The U.S. Department of Agriculture is making $7.5 million available to improve cold storage and distribution capabilities for food assistance organizations, helping nonprofits better store and distribute fresh, frozen and minimally …
Can Raisins Be Great Again? Jeff Smutny on California’s Raisin Future
California’s raisin industry is at a crossroads, facing declining acreage, rising labor and production costs, global competition and the challenge of attracting the next generation of farmers. But Jeff Smutny, …
Jeff Smutny Part 2: Reinventing California Raisins for a New Generation
On today’s episode of the AgNet News Hour, Jeff Smutny, president and managing director of the Raisin Administrative Committee (RAC), returned for Part 2 of his conversation about the future …
Native American Agriculture Predates European Colonization
The Agricultural Roots of Early America Long before European colonists arrived in North America, Indigenous peoples were developing sophisticated ways to obtain food from the land. While agricultural practices varied …
USDA Trade Push Meets a Changing California Raisin Industry
On today’s episode of the AgNet News Hour, two conversations offered a look at both the opportunities and challenges facing American agriculture. USDA Under Secretary Luke Lindberg discussed agricultural trade …
USDA and the Birth of America’s Land-Grant Universities
The Agricultural Roots of American Higher Education The history of American agriculture is closely connected to the development of higher education, and two major milestones came in 1862: the establishment …
California Figs Find New Momentum as Demand Grows
California figs are making a comeback, and the momentum is growing from Central Valley orchards to consumers around the world. “The Ag Meter” host Nick Papagni welcomed Kris Caputo, Marketing …
California Figs Make a Comeback as Growers Respond to Rising Demand
On today’s episode of the AgNet News Hour, Kris Caputo, marketing director for the California Fig Advisory Board and California Fresh Fig Growers Association, discussed renewed momentum for California figs …
Land-Grant Universities Transform American Agriculture
The Morrill Act of 1862 Creates a New Educational Model The history of American agriculture is closely connected to the development of the nation’s land-grant universities. In 1862, the First …
Joe Del Bosque: Water, Labor and the Future of West Side Farming
Joe Del Bosque: A Farmer’s View of California Agriculture California agriculture is facing a complicated combination of extreme weather, water shortages, labor challenges, rising costs, regulations and uncertain markets. Few …
Joe Del Bosque: California Farming Faces a Critical Future
California agriculture is facing a growing list of challenges, but Westside farmer Joe Del Bosque says the industry’s future depends on practical solutions, innovation, water and ensuring the next generation …
Shorthorn Cattle Helped Build Early American Agriculture
Shorthorn Cattle: The Versatile Breed That Supported America’s Westward Expansion As pioneers pushed westward and established farms across the expanding United States, one breed of cattle became an essential part …
Joe Del Bosque on Farming the West Side: Water, Labor and Resilience
The latest AgNet News Hour takes listeners to California’s West Side for an in-depth conversation with Joe Del Bosque of Del Bosque Farms, as “The Ag Meter” Nick Papagni and …
Why Chickens Were the Backbone of Early American Farms
Chickens Were the First Livestock of the American Frontier When many people think about American agriculture in the 1800s, they often picture vast cattle ranches or large hog operations. However, …