Roger Isom President of the Western Tree Nut Association and California Cotton Ginners and Growers Association California agriculture is facing one of the most pivotal moments in its history, according…
California Agriculture Faces Early Harvests, Water Pressure, and Growing Regulatory Concerns
…Valley where allocations remain extremely limited. Cotton acreage is expected to decline again this season as growers struggle to justify planting under current water restrictions. “Twenty percent water allocation is…
From Hand Planting to Innovation: The Early History of Seed Planters
…a cotton planter—an innovation that aligned with the geographic and economic shifts occurring in American agriculture at the time. As cotton production expanded in the southern United States, the demand…
From Failed Crops to the Wheat State: Early Kansas Agriculture
…much of the eastern United States. However, farmers also experimented with a variety of other crops, including oats, cotton, and even tobacco. The assumption was that if these crops thrived…
From Water Challenges to Agave Innovation: The Woolf Farming Story
…including almonds, pistachios, tomatoes, cotton, garlic, onions, and herbs. This diversification helps manage risk, but one issue overshadows everything: water. With allocations as low as 15%, growers are forced to…
Agave Innovation on the West Side; Stuart Wolf and Family Look Toward Farming’s Future
…back to 1974, when Stuart Wolf’s father first started the operation. Today, the company farms a wide range of crops including almonds, pistachios, tomatoes, grains, basil, garlic, onions, cotton, and…
Cannon Michael Highlights Farming Challenges; USDA’s Luke Lindberg Talks Trade Gains
…Los Banos and Merced, producing a wide range of crops including tomatoes, melons, cotton, carrots, garlic, onions, almonds, pistachios, and specialty herbs. While diversification has helped the company remain competitive,…
Six Generations of Farming: Cannon Michael on Water, Innovation, and the Future of California Agriculture
…cotton. Since then, he has led a major diversification effort. Today the farm grows: Processing and fresh market tomatoes Carrots, garlic, and onions in winter crop rotations Watermelons, cantaloupes, and…
Cannon Michael Warns West Side Farmers Face Major Challenges with 15% Water Allocation
…melons, cotton, onions, garlic, carrots, pistachios, almonds, and herbs, along with managing hundreds of acres of wetland habitat along the Pacific Flyway. Despite the operation’s scale and diversification, water uncertainty…
Fertilizer: The Overlooked Revolution in American Agriculture
…threshing machine. The cotton gin. The moldboard plow. Each of these mechanical breakthroughs dramatically increased efficiency, productivity, and the scale of American farming. They represent visible, powerful shifts in how…
From Sheriff to Supervisor: Margaret Mims’ Vision for Fresno County’s Future
…cotton operations, Mims stresses that policymakers must understand how food actually gets from the field to the grocery store. Immigration, Labor, and Accountability Labor shortages and immigration reform were also…
New Mexico: A Surprising Leader in American Agriculture
…cattle, onions, alfalfa, cotton, hay, and dairy products. This diversity supports a resilient agricultural economy and contributes significantly to local and national markets. Farming Families and Land Agriculture in New…
How Weather Shaped Early American Agriculture
…pounds of cotton used each year. This statistic underscores just how central agriculture—and cotton in particular—was to the Southern economy at that time. A Climate-Driven Agricultural Legacy As Mark Oppold…
The Future of California Agriculture: Water, Utilities, and Advocacy Insights from Roger Isom
Strong Yields Amid Rising Costs Roger Isom President of the Western Tree Nut Association and California Cotton Ginners and Growers Association 2025 proved to be a strong year for California…