WHEREAS, April 21, 2026, is designated as California Agriculture Day, a day of celebration to commemorate agriculture’s importance in our daily lives, its vital role in keeping Californians nourished, and its role in keeping the state’s economy ranked as the fourth largest in the world; and

WHEREAS, The theme of California Agriculture Day 2026 is “California Leads,” highlighting the many ways California’s agricultural sector leads the way, from innovative climate-smart agricultural practices and the success of the Farm-to-School Program to specialty crops and the inspiring contributions of female farmers; and

WHEREAS, California women in agriculture outpace the nation, making up 38 percent of producers and operating more farms than in any other major agricultural state in the United States; and

WHEREAS, California celebrates 2026 as the International Year of the Woman Farmer and the essential role women play in every step of the food and farming system, stewarding more than 11 million acres of farmland and accelerating sustainability, innovation, and food security for all; and

WHEREAS, For more than 60 consecutive years, California has been the number one agricultural state in the nation, producing more than 400 crop and livestock products, and accounting for over one-third of vegetables and nearly three-quarters of the fruits and nuts produced in the United States; and

WHEREAS, California is the nation’s leader in agricultural exports, shipping $23.8 billion in food and agricultural commodities around the world in 2024, which represents a 6.1 percent increase over the previous year; and

WHEREAS, California is the nation’s sole exporter of many agricultural commodities, supplying 99 percent or more of the nation’s exported almonds, artichokes, dates, figs, garlic, kiwifruit, olives and olive oil, pistachios, prunes, raisins, table grapes, tomatoes for processing, and walnuts; and

WHEREAS, California agriculture has provided strong leadership in the adoption of climate smart practices to reduce methane and other greenhouse gas emissions, improve energy efficiency, save water, scale up soil health practices to sequester carbon, and implement other solutions to climate change; and

WHEREAS, California’s organic production sales were $11.8 billion in 2023, which is a 21.7 percent increase since 2019, organic production encompasses 1.78 million acres in the state, and California is the only state in the United States with a National Organic Program authorized a state organic program; and

WHEREAS, California’s Farm-to-School Program serves as a model for the nation, connecting California-grown foods with school meal programs in 86 percent of California counties, with the goal of cultivating equity, nurturing students, building climate resilience, and creating scalable and sustainable changes in the school food system; and

WHEREAS, Today’s agricultural industry offers over 200 challenging and rewarding career opportunities, from on-farm cultivation to food science and engineering; and

WHEREAS, The inexhaustible efforts of millions of farmworkers have contributed greatly to the success of the industry; and

WHEREAS, California’s agricultural industry constantly seeks to incorporate the latest scientific and technological production and marketing techniques to meet the demands of changing consumer needs and complex world markets; and

WHEREAS, Science, technology, and innovation have enabled California agriculture to continually improve quality, safety, and consumer product choice and drive advancements in organic production, reduced water use, and more sustainable pest management practices, including biological controls; and

WHEREAS, A broad approach to agricultural education is vital to ensure that California’s farms and ranches continue to flourish; and

WHEREAS, It is appropriate for all Californians to recognize our farmers, ranchers, farmworkers, and others involved in providing such a bounty to our nation and the entire world; now, therefore, be it