…agriculture and consumer food products. Legacy of the Checkerboard: More Than a Logo The checkerboard pattern quickly became a national symbol of quality and consistency. It appeared on feed bags,…
Bill Jones: Fixing California’s Water and Future
…“If you have an interest in public service—city council, school board, governor—you have to start somewhere,” he said. “Agriculture has always been connected with politics. I encourage young people to…
Early 19th-Century American Farming and Westward Expansion
Photo by Tom Fisk/Pexels image America’s Agricultural Roots In the early 1800s, American agriculture was the backbone of the national economy. As Mark Oppold explains in An American Agriculture History…
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…
Karen Ross on Water, Workforce, and the Future of California Agriculture
…waste that costs money to remove from the farm and turning it into value.” Ross also sees opportunity in a growing national dialogue around nutrition. “We’ve never seen this much…
How Railroads Transformed American Agriculture
…communities to urban centers and ports. Farmers could now ship crops, livestock, and other products more quickly and reliably than ever before. This access to national and international markets encouraged…
Elaine Culotti: Fighting for California’s Farmers and Future
…to many as the “Fresno Undercover Billionaire” and “The Lipstick Farmer.” From her Fallbrook farm to national television, Culotti has emerged as a bold voice for California agriculture and a…
Elaine Culotti, the “Lipstick Farmer,” Warns Farmers on Prop 50 and California’s Mismanagement
…Papagni and Josh McGill welcomed her back for a wide-ranging conversation on politics, farming, and California’s future. Culotti, who farms in Fallbrook, has become a national voice on agricultural and…
How the Smith-Lever Act Created 4-H and Transformed Rural America
…and leadership among the next generation of farmers and rural citizens. The Birth of the 4-H Movement From these early youth programs, the National 4-H Organization was born. Representing the…
David Tangipa: Fighting for California Farmers and Rejecting Proposition 50
…a gallon is because federal policy is increasing the national supply.” Yet California’s insistence on its own special fuel blend — a formula produced almost nowhere else — makes it…
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
…of California, and the Irrigation Association, a national body representing irrigated agriculture across the U.S. Through these organizations, he advocates for practical water policies and farmer-driven innovation. “We go to…
California Raisin Leaders on Trade, Water & Future
…Turkey. The Retail Pressure Point Mark McCormick, CEO of National Raisins, underscored the central challenge of balancing grower sustainability with retailer demands. National Raisins, which holds about 85% of the…
Raisin Industry Legends Warn of Challenges and Chart a Path Forward
…icons of the raisin world: Kalem Barsarian, longtime president of the Raisin Bargaining Association, Dwayne Cardoza, current vice chairman of the RBA, and Mark McCormick, CEO of National Raisins. Barsarian…