The February 16 edition of the AgNet News Hour kicked off a week of rain, World Ag Expo momentum, and a major political conversation as hosts Nick Papagni and Josh McGill sat down with Jamie Johansson, candidate for California’s District 3 Assembly seat. Johansson, a first-generation farmer and former President of the California Farm Bureau, made it clear that 2026 could be a defining year for agriculture, energy, and water policy in the Golden State.
Johansson farms olives and citrus in Butte County and has spent years advocating for growers in Sacramento and Washington, D.C. Now, with current Assemblymember James Gallagher terming out, Johansson says the North State needs someone who can “hit the ground running” on day one. His district spans six counties stretching from Yuba-Sutter to the Oregon border, covering vast agricultural and forested lands that often feel overlooked in a legislature dominated by urban representation.
A central theme of the interview was predictability — something Johansson believes California has lost. Farmers face rising regulatory costs, soaring energy prices, and water uncertainty that make it nearly impossible to plan for the next season. Electricity rates hovering around 40 cents per kilowatt-hour, compared to a national average closer to 17 cents, hit both farms and families hard. “There has to be accountability,” Johansson said, pointing to the state’s multi-billion-dollar deficit and a pattern of promises made to agriculture that go unfunded.
Water policy also took center stage. Johansson discussed the importance of moving forward with long-delayed projects like Sites Reservoir and emphasized the need to treat hydropower as clean energy again. He argued that removing dams under the current regulatory climate only weakens both rural communities and the state’s energy reliability.
Wildfire management, forest thinning, and predator issues such as wolves were also part of the conversation. Johansson said Northern California communities have lived with evacuation warnings and catastrophic fires for years, and regulatory barriers must be addressed to allow proactive forest management instead of reactive disaster response.
Beyond policy, Johansson spoke personally about generational farming. As a first-generation farmer raising three children, he understands the fear that the next generation may not be able to afford to live — let alone farm — in California. He urged agricultural voters to get involved, whether through campaigns, local boards, or simply showing up at the ballot box.
Papagni and McGill emphasized that agriculture needs strong, experienced voices in Sacramento. Johansson’s background with Farm Bureau and local government positions him to advocate effectively in a legislature often disconnected from rural realities.
As Johansson put it, California still has everything it needs — soil, water, forests, and hardworking families. The question is whether leadership will restore accountability and abundance before more farms disappear.