…former National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) president, to discuss Argentina trade tensions, beef pricing, and the high stakes of Proposition 50. Kester joined from his family ranch in Parkfield, California,…
Post–Civil War Wheat Crash: How Farmers Turned to Corn and Livestock
A canon sits near a corn field at a Civil War battlefield. DepositPhotos image The Civil War’s Wheat Boom During the Civil War, wheat became one of the most valuable…
California Farmers Confront Global Competition and Retail Pressure on AgNet News Hour
The October 28 edition of the AgNet News Hour tackled the global marketplace head-on, as hosts Nick Papagni and Josh McGill examined how trade policy, retail pricing, and foreign imports continue to shape the…
How the Cargill Brothers Built an Agricultural Empire in Iowa
…Over the following decades, their business diversified, adapting to new technologies, markets, and trade networks. Today, Cargill stands as one of the world’s largest privately held companies, involved in food…
How Wheat Transformed Mid-Atlantic Farming Before the American Revolution
Photo by Ksusha Semakina/Pexels image Early Colonial Agriculture and Trade Before 1720, most colonists in the mid-Atlantic region lived through small-scale farming operations that provided both sustenance and a modest…
Early 19th-Century American Farming and Westward Expansion
…construction of canals and the introduction of steamboats revolutionized transportation, opening new areas for agriculture and trade. These innovations allowed settlers to move inland, connecting previously isolated farming regions to…
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…
The Iconic Case Eagle Logo: A Symbol of History and Innovation
…one goal in mind: survival. At the time, he wasn’t focused on creating a logo; his priority was keeping his company afloat. The outbreak of the Civil War drew many…
California Raisin Leaders on Trade, Water & Future
…trade tariffs. Growers Under Pressure: Rising Costs and Weather Challenges Dwayne Cardoza highlighted the immediate pressures facing raisin growers in 2025. The RBA recently offered processors $2,020 per ton for…
Plymouth Colony Crops: Corn, Tobacco, and Early Trade
…a more commercialized agricultural economy, where crops were grown not only for survival but also for trade and profit. From Subsistence to Trade Early settlers consumed most of what they…
Kevin Kester on Ranching, Trade, and Ag’s Next Generation
…populist approach to trade helped push long-standing issues forward. Kester served on the Agricultural Policy Advisory Committee on Trade, working alongside Secretary Perdue and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer. One…
Kevin Kester on Cattle, Wolves, and the Fight to Keep Family Ranches Alive
…90 days. Kester warned that California’s stricter protections compared to federal listings make the situation even harder to manage. “It’s going to take the loss of human life before anything…
Ohio River: A Lifeline of American Agriculture
Introduction The Ohio River has played a crucial role in shaping American agriculture and commerce. Stretching nearly a thousand miles, this historic waterway has been central to trade, transportation, and…
Pistachios, Water & Trade: Kreps on Farming’s Future
…to agriculture and energy discussions. Tariffs and Global Trade International trade has been another critical issue for pistachio growers. Kreps credited President Trump’s tariff policies with leveling the playing field…