…The Legacy of Early American Farmers The farmers of the early 19th century did more than plant crops—they laid the groundwork for a growing nation. Their labor, determination, and willingness…
Bill Jones: “California Will Come Back Stronger Than Ever”
…to run for office, to step up and serve.” The discussion also covered immigration and labor, with Jones calling for “common sense solutions” and long-term federal reform. “You can’t have…
Nat DiBuduo: Politics, Water & California Farming
…regulations, which cost money, and with the cost of labor in California, which affects your bottom line,” he said. “It’s almost cost-prohibitive to farm without having higher production,” he added….
Nat DiBuduo, the “Godfather of Grapes,” on the Future of California Wine and Farming
…change he sees as both inevitable and troubling. “Farmers can’t compete with developers when it’s this hard to farm in California,” he said. “Regulations, labor, and water costs keep rising…
Ethnic Roots of American Agriculture: How Immigrants Shaped U.S. Farming
…arrived in America without land or resources, starting instead as wage laborers. Merchants and artisans often sponsored young workers from Europe, covering their transportation costs in exchange for labor in…
Karen Ross on Water, Workforce, and the Future of California Agriculture
…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
…Agriculture Secretary Karen Ross. The discussion, recorded at Reedley College, covered water storage, regulation, labor, and the growing tension between Sacramento and Central Valley agriculture. Ross acknowledged that California farmers…
David Tangipa: Fighting for California Farmers and Rejecting Proposition 50
…mess think they can fix it.” Papagni nodded. The two agreed that Proposition 50 would accelerate job losses, worsen the water crisis, and weaken rural labor markets. “It’ll be a…
Shannon Douglass Doubles Down on Prop 50 Opposition
…Farmers are struggling with water shortages, labor issues, and global trade pressures. Losing rural representation, she argued, would only make those problems worse. Without strong farm voices in Sacramento and…
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
…labor through these systems. “It’s about finding the right solution for each grower,” Broad said, noting Avid Water’s ability to handle everything from pumps and wells to system design and…
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:…