…focused on meat and vegetables. The real challenge wasn’t meals—it was snacks, candy, and convenience foods, where artificial colors are most common. School lunches were packed from home, though food…
Food Dyes, Fraud, and the Future of Agriculture in 2026
…food ahead of time, managing treats at school and social events, and using resources like the Feingold Association to identify safer food options. She also pointed out that Europe has…
New Mexico: A Surprising Leader in American Agriculture
…cattle, New Mexico may surprise many with the breadth and impact of its agriculture. Its farms and ranches not only provide vital food resources but also represent the dedication and…
California Water Solutions: Inside Turlock Irrigation District
…Farmer” Weimer pushes back on simplistic environmental narratives that frame water policy as a choice between ecosystems and agriculture. Drawing on more than 138 years of stewardship on the Tuolumne…
AgNet News Hour Podcast: Water, Policy, and the Future of California Agriculture
…and whole foods, alongside concerns about obesity, reduced physical activity, and the long-term impacts of weight-loss medications on food consumption. The episode reinforces a core message: water means food, food…
California Wine Looks Ahead After an Exceptional 2025 Harvest
…the winery level, many producers are adjusting styles to meet today’s preferences, emphasizing lower alcohol, brighter acidity, and wines that pair well with food. Sustainability at Scale Sustainability remains one…
Milk Is Back: Health Benefits, Kids, and California Dairy
…whole milk leading the resurgence. Shoppers are prioritizing foods that are high in protein, affordable, and minimally processed. Milk and dairy foods provide high-quality protein at a lower cost per…
Corn Shelling Bees: How Early Americans Processed Corn by Hand
…livestock, but entire rural communities. Corn’s Many Uses in Early American Farming In early American agriculture, corn was far more than a food crop. Once shelled by hand, corn was…
AgNet News Hour Podcast Recap: Agriculture Policy, Rodeo Ambassadors, and Holiday Cheer
…feel with regulatory hurdles, inadequate mitigation tools, and the ongoing challenge of balancing wildlife conservation with the realities of food production and rural livelihoods. From there, the conversation widens to…
Alexandra Duarte Talks Water, Agriculture, and Rural California in State Senate District 4 Race
…not sidelined. Duarte supports bringing lawmakers out to farms so they can see firsthand how food is grown—from rice fields to vineyards. Youth involvement is a key motivation for her…
Elaine Culotti: Why California’s Farmers, Cities, and Future Are at a Breaking Point
…become trapped in a system of dependency. Rising land values, water costs, and regulatory burdens are pricing multigenerational farmers out of the ability to produce food. She argued that farmland…
How Weather Shaped Early American Agriculture
…use, labor systems, and trade relationships both domestically and internationally. By the late 1850s, the South had achieved total dominance in cotton production, producing 100 percent of the 374 million…
AgNet News Hour: California Farm Bureau President Shannon Douglass on Policy, People, and the Future of Agriculture
…technology, science, innovation, advocacy, and business—making the industry accessible even to first-generation farmers. Major policy topics include food affordability, land-use protection, utility costs, workforce and immigration reform, and the urgent…
How Hay Baling Began: The First Hay Presses and Early Innovations
…the modern baling systems used throughout agriculture today. Why Early Farmers Embraced Hay Baling Early hay baling quickly gained popularity because it addressed several long-standing challenges: Easier Handling Loose hay…