New ag secretary calls coordination her top concern

By WES SANDER

Capital Press

Karen Ross, the new secretary of California's Department of Food and Agriculture, says her first priority in office is to boost cooperative efforts among state agencies and with producers.

The goal falls in line with the efforts of her predecessor, A.G. Kawamura, and builds on her previous work with the state ag board.

The new administration will continue efforts to reduce regulatory overlap and craft regulations with less impact on producers, Ross said in an interview with Capital Press.

"Coalition building will be No. 1," Ross said. "We have people looking every day at how can we do things more positively."

Ross, who was appointed by Gov. Jerry Brown, took office on Feb. 1.

She had been appointed chief of staff for U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack in 2010, and earlier served as director of the California Association of Winegrape Growers while on the California State Board of Food and Agriculture.

Ross took a lead role in the early development of California Agricultural Vision, a document intended to guide lawmakers, agencies and industry toward an common vision of how the state's food production will look in 2030. The document was hashed out over two years by CDFA and the ag board, nonprofit collaborators and a large stakeholder group. It was a centerpiece of ag policy for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and published in the final month of his administration, although officials called it a work in progress.

It was championed by Kawamura, who stressed inter-agency communication as one of the most important jobs for the new agriculture secretary under Brown.

Work on the document involved several state agencies, and Ross said she will build on those efforts to promote coordination among regulators. Such efforts go hand-in-hand with public outreach, Ross said, echoing the often-heard argument that the industry must communicate more effectively to expand public understanding.

"I think it's really good for the farmers and ranchers in this state to broaden their base of support," Ross said. "There are so few farmers and ranchers left in the state, we have to have friends."

Ross said she will also concentrate on enticing new farmers into the business, a simmering concern as the average age of farmers has increased.

"The agriculture sector of this state's economy is still the most innovative and productive in the world," Ross said. "Generally speaking, we have a very healthy sector in this economy.

"I believe with all of my heart that we will continue to grow by leaps and bounds."