California agriculture sits at the center of some of the state’s most important policy debates—water supply, infrastructure, energy, and the future of farming. Those issues took center stage on the latest AgNet News Hour, where host Nick “The AgMeter” Papagni spoke with several key voices shaping the conversation.
From a potential shake-up in California’s natural resources leadership to a deep dive into the history of the state’s water system, the program explored both the challenges and potential solutions facing farmers today.
Steve Hilton Names John Duarte for Natural Resources Role
One of the biggest stories discussed during the show was a press conference announcing that gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton plans to appoint John Duarte of Duarte Nursery as California’s Secretary of Natural Resources if elected.
Papagni attended the announcement near Millerton Lake and asked Hilton about the state’s energy challenges, particularly the impact of regulations on California’s oil and gas industry. Hilton argued that current policies have forced the state to import a large percentage of its oil and natural gas and said leadership changes could help restore domestic energy production.
Following the announcement, Papagni spoke with Duarte about his vision for California’s water future.
Duarte emphasized what he calls a return to “water abundance”—ensuring that farms, cities, and households all have reliable water supplies. His approach includes better reservoir management, expanded infrastructure, and the use of long-range weather forecasting tools that could allow water managers to predict rainfall totals months earlier.
He also highlighted ideas such as dredging the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta to improve water flow, strengthen levees, and help maintain colder water for fish while still improving water delivery reliability.
According to Duarte, improving water infrastructure and planning could allow California to support both environmental needs and agricultural production.
Fire Ant Control for Orchard Growers
The episode also included a CLS Fire Ant Friday segment with Josh McGill speaking to John Mays of Central Life Sciences.
They discussed Extinguish® Professional Fire Ant Bait, a product that uses an insect growth regulator to disrupt the fire ant colony by targeting the queen’s ability to reproduce.
Mays explained that ants carry the bait back to the colony, where it gradually collapses the population. For almond growers, the optimal application window typically falls between May and July when ants are actively foraging.
Understanding the History of California Water
The second half of the show featured a detailed conversation with Jeffrey Vanden Heuvel of the Milk Producers Council, who walked listeners through the history of California’s water system.
Vanden Heuvel explained how early agricultural development in the 1800s eventually led to massive infrastructure projects like the Central Valley Project and State Water Project, which created reservoirs, canals, and pumping systems that allowed agriculture to flourish across the Central Valley.
These projects helped create more than seven million acres of irrigated farmland producing hundreds of different crops.
However, environmental regulations beginning in the 1970s and increased reliance on groundwater have significantly reshaped the state’s water system. Vanden Heuvel also discussed the impact of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) and how groundwater regulation could change farming across the San Joaquin Valley.
More to Come in Part Two
Papagni noted that the discussion with Vanden Heuvel is only the beginning. A second installment of the interview will explore potential solutions for California’s water challenges and what they could mean for the future of agriculture.
To hear the full interviews, deeper analysis, and the complete discussion, listen to the entire episode of the AgNet News Hour.
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