The January 20 edition of the AgNet News Hour tackled one of the biggest questions facing farmers right now: Can California agriculture stay competitive when costs keep rising and regulations never seem to slow down? Hosts Nick Papagni and Josh McGill opened the show with a safety reminder for Central Valley drivers dealing with heavy fog, then shifted into an eye-opening interview with national keynote speaker, farmer, and ag business host Damian Mason, an “outsider looking in” who didn’t hold back on what he sees happening in California.
Mason, who farms in Indiana and has spent significant time speaking to California agriculture groups, said California’s biggest challenge is simple: farmers are outnumbered politically, and the economic engine of the Bay Area distorts how the state treats agriculture. He explained that California can “punish” farming with regulations without feeling immediate pain statewide, because most residents don’t directly work in the industry, yet the impact lands hard on the people producing the food.
One of the most striking points Mason made was about the unique advantage California has, a Mediterranean climate found in only a handful of places worldwide. He warned that strangling farming in a state that grows hundreds of crops isn’t just bad policy, it’s reckless. “You have something God-given that other places can’t replicate,” Mason said, urging leaders to stop treating agriculture like an afterthought.
Papagni and McGill agreed that growers are expected to comply with expensive rules—without getting paid more for it, while cheaper commodities roll in from countries with lower labor costs and less regulation. Mason compared California to Peru and pointed out that global competitors now have stronger infrastructure and investment than they did a decade ago, meaning the old U.S. advantage in transport and scale is shrinking fast.
The discussion also turned to labor and automation, with the hosts noting that California growers are desperate for innovation, yet policies like Cal/OSHA restrictions make it harder to adopt technologies like autonomous tractors. Mason said California’s energy contradictions, like blackouts while mandating electric systems, are part of the bigger pattern of policy not matching reality.
Still, Mason ended with optimism. He said national attention on real food, produce, and protein could be a major tailwind for California. If consumer trends continue shifting toward whole foods, specialty crops could benefit, especially in the state that grows more fresh commodities than anywhere else in the country.
To wrap the episode, Papagni also caught up with Todd Berkdahl of Valent USA, who shared timely seasonal advice for citrus and almond growers, including winter orchard floor management and staying ahead of disease threats like Red Leaf Blotch with early fungicide timing.
🎙️ AgNet News Hour – AgNet West
🌐 Website: agnetwest.com
📱 Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and all major podcast platforms
📲 Follow on social media: AgNet West (Facebook, Instagram, X)
Listen to previous AgNet News Hour episodes…