California Agriculture Secretary Karen Ross Talks About Farming, Climate Change, And The State’s Famous Produce

Radio Cherry Bombe

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Kerry Diamond, Women In Food, Women, Chefs, Society & Culture, Cherry Bombe Magazine, Entrepreneurs, Arts, Business, Food, Food Radio, Talk Radio, Careers, Radio Cherry Bombe, Restaurants, Female Chefs, Restaurateurs, Interviews, 591312

4.6 • 592 Ratings

🗓️ 24 April 2023

⏱️ 41 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Hosted by Kerry Diamond Produced by Catherine Baker and Jenna Sadhu Edited by Jenna Sadhu Music by Tralala, “All Fired Up” More than 50 percent of the produce we consume in America comes from California, and there’s one woman who keeps tabs on all of it, from citrus to avocados, almonds, wine grapes, and beyond. Her name is Karen Ross and she’s been the California Department of Food and Agriculture Secretary since 2011. Radio Cherry Bombe host Kerry Diamond sat down with Secretary Ross in her office in the state capital of Sacramento to talk about the state’s incredible output, climate change, and current stats on female farmers and farm workers. They also talk about Secretary Ross’s early years growing up on a farm in Nebraska and how that shaped her outlook today. This conversation is part of a special program with California Grown that also included a panel discussion in Sacramento with female growers and officials from the region on International Women’s Day. Click here to learn more about California Grown and find facts on the state’s various crops and recipes. Click here for the California Department of Food and Agriculture blog. Click here for Taste of Santa Barbara tickets and details. Radio Cherry Bombe is a production of The Cherry Bombe Podcast Network. Our show is recorded at Newsstand Studios at Rockefeller Center. Subscribe to our newsletter and check out past episodes and transcripts here.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hi, Boys and girls are all fired up.
0:07.0	I'm the founder.
0:09.0	The whole world's chicken, drinking, baby, and we're all about it.
0:15.0	Hi everyone, you are listening to Radio Cherry Bomb, and I'm your host, Carrie Diamond.
0:21.6	I'm the founder and editor of Cherry Bomb magazine, and each week I talk to the most interesting women in and around the world of food.
0:29.5	Today's guest is Karen Ross, Secretary of California's Department of Food and Agriculture.
0:35.7	Secretary Ross has a major job, to say the least. More than
0:39.1	50 percent of America's produce comes from California, including one-third of this country's
0:44.3	vegetables, two-thirds of the country's fruits and nuts, even 80 percent of the country's wine.
0:51.0	I spoke to Secretary Ross in her office at CFDA headquarters in Sacramento, the capital
0:56.4	of California, earlier this spring.
0:58.8	At the time of our interview, certain parts of the state were dealing with catastrophic weather,
1:03.1	deadly flooding, record snowfall, and avian flu, situations that greatly impact the agricultural
1:09.2	communities.
1:10.2	But at the same time, citrus season was
1:12.8	booming, flowers were in bloom all around us, and the farmers' markets were overflowing with beautiful
1:18.6	produce. California is nothing if not resilient. Secretary Ross and I talked about her life and
1:24.6	career, how female farmers and farm workers are faring, climate
1:28.7	change, of course, and more. I was in Sacramento for a special program with California grown,
1:34.7	the marketing organization that promotes the state's incredible produce, and that connects folks
1:39.1	in California and beyond with the people who grow their food. On International Women's Day, I moderated a panel
1:45.2	with incredible farmers, including Chrissy Scomena of Boonville Barn Collective, known for their
	...

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