Westward Expansion

America’s Westward Expansion and the Transformation of Agriculture

DanAgri-Business, American Agriculture History Minute, This Land of Ours

…to distant markets. Together, land expansion and transportation innovation created unprecedented opportunities for American agriculture. Cheap, Fertile Land — At a Cost For ambitious farmers, the expanding frontier offered a…

Cannon Michael

Six Generations of Farming: Cannon Michael on Water, Innovation, and the Future of California Agriculture

DanAgri-Business, Biotechnology, Conservation, Economy, Energy, Environment, Exports/Imports, Exports/Imports, Interview, Irrigation, Labor and Immigration, Regulation, Special Reports, Technology, Trade, Water

…says the challenges facing growers in 2026 are particularly intense. Farmers must deal with fluctuating commodity prices, pests, weather volatility, labor costs, and regulatory pressures—all while investing millions of dollars…

Steve Hilton

Steve Hilton Lays Out Plan to Revive California Agriculture, Energy, and Water Policy

DanAgNet News Hour, Agri-Business, Biofuels/Energy, Economy, Environment, Funding, Infrastructure, Interview, Irrigation, Labor and Immigration, Legislative, Podcasts, Regulation, Special Reports, Trade, Water

…on imported oil while limiting domestic production. He argued that producing more energy within the state would lower costs, protect jobs, and reduce reliance on foreign suppliers. The same regulatory…

Steve Hilton

Steve Hilton: “Help Is on the Way” for California Agriculture

DanAgri-Business, Biofuels/Energy, Biotechnology, Climate Change, Conservation, Drought, Economy, Education, Energy, Environment, Exports/Imports, Interview, Irrigation, Labor and Immigration, Legislative, Special Reports, Tariffs, Technology, Trade, Water

…relief would come from reducing permit delays, inspection overload, pesticide reporting layers, labor mandates, and escalating fees that are “suffocating” operations across the state. Hilton emphasizes that he has run…

Dave Roberts

R7 Enterprises: Dave Roberts on Water, Lemons & California’s Farming Future

DanAgri-Business, Cattle, Cherries, Citrus, Economy, Environment, Exports/Imports, Field & Row Crops, Fruits & Vegetables, Interview, Irrigation, Labor and Immigration, Special Reports, Tariffs, Trade, Water

…over-import, domestic growers pay the price. The result? Barely profitable lemon production — or in some cases, no profit at all. Roberts argues that California growers face higher regulatory costs…

Elaine Culotti

Elaine Culotti Announces Run for California Governor, Calls for Economic Reset and Bipartisan Reform

DanAgri-Business, Biofuels/Energy, Economy, Education, Environment, Interview, Irrigation, Labor and Immigration, Legislative, Regulation, Special Reports, Trade, Water

…particularly with former President Donald Trump. She argued that political hostility has cost California access to critical federal partnerships and funding, especially in the wake of wildfires. She was equally…

Kern Oil

Kern Oil: Rickey Bird on California’s Energy, Community, and the Human Cost

DanAgri-Business, Biofuels/Energy, Economy, Interview, Special Reports

…shuttered businesses, and rising property taxes. It’s a human and economic cost that people don’t often see.” The impact stretches beyond the oil fields. Transportation costs for agriculture, from table…

Steve Hilton

Elaine Culotti Pushes for Middle-Ground Leadership and Stronger Support for Small Farmers

DanAgNet News Hour, Agri-Business, Economy, Environment, Interview, Labor and Immigration, Legislative, Podcasts, Regulation, Special Reports

…80,000 farms in California under 200 acres and questioned why so many struggle to remain profitable. Rising input costs, packaging expenses, and regulations are squeezing producers, while farmgate prices often…