While living in Washington, D.C., Karen Ross’ husband, Barry, received an offer of a dream job in California. Her response: “Great. Do they have agriculture in California?”
Years later, Ross is now retiring from her 16-year tenure as the state’s Secretary of Agriculture. Across multiple administrations and the relentless tides of shifting policies and state priorities, she has been the steadfast head of one of the largest industries in one of the world’s most dynamic economies.
“Who would have thought that a Nebraska farm girl would rise to lead the nation’s largest agricultural state, achieving national and international recognition along the way?” said Don Cameron, President of the California State Board of Food and Agriculture and Vice President and General Manager at Terranova Ranch.
Ross, for her part, credits her resilience on consistency.
“Like a bad penny, I keep showing up,” Ross laughed.
As she leaves office, Ross takes a moment to reflect on her successes, her impact–and the path forward for agriculture in the state. “We’ve moved the needle,” she said. “We’ve certainly moved it. Have we moved it enough? No.”
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With roots and, as Cameron, alluded to, present-day ownership of several hundred acres of western Nebraska farm country, Ross began her California agricultural career as Vice President at Agricultural Council and then as President of California Association of Winegrape Growers. In 2009, she worked at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) as Chief of Staff for Secretary Tom Vilsack.
She was appointed Secretary of CDFA by California Governor Jerry Brown in 2011 and was re-appointed by Governor Gavin Newsom in 2019.
She said her time at USDA—a “mini-government that touches all aspects of rural America”—impressed upon her a very serious lesson in leadership, discipline and embedded expertise, as well as the importance of continuity of government. Ross observed how nonpartisan senior level executives were constantly training for emergencies because “you want to create relationships and know how to respond when in the midst of a disaster.”
That training would prove to be vital. As Secretary in California, she would steer the state’s agricultural industry through multiple droughts, wildfires, floods, public safety issues, unprecedented industry issues and COVID-19.
“For the past 16 years, Karen has guided California through invasive pest outbreaks, highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in both poultry and dairy, quarantines for Huanglongbing disease and a host of other threats to the state’s farms, all in the name of keeping our agricultural systems safe and productive,” Cameron said.
But the peaks of crises come amid a day-to-day job as Secretary that is challenging in and of itself. She has been affectionately referred to by some in the industry as a “double agent”—someone who has to walk the paths of rural interests in a state largely attuned to the beliefs of urban voters. To put it bluntly: farmers don’t trust Sacramento. And Sacramento seemingly doesn’t trust ag. It’s a dynamic that could be poisonous, but Ross viewed it as a necessary challenge in a state as diverse as California.
“I think it feels to growers that people are there in Sacramento with an intention to do harm to ag,” she said. “And it’s not necessarily the intention. Sacramento, I think, still has a tendency to view ag as ‘Big Ag’ and that big is bad in agriculture, even if it’s not in other sectors of the economy. What Sacramento doesn’t understand is the huge diversity of California agriculture—that it’s dominated by families and multi-generation families—and then there’s always going to be a misunderstanding of how we use our pest management tools, our water use and farm labor standards.”
Ross managed to build and maintain bridges between both of these worlds, seeking commonalities and platforming initiatives and programs that possess multiple benefits, for both urban and rural communities.
“I do value transparency,” she said. “I value integrity. People don’t have to agree with me, but I want to be honest and as forthright as possible. I try to reconcile that this is a big, urbanized state. And the balancing is getting more challenging than ever before on really complex issues. So how do I reconcile? Well, I go home and have wine and ask myself, ‘Should you still be in this position?’ I do have to ask myself that. And ‘What else could I have done? Could anybody else have made it?’”
Those in the industry are happy to answer Ross’ question for her.
“Secretary Ross has been a steadfast advocate for California agriculture through its challenges with optimism and without complaint,” said Stuart Woolf, President and CEO of Woolf Farming and Processing. “While I’ve sometimes vented my frustrations as a California farmer, I know we couldn’t have had a better champion. Karen knows that a strong agricultural sector in the state benefits consumers, communities and workers. She treated the State’s 70,000-plus farms and land as her own. Her faith in farmers’ resilience has influenced our long-term planning at Woolf Farming where we have chosen to invest in a future that is far different to the one envisioned by the generation before us. Personally, she’s smart and engaging, warm and accessible to all those around her. She finds it easy to genuinely connect with people—a rare quality for many of her stature. Karen Ross is a great leader and a great friend.”
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The building of bridges, the seeking of commonalities between competing interests, the dance between urban and rural has created some real-world programs that Ross counts as her biggest wins.
California’s Farm to School program, launched in 2020 by Ross and California First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom, is one of them. The initiative connects California farmers with local schools, improving student nutrition, expanding agricultural knowledge and know-how, strengthening food systems and creating new (and stable) markets for producers. Since its inception, California has invested more than $100 million in the effort, making it the largest state investment in farm-to-school initiatives in the nation.
In addition, Ross is also known for her leadership in Climate Smart Agriculture, which she said was inspired by the work of USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack, who promoted the building blocks at USDA. As Secretary, she convened growers and ranchers and built out Climate Smart Ag programs that aligned with Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) so as to streamline growers’ ability to qualify for incentive dollars, especially in the areas of irrigation, soil health and methane reduction practices.
In agtech, Ross engineered the support of the administration toward farmers early on. Under her leadership, California seeded a $30 million investment in the Central Valley AgTech Initiative that helped leverage a subsequent $68 million federal Build Back Better Regional Challenge award, while broader state-supported AgTech Network and Alliance efforts have grown to more than $80 million in investments.
This is the kind of bridge that Ross is most proud of building— one that not just closes perceived divides—like between tech and agriculture—but one that extends throughout a number of sectors in the state. For Ross, agtech is part and parcel of workforce development; workforce development is part and parcel with youth leadership and building professional skillset.
For those who have seen Ross out in the field, her dynamism when working with students and young people interested in ag is undeniable.
“It’s always a good day when I’m with young ones,” she said. “I’m so impressed with the enthusiasm and the energy of FFA students, who join as much for leadership development—which is critical for our future—and fall in love with ag.”
“I remember when we had Secretary Ross out to one of our fields, looking at agtech with high school age FFA students,” said Jack Vessey, President of Vessey and Co. “The way she interacted with them—asking questions, really listening to them—I’ll always remember that. She’s a good person. I highly respect everything she’s done and I’m honored whenever I get to see her. Not just because of the office she represents, but because of the kind of person she is.”
Outside of California, Ross has helped ensure that at the national level the state also leads on agriculture policy. She has chaired the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture’s Food Systems, Nutrition and Community Committee since 2018 and is a highly respected leader among her fellow state agriculture commissioners, secretaries and directors. Ross has shaped and directed national conversations and policy on these issues.
“For me, it should be access for all—that it’s good for communities; it’s good for the economy; it’s good for people’s health; and it prevents the chronic diseases that can be avoided with good nutrition,” she said. “It just wraps up a ton of my passions all into one thing.”
In fact, the nutrition component of her job as Secretary is the one in which she feels we haven’t moved the needle enough.
“[We still have work to do] on nutrient-dense nutrition and health outcomes that could be improved by more consumption, which we’ve known forever,” she said. “I’ve been through how many campaigns in the state—seven a day, three a day, five a day —and we’re still not there yet, and it’s not for lack of effort. So, I would love to move it more, but it’s so much better than it was. At least we have a Specialty Crop Block Grant Program; we have a Specialty Crop Research Initiative; we’re on the radar screen. At least we have a Specialty Crop Title. Is it the fair share for the value we’re bringing to rural America, to the national economy and to the health outcomes of people here and around the world? No, not enough. But hugely important progress has been made.”
Through some of the hardest years, and in one of the hardest roles, Ross remained famously optimistic. She will retire with her spirit—an ‘attitude of gratitude,’ as her father counseled her daily as she was growing up. She may have not known about California ag when she first moved to the state—but once she dedicated her career to it, she fell in love.
“I know how fortunate I am to have had this opportunity,” she said. “Did I know there were jobs like this when I was growing up? Even as a young adult? I had no clue. And it wasn’t until my first dinner at my first week at Ag Council, we were meeting with the Secretary of Ag. I’m like, ‘What’s the big deal? What’s the Secretary?’ So, I am so profoundly thankful. That’s all I could say.”
This article includes reporting from Emily Gengler, Assistant to the President and CEO.