at the International Year of the Woman Farmer event by CDFA Undersecretary Christine Birdsong. CDFA representation at this year’s World Ag Expo also includes Deputy Secretary Arima Kozina and staff from the department’s Office of Agricultural Resilience and Sustainability (OARS) and Inspection Services Division, as well as the State Board of Food and Agriculture.
Food influencers including Alison Needham a creator for the California Grown campaign, Aida Mollenkamp the founder of Salt and Wind Travel, prune grower Hilary Porter of Erick Nielsen Enterprises, U.S. Sweet Potato Council President Sarah Alvarnaz, and many more women in agriculture are in attendance during a reception to honor their contributions.
The California Grown program brings together industry and government resources to increase the awareness, consumption and value of California agricultural products, helping consumers enjoy the best of the California lifestyle, and to recognize the Golden State’s role in food, beverage and flower production across the nation and the globe.
The campaign was established by proclamation of the United Nations to raise awareness of the critical roles women play in the global agricultural industry that is often unrecognized. Learn more about the worldwide campaign by visiting https://californiagrown.org/yearofthewomanfarmer/. Media assets may be downloaded here.
About CA GROWN
California Grown was formed in 2001 to increase awareness and consumption of high-quality California agricultural products. The organization is represented today by more than two dozen commodity organizations and dozens of agricultural entities licensed to use the popular California Grown brand. For more information about California Grown, contact Cherie Watte at cher@californiagrown.org.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) expanded the Santa Clara Mediterranean fruit fly (Ceratitis capitata; Medfly) quarantine in Alameda and Santa Clara Counties, California. This action parallels the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) expansion of the Santa Clara Medfly quarantine published on January 2.
APHIS and CDFA expanded the Santa Clara Medfly quarantine following the confirmed detection on December 17 of one wild male Medfly from a trap in on a residential property in an orange tree in Milpitas, Santa Clara County. This action expanded the quarantine by 17 square miles and does not include additional commercial agriculture. The amended quarantine encompasses 241 square miles with 58.76 acres of commercial agriculture, including grape, olive, orange, pepper, stone fruit, and tomato.
APHIS is applying safeguarding measures and restrictions on the interstate movement of regulated articles to prevent the spread of Medfly to non-infested areas of the United States, as well as to prevent the entry of these fruit flies into foreign trade. APHIS is working with CDFA and the Agricultural Commissioners of Alameda and Santa Clara Counties to eradicate this transient fruit fly population following program guidelines for survey, treatment, and regulatory actions
The APHIS Exotic Fruit Flies website contains descriptions and maps of all current Federal fruit fly quarantine areas. APHIS will publish a notice of this change in the Federal Register. —USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
The California Department of Food and Agriculture (Department) recently conducted a referendum vote among California Market Milk Producers within the State of California to determine whether the Quota Implementation Plan (QIP) which became effective November 1, 2018, should be terminated effective immediately.
On August 6, 2024, the Department received a petition titled “Petition to Terminate the QIP #5” by Stop QIP. The petition asked that the Secretary call a referendum to immediately terminate the QIP. The Department performed a review of the petition signatures and their respective reported volume and determined that the twenty-five percent (25%) thresholds had been achieved. The petition was then referred to the Producer Review Board (PRB) for consideration. At a Board meeting held on December 17, 2024, the PRB reviewed the petition and passed a motion recommending that the Secretary issue an industry referendum to vote on the petition. The Secretary reviewed the PRB’s recommendation and approved it.
The referendum to consider termination started on June 12, 2025. On September 9, 2025, one day prior to the end of the voting period for the referendum, over 501 ballots were hand-delivered to the Department by a third party. Visual inspection upon receipt confirmed that the ballots had been removed from their sealed envelopes. Due to these unusual circumstances, the Department decided to reissue the ballots in question and grant a special extension to vote to the producers whose ballots were received open. The voting period for the special extension for the affected producers was October 8, 2025, to October 24, 2025.
Criteria for Passage:
In order for the termination to be approved, California Food and Agricultural Code Section 62717 specifies that:
Not less than fifty-one percent (51%) of the total number of eligible producers in the state shall have voted in the referendum AND one of the following criteria must be satisfied:
a) Sixty-five percent (65%) or more of the total number of eligible producers who voted in the referendum who produced fifty-one percent (51%) or more of the total amount of fluid milk produced in the state during the calendar month next preceding the month commencement of the referendum period (April 2025) by all producers who voted in the referendum approve the plan, OR,
b) Fifty-one percent (51%) or more of the total number of eligible producers who voted in the referendum who produced sixty-five percent (65%) or more of the total amount of fluid milk produced in the state during the calendar month next preceding the month commencement of the referendum period (April 2025) by all producers who voted in the referendum, approve the plan.
Summary of the Results of the Referendum Vote:
Proportion of Eligible Producers that Participated: 63.76%
Proportion of those Eligible Producers Voting in Favor: 40.46%
Proportion of those Eligible Producers Voting in Opposition: 59.54%
Proportion of the Voted Volume Represented by Eligible Producers in Favor: 47.55%
Proportion of the Voted Volume Represented by Eligible Producers in Opposition: 52.45%
In summary, 63.76% of the total number of eligible producers voted in the referendum, and 40.46% voted in favor, having produced 47.55% of the total amount of fluid milk in the state, among participating producers, in April 2025. Conversely, 59.54% voted in opposition, and produced 52.45% of the total amount of fluid milk in the state, among participating producers, in April 2025.
Explanation of Results:
63.76% of the total number of eligible market milk producers in the state voted, therefore the participation criteria was satisfied.
a. Additionally, both elements of EITHER criterion in (a) OR (b) above must also be satisfied: The producers who accounted for 47.55% of the fluid milk produced by participants in the referendum, in April 2025 voted IN FAVOR, falling short of the threshold of 51% for the first element by 3.45%; AND 40.46% of the number of eligible producers voted IN FAVOR, falling short of satisfying the threshold of 65% for the second element by 24.54%. Therefore, because neither of the two elements were satisfied, the referendum is not approved through this criterion.
b. 40.46% of eligible producers voted IN FAVOR, falling short of satisfying the 51% threshold by 10.54%; AND producers who accounted for 47.55% of the total number of fluid milk, produced by participants in the referendum, in April 2025 voted IN FAVOR, falling short of satisfying the threshold of 65% by 17.45%. Therefore, because neither of the two elements were satisfied, the referendum is not approved through this criterion.
Since the outcome of this referendum does not meet the criteria set forth in Section 62717 of the California Food and Agricultural code, the Quota Implementation Plan will not be terminated. A further summary of the tally results and details on invalidated ballots are included with this notice.
Anyone with questions regarding the referendum, should contact the Quota Administration Program at (916) 900-5012.
Dairy Cares — Over the past eight years, California’s dairy farms have collectively achieved an annual reduction of 5 million metric tons of methane (CO2e) and counting. This is important, as scientists agree that reductions in methane emissions are critical to slowing global warming. The world-leading effort has drawn some well-deserved attention. Unfortunately, there are several common myths and misconceptions about California dairy’s methane reduction programs. Let’s explore the misnomers and the facts.
Myth #1: California’s methane reduction efforts are focused on digesters.
One common misconception is that digesters are the primary strategy being deployed to reduce dairy methane emissions in California. There are in fact several strategies being deployed, which are all equally important to ensuring success across all dairy farms, large and small. Here are the main strategies in no particular order:
Strategy #1:Methane Avoidance – California dairy farms are avoiding the creation of methane via alternative manure management projects. This includes manure separators, compost pack barns, manure scrape and vacuum systems, conversion to pasture-based operations, and other practices. Through its Alternative Manure Management (AMMP) and Dairy Plus programs, the state has funded a total of 209 alternative manure management (methane avoidance) projects, more than the 142 state-funded digester projects. Estimated total annual reductions from alternative manure management projects operating to date are 252,000 MTCO2e, according to the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA).
Strategy #2:Methane Capture and Utilization – California has 168 dairy digesters operating with about 75 more projects in development. 142 of these projects received funding from the state via the Dairy Digester Research and Development Program (DDRDP). Digesters capture methane from manure storage and put it to productive use as carbon-negative transportation fuel or other renewable energy needs. Estimated total annual reductions from operating California dairy digester projects to date are 2.53 million MTCO2e, according to information from CDFA and digester developers.
Strategy #3:Milk Production Efficiency/Herd Attrition – California dairy farms continue to shrink their environmental footprint by producing more milk (or consistent total milk volume) with fewer cows. Milk production efficiencies continue to be gained in many ways, including improved animal nutrition, selective breeding, and enhanced animal care and comfort. Overall, while total milk production has remained relatively stable, the number of dairy cows in California has continued to shrink since 2008, resulting in far fewer emissions. Estimated total annual reductions achieved to date are 2.13 million MTCO2e, based on herd numbers from the California Air Resources Board’s California Dairy and Livestock Database. These reductions are from both manure management and enteric methane (methane emitted directly from cows).
Strategy #4:Methane-Reducing Feed Ingredients – Additionally, a newer strategy is now also being deployed to directly address enteric methane emissions. On a growing number of farms, methane reducing feed ingredients are included in feed rations, helping reduce enteric methane emissions.
Strategy #5:Ongoing Research – Perhaps the most important strategy continues to be research. The California dairy sector supports ongoing research efforts to validate practices and identify additional strategies for further reducing methane emissions.
Myth #2: California’s methane reduction policies are encouraging dairy farms to grow larger.
Another harmful myth is that California’s methane reduction programs are incentivizing farms to grow larger. While it’s true that digester projects are more financially viable on larger dairies (including those that have experienced consolidation), the financial benefits of having a digester do not incentivize growth. This myth is based on the flawed assumption that dairies receive all revenue generated by a digester and therefore increase cows to increase revenues. In practice, digesters are substantial capital investments that are not financed, operated, and owned by the dairy farm. Most digesters are owned by specialized companies and investors that have access to capital, technology, and current natural gas infrastructure.
A 2024 analysis performed by ERA Economics found there is no evidence that digesters cause consolidation. Additionally, econometric analysis of county- and state-level farm digester data provides empirical evidence that digesters are not causing consolidation. While the California dairy sector has consolidated over the last several decades, the underlying drivers for consolidation are broad and pre-date digesters. The report from ERA Economics confirms analysis performed by the California Air Resources Board, which shows no linkage between digesters and herd growth on dairy farms.
Myth #3: CA policies encourage the creation of more methane for digester capture.
A similar myth is that digesters encourage dairy farms to create more methane so that more energy can be created and sold. This claim is counter to how California’s digesters are designed and operated. Nearly all California dairy digesters have a covered lagoon design. On a dairy with this kind of digester, manure is collected via flushing barn floors with recycled water that is sent to a storage lagoon before being used to irrigate forage fields. Manure stored without oxygen (in wet conditions) creates methane, which is why a plastic tarp is used to cover the lagoon, capturing methane for use as an energy source.
As solid separator (right) removes much of the manure solids before the stream enters covered-lagoon digester.
For best maintenance outcomes, there is a critical step that occurs before the stream enters the lagoon: separating out much of the solids via a manure separator. Installation of a mechanical separator is typically part of every farm’s digester project investment. Reducing the amount of solids that enter the lagoon reduces the amount of methane that is created and available for capture. However, it also helps prevent solids from building up in the lagoon, reduces odors, and minimizes the need for costly lagoon cleanouts. Therefore, digester projects technically use both the methane avoidance and methane capture strategies, to most effectively manage manure and reduce emissions.
Myth #4: California dairy farms operate without regulation.
A final myth is one that is sometimes claimed by opponents of dairy farming or uniformed media outlets: that California’s dairies operate with little to no regulation. This could not be further from the truth. California dairies operate under the strictest environmental regulations in the nation and must comply with the nation’s most stringent air quality protection rules. Dairies are already subject to multiple environmental permits and regular inspections by regional water quality authorities, regional air agencies, and county land use authorities. Each California dairy and cattle operation submits extensive, detailed reports on their operations to state authorities on an annual basis. While California’s dairies are not currently directly regulated for methane emissions, they are doing their part to voluntarily meet the state’s target for a 40% reduction by 2030. The state’s dairy methane reduction programs (DDRDP, AMMP, and Dairy Plus) are persistently over-subscribed with farm applications.
Dairy farmers continue to participate in important conversations about the environment, and more importantly, they continue to take action to reduce emissions. By correcting misinformation and busting harmful myths, their world-leading efforts can be better understood and supported. Achieving the full 40% reduction in dairy methane emissions by the 2030 target is within reach if additional funding is made available to continue the state’s successful programs.
California’s dairy farmers are committed to doing their part to reduce methane in ways that benefit local communities.
The California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB), the marketing order representing California dairy producers, today announced the addition of Adrienne Daniels asExecutive Vice President of Marketing. In this role, Daniels will lead strategic marketing initiatives to expand awareness, engagement, and sales of Real California dairy products across domestic and international markets.
Daniels brings over two decades of marketing leadership experience in the consumer packaged goods industry, having built, grown, and revitalized brands across a broad spectrum of categories. Most recently, she served as Senior Marketing Director at Gallo, where she managed a portfolio of more than 60 brands, including Black Box Wines, Apothic Wines, and Carlo Rossi Wines. Under her leadership, Daniels led brand turnarounds, launched innovative campaigns with record-breaking ROI, and launched over 15 new wines.
Before beginning her more than 11-year tenure at Gallo, Daniels spent over 13 years at General Mills, holding multiple marketing leadership positions across iconic brands such as Cheerios, Pillsbury, and Progresso. Her strategic and creative leadership helped modernize legacy brands, drive multicultural marketing initiatives, and pioneered new approaches to health-focused consumer engagement.
Daniels earned her MBA from Stanford University and a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Pennsylvania.
An active community leader, she has supported education and literacy as a past mentor to Learning Quest through the Stanislaus Community Foundation’s Profit with Purpose program.
Daniels is dedicated to championing women in business and has held numerous leadership roles advancing this cause throughout her career. In her previous role, she served as a key leader within Gallo’s Women of Wine & Spirits group, an organization committed to promoting and recognizing the achievements of women across the industry. Daniels also engaged in women’s networks while in her position at General Mills.
“Adrienne brings a wealth of strategic marketing expertise, creative insight, and a deep understanding of consumer engagement,” said Bob Carroll, CEO of the CMAB. “Her proven ability to grow and reposition major brands will be instrumental as CMAB continues to drive demand and build connections with today’s dairy consumers.”
California is the number one dairy state with more than 1,000 family dairy farms focused on delivering the wholesome goodness of California milk while creating a more sustainable future for dairy in the state.
About Real California Milk/California Milk Advisory Board
The California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB), an instrumentality of the California Department of Food and Agriculture, is funded by the state’s dairy farm families who lead the nation in sustainable dairy farming practices. With a vision to nourish the world with the wholesome goodness of Real California Milk, the CMAB’s programs focus on increasing demand for California’s sustainable dairy products in the state, across the U.S. and around the world. Connect with the CMAB at RealCaliforniaMilk.com.
The California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB) has announced the return of its student internship program where young agriculture ambassadors will represent Real California Milk internationally. Applications are now open for summer representatives inCMAB’s partner countries.
The interns, selected from students enrolled in agriculture-related programs at colleges and universities throughout the state, will be chosen based on academic achievement, connection to the dairy industry and a willingness to travel abroad and learn more about international dairy sales and marketing, as well as a plan to work in the California dairy industry in the future.
Over the six-week period, interns will spend time with CMAB marketing organizations overseas in order to gain a better understanding of these markets, consumer buying habits and promotional efforts on behalf of California’s dairy industry.
“Over the last decade, the CMAB has worked closely with partners in Mexico and Asia to develop markets for California dairy products. This program is focused on providing insight into international marketing for future leaders who will work in the dairy business and one day serve on dairy industry boards and lead industry groups,” said Glenn Millar, Vice President of International Business Development for the CMAB.
Interested candidates must submit a completed application, essay, and other requirements by Friday, November 14, 2024. Additional information is available here.
California is the nation’s leading milk producer, and makes more butter, ice cream and nonfat dry milk than any other state. California is the second-largest producer of cheese and yogurt. California is the leading U.S. state in dairy production. Its family dairy farms are focused on delivering the wholesome goodness of California milk while creating a more sustainable future for dairy in the state.
About Real California Milk/California Milk Advisory Board
The California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB), an instrumentality of the California Department of Food and Agriculture, is funded by the state’s dairy farm families who lead the nation in sustainable dairy farming practices. With a vision to nourish the world with the wholesome goodness of Real California Milk, the CMAB’s programs focus on increasing demand for California’s sustainable dairy products in the state, across the U.S. and around the world through advertising, public relations, research, and retail and foodservice promotional programs. For more information and to connect with the CMAB, visit RealCaliforniaMilk.com.
American Pistachio Growers (APG), in collaboration with Washington State University, University of California – Riverside, UC Cooperative Extension, the USDA Agricultural Research Service and regional nut industry partners, has been awarded a $1 million grant through the California Department of Food and Agriculture’s Biologically Integrated Farming Systems (BIFS) Program to develop a Regional Integrated Pest Management (IPM) network for Navel Orangeworm (NOW) — the most damaging pest in California’s tree nut industry.
The project, led by Dr. Houston Wilson (UC Riverside), Dr. David Crowder (WSU), Dr. Jhalendra Rijal (UC IPM), and Dr. Charles Burks (USDA ARS) will pilot a groundbreaking Decision Aid System (DAS) that integrates real-time trap data, weather models, and crop phenology into a single communication platform. The goal is to improve the timing and precision of pest control decisions while fostering regional cooperation among almond, pistachio, and walnut growers.
“This project moves us beyond the farm gate,” said Joe Coelho, APG’s Director of Sustainability and Member Outreach, who serves as Technical Agronomist and PCA on the project. “For the first time, growers across commodities will have access to shared regional data and communication tools that allow them to anticipate pest pressure before it hits their fields and ultimately make precise, timely treatment decisions. The outcome is fewer sprays, lower costs, and higher quality nuts.”
Through field-level data acquisition, the system’s meta-analytics will identify regional flight trends coupled with crop-specific phenological development and enhance forecasting of NOW flights — critical steps in breaking the pest’s lifecycle across neighboring farms. Ultimately, the program is expected to help reduce pesticide use, improve nut quality, and lower aflatoxin risk associated with pest damage.
APG will serve as the grower administration partner, coordinating grower participation and outreach. Carlee Branco, APG Grant Programs Administrator, will conduct on-farm grower coordination, engagement and data collection. “This is a major milestone for sustainable pest management,” said Coelho, “and it demonstrates APG’s leadership in advancing research that directly benefits growers.”
The Regional IPM for Navel Orangeworm Project represents a pivotal step toward the state’s Sustainable Pest Management (SPM) Roadmap by providing a scalable, data-driven framework that can be expanded statewide.
“This is exactly the kind of innovation California agriculture needs,” said Dr. Wilson. “Regional coordination is essential to long-term pest reduction, especially for highly mobile insects like the navel orangeworm, and this project will now put those ideas into practice at scale.”
The program launches in early 2026, with pilot regions in West Fresno County and Modesto, serving as the foundation for a future statewide expansion. Growers within these territories who are interested should contact Carlee Branco for more information at cbranco@americanpistachios.org.
American Pistachio Growers (APG) is a non-profit trade association representing more than 800 growers and processors across California, Arizona, and New Mexico. APG’s mission is to enhance grower profitability through global marketing, industry research, and sustainability initiatives that promote economically viable and environmentally responsible pistachio production.
The California Department of Food and Agriculture (Department) recently conducted a referendum among California Market Milk Producers to consider whether the Quota Implementation Plan (QIP) should be terminated. The deadline to vote in the referendum was September 10, 2025.
On September 9, 2025, prior to the end of the voting period for the referendum, over 50 ballots were hand-delivered to the Department by a third party. Visual inspection upon receipt confirmed that the ballots had been removed from their sealed envelopes. Due to these unusual circumstances, the Department has decided to reissue the affected ballots and grant a special extension to vote to the producers whose ballots were received open. These new ballots are going out in the mail today; only properly completed and signed ballots, postmarked or otherwise received by the Department in a sealed envelope no later than October 24, 2025, will be counted.
The Department will announce and notify all California Market Milk producers of the referendum results following tabulation of the ballots. Tabulation of ballots will not begin until the special extension period for receiving ballots has concluded.
In November 2018, following California’s entry into the Federal Milk Marketing Order (FMMO) the operations of CDFA’s Dairy Marketing Branch were terminated. In order to ensure the availability of funds to offset closing costs, terminated programs are required to keep unused funds in State Treasury for three fiscal years. Additionally, in the case of the Dairy Marketing Branch, the approval of the Legislature was required for CDFA to regain access to the unspent balance after the waiting period. The required thresholds have been met resulting in $3,595,000 becoming available for CDFA to conduct research to benefit both dairy farmers and milk processors.
In the next few months CDFA plans to issue a Request for Proposals (RFP) to perform industry-focused research projects. As part of that process, we are asking the California dairy industry to help us identify their top research priorities. Accordingly, all members of the California dairy industry are invited to attend a workshop to discuss research priorities, project criteria and scope:
Date: Thursday, October 23, 2025
Time: 10:00 am
Location: CDFA Headquarters Auditorium
1220 N Street, Sacramento, CA 95814
You may join the workshop online by using the link below:
The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) is offering a new free Continuing Education (CE) course designed specifically for Pest Control Advisers (PCAs) and other industry professionals focused on invasive pest management.
Titled Invasive Fruit Flies in California, this course provides an in-depth look at the rising pressure of invasive fruit flies (IFF) across the state and the critical role PCAs play in early detection and containment. This course is approved for 1.0 DPR CEUs (Other).
Participants will:
•Understand the pest profiles of major IFF species affecting California
•Learn the triggers that initiate quarantines in the state
•Explore best practices for supporting growers with timely, science-based recommendations
•Review the 2023-2025 IFF response strategies
•Discover innovations shaping the future of pest detection and management
This complimentary CE course is a valuable resource for PCAs looking to stay informedand proactive in the protection of California’s agricultural economy.
To learn more, click the button below.
To enroll, click the button, then go to “Online Learning,” then “Shop” to register at no cost ($0.00).
About the California Department of Food and Agriculture
CDFA has a mission to serve the citizens of California by promoting and protecting a safe, healthy food supply and enhancing local and global agricultural trade.
About the California Association of Pest Control Advisers
CAPCA’s purpose is to serve as the leader in the evolution of the pest management industry through the communication of reliable information.
