Capitol Farm Connection Podcast Features Secretary Karen Ross
Ag Council President Emily Rooney sits down with California Department of Food and Agriculture Secretary Karen Ross in the newest Capitol Farm Connection podcast.
Secretary Ross and Emily talk about timely issues including Governor Newsom’s budget, the wildfire and utility crisis, the future of crop protection materials and the state of the dairy industry.
Secretary Ross discusses the governor’s California for All initiative and his dedication to the San Joaquin Valley and inland regions of California, underscored by his work with the San Joaquin Valley Partnership and his plans to create a Food Innovation Corridor between UC Merced and Fresno State.
Secretary Ross wraps-up the episode with her views on the unique environment the state provides to continue to enable success for the industry.
Ag Council Highlights California’s Climate Change Program at NCFC’s Annual Meeting
As Congress considers numerous proposals regarding climate change, Ag Council members are working with the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives (NCFC) to help shape its policy to reflect the progress we have made in California to reduce emissions.
As part of the education process, Director of Member & State Government Relations for Land O’Lakes and Chairman of Ag Council Pete Garbani, Vice President & General Counsel of Pacific Coast Producers Mona Shulman, and Ag Council President Emily Rooney participated in a panel explaining California’s Climate Change Program this week in La Quinta, California. Attendees included over 400 agricultural and cooperative leaders from throughout the United States.
Emily also went on to provide a more detailed presentation to NCFC’s Board of Directors, which comprises CEOs and senior leadership from across the nation.
Safe Drinking Water Advisory Group Holds First Meeting
The Safe and Affordable Funding for Equity and Resilience (SAFER) Advisory Committee held the first meeting on January 13, and Ag Council President Emily Rooney participated as a member of the committee. The SAFER Advisory Committee advises the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) on the expenditure plan for the drinking water fund.
The SAFER committee was created as a result of legislation approved last year to ensure clean drinking water to those in California who need it. In addition, the state is appropriating up to $130 million each year for the next ten years to address the drinking water crisis. In addition to those funds, in the current budget year, the SWRCB was successful in obtaining bond dollars and one-time general fund monies totaling $241 million for the drinking water fund.
The SWRCB provided a draft expenditure plan, and Ag Council submitted comments urging the board to focus on getting tangible drinking water solutions completed in an efficient and timely manner.
Ag Council’s comments also emphasize the need to provide timelines and goals to keep all stakeholders focused on solving the problem, while offering alternative language to deal with funding obligations of responsible parties, which is a specific provision important to agriculture.
Click HERE to view the letter.