…and lighting that extended working hours and improved food preservation. It also made home life easier, introducing conveniences like electric stoves, washing machines, and radios that connected isolated families to…
Shannon Douglass Doubles Down on Prop 50 Opposition
…reminding listeners that California agriculture is a $60 billion industry that sustains jobs from the farm to the ports. “Food security is national security,” McGill added, noting that farmers cannot…
California’s Water Puzzle: Insights from Avid Water’s Cory Broad
…can never get it back,” he said firmly. “Growing your own food is one of the most American things there is. California produces the most diverse and robust food supply…
Corey Broad of Avid Water on California’s Fixable Water Crisis
…drip irrigation systems over the past two decades, the current challenge is improving efficiency. Growers are now asking how to optimize not just water use, but also energy, fertilizer, and…
Alexandra Duarte’s Fight for California’s Future
…generation can build a future in California. Programs like FFA and 4-H, she argued, play a critical role in teaching young people where their food comes from and instilling pride…
Alexandra Duarte Pledges to Fight for California Farmers in State Senate Run
…Duarte said her mission is generational: “We want to hand the farm down to our children. All food grown in America is safe to eat, and American-grown food is the…
California Raisin Leaders on Trade, Water & Future
…A Different Playing Field While California growers face strict labor, environmental, and food safety regulations, conditions in Turkey are very different. Cardoza described a system where most of Turkey’s 46,000…
Raisin Industry Legends Warn of Challenges and Chart a Path Forward
…the industry. “The Thompson seedless raisin is a thing of the past,” Cardoza said, pointing to new earlier-ripening varieties and dry-on-the-vine systems as the only way forward. McCormick brought the…
Plymouth Colony Crops: Corn, Tobacco, and Early Trade
…or maize. Corn was not only more adaptable to New England’s soil and climate but also provided a dependable food source critical for survival. Plymouth Colony Crops: Corn, Tobacco, and…
Kevin Kester on Ranching, Trade, and Ag’s Next Generation
…Wolves, as large as Great Danes, are intelligent, aggressive, and capable of killing for both food and sport. California’s stricter protections for wolves exceed federal standards, leaving ranchers with few…
Pistachios, Water & Trade: Kreps on Farming’s Future
…pests that then spread into nearby pistachio orchards. Kreps noted that rat populations in particular have exploded in certain areas, damaging drip irrigation systems by chewing into plastic and rubber…
John Duarte on Central Valley Agriculture: Water, Prop 50, and the Future of Avocados
…happened before.” The Yorazani variety, paired with Duarte’s optimized growing systems, has attracted hundreds of growers eager to see its potential firsthand. “We’ve probably had 500 to 700 growers in…
John Duarte Shares Bold Nursery Innovations and Warns of Prop 50 Threat
…loses its voice in Washington,” he said, urging farmers and listeners to mobilize against it. Duarte also tied California’s farm challenges to the larger issue of food security. With a…
Shannon Douglas: Leading California Agriculture Through Opportunity and Challenge
…deeper appreciation for where food comes from. Advocating for Farmers in Washington, D.C. As president of CFBF, Douglas spends much of her time in Washington, D.C. and Sacramento. Her focus…



















