…farmer could buy inexpensive, fertile land, cultivate and improve it, sell it for a profit, and then move west to repeat the process. This cycle of settlement and migration helped…
Nat DiBuduo: Politics, Water & California Farming
…it with other commodities. “You see the beer commercials. When was the last time you saw a good strong wine commercial, Nick?” Innovation and Accessibility To reach younger consumers, DiBuduo…
Nat DiBuduo, the “Godfather of Grapes,” on the Future of California Wine and Farming
…wine, and younger people don’t know what to buy,” he said. “We need to make wine fun again — get people to tastings, use social media, and tell the story…
Celebrating the Valley’s Bounty: The Whole Vine Festival Returns to Fresno State
…agricultural commodity, but grapes hold a special place. “We are number one in raisins, number one in table grapes, and supply about 60% of the nation’s wine grapes,” Goudreau explained….
David Tangipa: Fighting for California Farmers and Rejecting Proposition 50
…was eventually built. Yet, Tangipa said, the LADWP left that basin empty, under-resourced, and unprepared. When fires struck, electric fleets lacked power, tenders sat idle, and officials scrambled to coordinate…
Mando Perez: Innovation & Leadership in California Ag
…forward in that solution,” Perez explained. Modern agriculture, he added, relies on precise, data-driven decisions. “With our monitoring tools, we provide growers with irrigation summaries, device-level details, water balances, month-to-month…
California’s Water Puzzle: Insights from Avid Water’s Cory Broad
…Citrus Belt from Orange Cove down through Reedley and Terra Bella—you’ll find smaller growers,” Broad said. “Ten-, eighteen-, twenty-acre blocks are common, and that’s pretty normal.” By contrast, the west…
Alexandra Duarte’s Fight for California’s Future
…District Duarte’s district spans a vast area of California, stretching from Truckee down to Indio, and covering 13 counties. It includes Stanislaus, El Dorado, Madera, Merced, and Mariposa counties, among…
Pistachios, Water & Trade: Kreps on Farming’s Future
…lifespan is essentially open-ended. Pest Pressures: Gophers, Squirrels, and Rats As with all crops, pests present persistent challenges. For pistachio growers, gophers, squirrels, and rats can wreak havoc. Abandoned almond…
John Duarte on Central Valley Agriculture: Water, Prop 50, and the Future of Avocados
…for agricultural or urban use. This, he argued, devastates irrigated farmland, suburban neighborhoods, and rural communities alike. Children in the Valley suffer from dust-borne respiratory issues, and yet the policies…
Shannon Douglas: Leading California Agriculture Through Opportunity and Challenge
…careers in science, technology, engineering, communications, business, and more. FFA helps young people discover those paths.” By encouraging youth participation, Douglas believes families can cultivate both leadership skills and a…
California Trucking: Costs, Rules & Roadblocks
…For companies like Wildwood Express, which operates more than 60 trucks, that transition is neither feasible nor practical. “Our customers won’t allow it,” Woods explained. “We haul trees, irrigation supplies,…
Lorenzo Rios: Valley Strong Vision for California
…to higher education, allowing him to attend Gonzaga University in Washington through the ROTC program. Over a distinguished 23-year career, Rios led troops in combat operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, and…
Mike Harvey: Farming, Faith & Leading California’s Youth
…food comes from other than the grocery store,” Harvey reflected. Nick Papagni, host of the interview, praised FFA students as some of the best individuals he’s ever met. Harvey agreed,…