The January 19 episode of the AgNet News Hour kicked off with plenty of energy as hosts Nick Papagni and Josh McGill mixed farm talk, policy, and global trade into a show that felt like a preview of what 2026 could bring for California agriculture.
Early in the episode, Papagni and McGill reacted to Governor Gavin Newsom’s newly announced $348.9 billion California budget, noting it’s grown dramatically since he took office. The hosts raised concerns about what that kind of spending means for small businesses and agriculture in the most heavily regulated state in the country. Papagni pointed out that the budget has increased by more than 70% and warned that California “has no idea how to spend money” while farmers and rural communities keep feeling squeezed.
From state politics, the show shifted into soil health and crop efficiency with Russell Taylor of Live Earth, a company mining humate deposits in Utah and turning them into soil amendments designed to help farmers make better use of fertilizer and water. Taylor explained humates as an ancient plant deposit—essentially “really old compost”—that can improve soil structure, nutrient retention, and water holding capacity, especially in tough California conditions like high salt and low organic matter.
Taylor also noted that California’s evolving regulations around soil amendments and biostimulant labeling could actually be favorable for growers and manufacturers in 2026. He stressed that products like humic and fulvic acids aren’t “fancy chemicals,” but natural tools that help form soil aggregates—reducing compaction, improving infiltration, and keeping fertilizer in the root zone longer. For farmers trying to stretch every dollar, Taylor said the goal isn’t necessarily “use less fertilizer,” but to get more yield out of the same inputs through better efficiency.
One of the most memorable parts of the interview was Taylor’s backstory. He shared how Live Earth began as a family operation after his father left coal mining following a tragic mine fire. What started with shovels, bathroom scales, and hand-sewn bags has grown into a product now widely recognized across the Central Valley. As Papagni put it, “That could be a movie.”
Later in the show, listeners got a major international update from Cowboy Dale’s interview with USDA Undersecretary Luke Lindberg, who had just returned from a trade mission in Malaysia. Lindberg explained that the agreement is designed to reduce barriers by having Malaysia formally recognize the U.S. food system as safe—something he said could unlock broad new opportunities for American agriculture, including California tree nuts, apples, wine, and more.
Lindberg also highlighted efforts to improve access for halal-certified U.S. beef and dairy, noting strong demand in Malaysia and a big jump in exports like cheese. He emphasized that the administration is focused on shrinking the trade deficit and creating more reciprocal agreements, saying the U.S. is forecasted to improve its trade deficit by roughly $13 billion compared to last year.
The bottom line from this episode: California farmers are dealing with major pressures at home, but new tools in the soil and new markets overseas could provide real momentum in 2026—if the state can stop getting in its own way.
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