…expansion, including: The Homestead Act encouraging land settlement The spread of railroad infrastructure Immigration and population growth Increased demand for food and fiber These developments fueled both opportunity and rapid…
California Agriculture at a Crossroads: Insights from Fresno County Farm Bureau President Ryan Jacobsen
…from people shocked to learn that rats, squirrels, and gophers are destroying trees, irrigation lines—including drip systems—and other critical infrastructure. Unfortunately, the problem has not improved. Jacobsen reported that growers…
Edward Ring Wraps Up: California’s Path to Prosperity Lies in Facts, Not Fear
…warned that California’s environmental extremism has gone too far, with groups demanding electric-only infrastructure and blocking projects that could help farmers and working families. “If the environmentalists had their way,…
Edward Ring’s Bold Blueprint: Fixing California’s Water and Energy Crisis
…infrastructure projects have crippled the state’s water system. Among his top solutions: Run the Delta pumps harder — “They’re restricted far beyond reason,” Ring said. “Just running those pumps at…
Edward Ring on California’s Water Crisis: Fixing a Broken System
…the political roadblocks preventing progress, and his vision for rebuilding a functional water infrastructure. Ring, affectionately introduced as “the Water Master” or even “King Ring,” quickly downplayed the title but…
Westward Expansion: The Harsh Beginnings of America’s Frontier Farmers
…unpredictable weather. Without established towns or infrastructure, settlers built rough lean-tos or small, one-room log cabins from nearby timber. Life was primitive, yet perseverance defined these early Americans. Hunting Before…
Don Wagner Calls for Common Sense in Sacramento: Ag, Water, and the Future of California
…to decades of political gridlock and poor decision-making that have crippled business, agriculture, and infrastructure. “We don’t have a resource problem,” Wagner said. “We have a government problem. It’s bad…
Beef Plan, Spray Tech, and AI: California Ag Eyes Relief and Reinvention
…water infrastructure inches forward. Rounding out the episode, University of Florida’s Dr. Nathan Boyd joined from FIRA to compare Florida and California specialty crops and explain why labor is his…
F3 Innovate: Powering the Central Valley’s AgTech Revolution
…agricultural future. As a nonprofit founded in the heart of California’s farming hub, F3 Innovate is focused on building the critical infrastructure for agriculture’s next era—one defined by innovation, technology,…
Verdant Robotics: Revolutionizing Farming with Precision AI and Automation
…in 2019. Initially, the company focused on specialty fixed-infrastructure crops such as cherries and apples, achieving a strong product-market fit. The challenge, however, was the limited seasonal opportunities—just one harvest…
Bill Jones: Fixing California’s Water and Future
…doesn’t protect its water infrastructure. “We’re all environmentalists,” Jones said. “Farmers are the first environmentalists. If they weren’t, they wouldn’t survive. Good policy allows us to protect the environment and…
Bill Jones: “California Will Come Back Stronger Than Ever”
…a 40-million-person economy on 60-year-old infrastructure.” Still, Jones ended on a note of optimism. “California is great already,” he said. “We’ve come back from bad leadership three times before —…
Karen Ross Talks Water, Regulation, and Prop 50 Silence on AgNet News Hour
…and support agriculture at the same time,” McGill said. The episode ended with a call for leadership, accountability, and faster water infrastructure action. As Papagni put it, “Water leads to…
Elaine Culotti: Fighting for California’s Farmers and Future
…relate to them,” she said. “He’s given me a platform because he cares about what’s happening in California.” She explained that poor management has stalled essential infrastructure projects for months….