…farmers value and invest in their employees. Many workers have been with the same farm for 20 or 30 years, and farms often support multiple generations of families. Unfortunately, these…
Kings County Farm Bureau Takes on Sacramento Over Groundwater Rights
…the issue extends far beyond county lines. “Agriculture is a billion-dollar industry here, supporting 15% of our jobs,” he said. “If we can’t keep farmers farming, this county turns into…
California Agriculture at a Crossroads: Insights from Fresno County Farm Bureau President Ryan Jacobsen
…people understand this better than Ryan Jacobsen, President and CEO of the Fresno County Farm Bureau and a fourth-generation California farmer. In a recent conversation on the Ag Meter, Jacobsen…
Ryan Jacobsen on Farming Through Storms, Labor, and the Future of California Agriculture
The November 11 edition of the AgNet News Hour featured an in-depth conversation with Ryan Jacobsen, President and CEO of the Fresno County Farm Bureau, who joined hosts Nick Papagni…
How Radio Transformed American Agriculture History
…laid the foundation for the National Association of Farm Broadcasters (NAFB) and the USDA’s Agricultural Communications Network, which still serve farmers today. What started as five minutes of market news…
Ethnic Roots of Early American Agriculture
…continent. German-American Farming Traditions Among the most influential immigrant groups in early American agriculture were German settlers, whose farming practices were rooted in centuries of European tradition. When they arrived…
Edward Ring on California’s Water Crisis: Fixing a Broken System
…of Farming As discussions turned to the potential impact of Proposition 50, Ring didn’t hesitate to share his concern. “It probably will [hurt farming],” he said. “Hopefully not too much,…
Nanette Simonian: Championing California Agriculture & Women in Ag
…to national politics. She expressed concern about inexperienced decision-makers impacting California’s complex and labor-intensive farming industry. “Farming is such an intimate topic for me. I grew up on a family…
Nanette Simonian and California Women for Agriculture Take a Stand on Prop 50
…control to people who don’t understand agriculture — people from the coast making decisions for farmers in the Valley.” Simonian, who comes from a multi-generational farm family, said her agricultural…
Don Wagner on Restoring Integrity, Water, and Common Sense to California
…country.” He described how both Jerry Brown and Gavin Newsom—“two Bay Area liberals,” as he put it—have sidelined farming in state policy. “Farming isn’t even on their radar,” Wagner said….
How Early Farmers Learned to Protect Their Soil
Vetch being cut by horse drawn farm equipment Original Collection: Farm Crops Department Photographic Collection Item Number: P130:25 Taken circa 1940 Photo by The Oregon State University Collections and Archives…
Don Wagner Calls for Common Sense in Sacramento: Ag, Water, and the Future of California
…leaders who understand agriculture. “Farming is California’s backbone, and it’s been ignored by politicians who’ve never set foot on a farm,” he said. “If you don’t understand how food is…
Electrostatic Spraying: On Target’s AgTech Revolution
…the field for them, hook it up, train them, show them how to use it,” Hartman said. “We have demo units available year-round.” This program ensures that farm owners, operators,…
Inside the 2025 Almond Market: Supply, Pricing, Tariffs, and Global Demand
…policies that protect growers’ livelihoods. Nick added that agriculture sustains rural towns across the state. If farming weakens, those communities fade. Toor agreed, noting that agriculture is a multi-billion-dollar sector…