…Congress, including Congressman McClintock, Obernolte, Fong, Conway, and Osi, as well as her husband, former Congressman John Duarte. She highlighted the importance of coordination between agencies like the Bureau of…
The Louisiana Purchase: How Thomas Jefferson Secured America’s Agricultural Future
…power. Despite the opposition, President Jefferson and Secretary of State James Madison moved decisively. They worked to convince Congress that the purchase was not only constitutional, but essential to the…
The Louisiana Purchase: How $15 Million Reshaped American Agriculture
An 1804 map of “Louisiana”, bounded on the west by the Rocky Mountains By Samuel Lewis (ca.1753-1822) – This map is available from the United States Library of Congress’s Geography…
Inside Butte County Agriculture: Education, Community, and Critical Issues
…when it comes to representation in Congress. As the conversation continued, she and Ag Meter agreed that California’s political leaders often fail to grasp the scale and importance of the…
John Duarte on California’s Future: Agriculture, Leadership & Change
…sat down with John Duarte—farmer, nursery leader, and former congressman—for a candid discussion about California’s political climate, agricultural innovation, and the future of farming families across the state. The conversation,…
How Supply and Demand Shaped Early U.S. Agriculture
Photo by Library of Congress on Unsplash Early Farmers and the Realities of Supply and Demand In this American Agriculture History Minute, Mark Oppold explains how early American farmers and…
Homestead Act and America’s Westward Expansion
…Enrolled Acts and Resolutions of Congress, 1789 – 2011; General Records of the United States Government, Record Group 11; National Archives Building, Washington, DC. By 1813, America’s western frontier stretched…
Edward Ring on California’s Water Crisis: Fixing a Broken System
…Prop 50 and Political Control Ring explained that Proposition 50, if passed, could reshape congressional and legislative representation, potentially cementing one-party dominance. “Let’s say it passes and the courts don’t…
Don Wagner Calls for Common Sense in Sacramento: Ag, Water, and the Future of California
…“If it passes, it could cut rural and conservative representation in Congress by more than half,” he said. “That’s not reform — that’s erasure. Central Valley farmers deserve a voice,…
Trump, Trade & U.S. Beef: Kevin Kester on Cattle Markets
…says, and it set off a flurry of industry reaction—more than 32,000 letters to Congress in a week urging action on the Argentina issue. Can the Cattle Industry and Trump…
George Washington and Slavery: A Complex Legacy
…nation. He signed laws passed by Congress that both restricted certain aspects of slavery and simultaneously protected the institution. His presidency mirrored the national struggle with slavery—a balance between moral…
The Roots of 4-H: Jessie Shambaugh and the Birth of American Agricultural Youth
…an enduring emblem of learning, leadership, and agricultural pride. The Smith-Lever Act and National Recognition Just two years later, in 1914, the U.S. Congress passed the Smith-Lever Act, creating the…
How the Smith-Lever Act Created 4-H and Transformed Rural America
A Turning Point in Agricultural Education In 1914, the United States Congress passed the Smith-Lever Act, establishing the Cooperative Extension Service—a transformative program that reshaped how Americans learned about farming,…
California’s Water Puzzle: Insights from Avid Water’s Cory Broad
…D.C. every year to meet with members of Congress,” Broad said. “We talk about the challenges we face and how policy can better support both farmers and urban water users.”…