…The river served as a natural guide for pioneers traveling trails such as the Oregon, California, and Mormon Trails. For many, it was the lifeline that directed them toward new…
California Raisin Leaders on Trade, Water & Future
…of National Raisin, Dwayne Cardoza Vice Charmain of the Raisin Bargaining Association (RBA) Industry Legends Reflect on the Past and Present The raisin industry in California, once a dominant force…
Raisin Industry Legends Warn of Challenges and Chart a Path Forward
…gave a sweeping history lesson, recalling how raisins were once California’s pride crop, producing more than 400,000 tons a year. But today, production has slipped under 200,000 tons annually, dropping…
Plymouth Colony Crops: Corn, Tobacco, and Early Trade
…one of the first organized systems of agricultural commerce in colonial America. Legacy of Early Colonial Farming The evolution from subsistence farming in Plymouth to plantation agriculture in the South…
Kevin Kester on Ranching, Trade, and Ag’s Next Generation
Life in Parkfield, California Kevin Kester is a fifth-generation rancher from Parkfield, California, a small ranching community northeast of Paso Robles in southeast Monterey County. Known as the “earthquake capital…
Kevin Kester on Cattle, Wolves, and the Fight to Keep Family Ranches Alive
The October 1 edition of the AgNet News Hour featured a wide-ranging conversation with Kevin Kester, a fifth-generation rancher from Parkfield, California, and former president of the National Cattlemen’s Beef…
Ohio River: A Lifeline of American Agriculture
Introduction The Ohio River has played a crucial role in shaping American agriculture and commerce. Stretching nearly a thousand miles, this historic waterway has been central to trade, transportation, and…
Pistachios, Water & Trade: Kreps on Farming’s Future
…soil on the west side of California’s Central Valley, water scarcity continues to hinder farming. Kreps criticized state leadership for failing to expand storage, noting that California hasn’t built a…
Pistachio Harvest Update and Fair Season Fun on AgNet News Hour
The September 30 edition of the AgNet News Hour mixed lighthearted fair talk with serious updates on California’s pistachio industry. Hosts Nick Papagni and Josh McGill opened the show with…
John Duarte on Central Valley Agriculture: Water, Prop 50, and the Future of Avocados
…the extraordinary impact John Duarte and Duarte Nursery have had on agriculture across California. “What you’re doing for the nursery industry and from California all the way around is second…
John Duarte Shares Bold Nursery Innovations and Warns of Prop 50 Threat
The September 29 edition of the AgNet News Hour kicked off the week with a deep dive into the future of California agriculture. Hosts Nick Papagni and Josh McGill sat…
Shannon Douglas: Leading California Agriculture Through Opportunity and Challenge
Shannon Douglas California is one of the most diverse and productive agricultural states in the nation. From the vineyards of Napa to the citrus groves of the Central Valley, farms…
California Farm Bureau’s Shannon Douglas Tackles Prop 50, Farm Bill, and the Future of Farming
…Douglas, president of the California Farm Bureau, for a wide-ranging conversation on water, regulation, trade, and the survival of California’s family farms. Douglas, a former FFA member and now a…
California Trucking: Costs, Rules & Roadblocks
California Trucking Battles: Regulations, Costs, and the Future of Freight Freight at the Center of Agriculture Challenges In California, agriculture discussions often revolve around water and labor, but freight has…