…volatility and labor challenges to climate change and regulatory burdens. “There are so many pressures on margins,” she said. “Then you compound that with changing weather patterns, the implementation of…
Karen Ross Talks Water, Regulation, and Prop 50 Silence on AgNet News Hour
…are facing unprecedented “headwinds,” citing low prices, labor shortages, immigration struggles, and rising regulatory costs. She compared current conditions to the hardships of the 1980s farm crisis, adding that today’s…
David Tangipa: Fighting for California Farmers and Rejecting Proposition 50
…rural heartland. He warned farmers to “stay lean” — to cut unnecessary costs, pay down debts, and prepare for turbulence. The state, he argued, is financially broken, and its leaders…
Shannon Douglass Doubles Down on Prop 50 Opposition
…listeners that agriculture already faces enormous challenges: Regulatory costs have increased nearly 1,400% in the past 20 years. California has lost 20% of its family farms in the last decade….
Gage A. Kent and the Birth of Kent Feeds
…feed at the time relied on low-cost fillers, Kent believed that young calves deserved high-quality feed supplements to ensure better growth and health. Gage A. Kent and the Birth of…
Mando Perez: Innovation & Leadership in California Ag
…has had a strong 2025, Perez noted. The company continues to innovate in pest management, irrigation, and climate monitoring. Its solutions aim to improve fruit quality while reducing labor and…
Mando Perez of Semios Named CAPCA Member of the Year
…save labor, reduce input costs, and make data-driven decisions. “Growers need solutions that cut costs and improve efficiency,” Perez said, highlighting the role of technology in today’s farm economy. Perez…
California’s Water Puzzle: Insights from Avid Water’s Cory Broad
…drip line. Beyond infrastructure, they also assist with irrigation scheduling and crop advising, ensuring systems run efficiently year-round. Fertigation: Precision and Cost Efficiency Labor shortages and high operating costs have…
Corey Broad of Avid Water on California’s Fixable Water Crisis
…crop advising. He emphasized that irrigation technology also plays a key role in labor savings. Fertilizer applied through drip systems can cut application costs dramatically compared to manual or machine-based…
Alexandra Duarte’s Fight for California’s Future
…crops, fruits, vegetables. Agriculture needs energy, water, fewer regulations, and labor laws that work. What agriculture needs, everybody needs.” Her vision even extends to creative ways to highlight agriculture’s value:…
California Raisin Leaders on Trade, Water & Future
…Flat overhead systems cost even more, at about $20,000 per acre. These expenses do not include the cost of land itself, making investment a major barrier for many small family…
Raisin Industry Legends Warn of Challenges and Chart a Path Forward
…year, despite growers’ costs rising by 10–15%. With rains causing additional crop damage, many growers face negative returns. He warned that without price increases and vineyard modernization, many will exit…
Kevin Kester on Ranching, Trade, and Ag’s Next Generation
…heavy taxes, and costly regulatory requirements place tremendous strain on ranchers and small businesses alike. Despite these challenges, California remains a significant cattle state. Out of roughly 100 million acres…
Pistachios, Water & Trade: Kreps on Farming’s Future
…high in potassium, and rich in fiber. That combination makes them attractive in both domestic and international markets. Still, Kreps acknowledged that pistachio farming requires dedication—“a labor of love,” he…