…years of talking to producers across California, the U.S., and beyond. He points to a troubling trend: the U.S. has become a net importer of food for the first time…
Beef Plan, Spray Tech, and AI: California Ag Eyes Relief and Reinvention
…opened with encouraging news for cattle producers: USDA released a multifaceted plan aimed at stabilizing the beef sector and easing price pressure on consumers. The framework focuses on three pillars—strengthening…
How Ralston Purina Revolutionized American Agriculture
…see livestock nutrition as the key to progress. The nation’s growing population demanded better food, and agricultural leaders sought to meet that need through science, experimentation, and enterprise. How Ralston…
How Wheat Transformed Mid-Atlantic Farming Before the American Revolution
…Wheat Boom In the mid-18th century, Europe’s massive population explosion fueled an even greater demand for grain. This demographic surge drove wheat prices up dramatically, benefiting American producers. By 1770,…
How Immigrant Farmers Shaped Early American Agriculture
…agriculture. As Mark Oppold explains in An American Agriculture History Minute, ethnicity influenced how settlers worked the land, managed livestock, and produced food in the New World. Farmers from Germany,…
Ethnic Roots of American Agriculture: How Immigrants Shaped U.S. Farming
…and livestock management techniques distinct from English, Scottish, or Irish farmers. Each group contributed to the evolving farming culture that defined rural America. Immigrants Start as Wage Laborers Many immigrants…
How Railroads Transformed American Agriculture
…become a vital link between agricultural producers and the growing markets of the East Coast. A Turning Point for Agriculture The expansion of railroads revolutionized American agriculture by connecting rural…
Elaine Culotti: Fighting for California’s Farmers and Future
…its political mindset. Culotti didn’t hesitate. “I think a lot of people in Hollywood have had enough,” she said. “Most actors, producers, and directors—this is their business. But we’ve made…
How the Smith-Lever Act Created 4-H and Transformed Rural America
…livestock, and home economics. The law created a system that connected land-grant universities with communities across the nation, ensuring that agricultural innovation and scientific research reached producers and their families…
Gage A. Kent and the Birth of Kent Feeds
…Kent transformed how feeders approached livestock growth and management. Kent’s Lasting Legacy Today, Kent Feeds remains a symbol of quality livestock nutrition, rooted in Gage A. Kent’s early vision. His…
Alexandra Duarte’s Fight for California’s Future
…their livestock—or even their families. “We have mountain lions endangering lives on our property, and yet the state won’t issue predation permits,” Duarte said. “My husband even suggested getting goats…
Alexandra Duarte Pledges to Fight for California Farmers in State Senate Run
…for farmers and small businesses to survive.” The conversation also touched on predators threatening livestock, the struggles of the trucking industry, and the importance of youth ag programs like FFA….
California Raisin Leaders on Trade, Water & Future
…Burdens and Industry Realities Nick Papagni raised the question of whether California’s political environment has offered meaningful support for raisin producers. Mark McCormick, CEO of National Raisins, did not hesitate…
Kevin Kester on Ranching, Trade, and Ag’s Next Generation
…overdrafted Paso Robles water basin. While drought still impacts his operation, he does not face the same basin management requirements looming over many producers in the San Joaquin Valley. That…