…and uses far less water — key advantages in regions facing drought and water restrictions. “We use 80% less water,” Hartman said. “We usually spray two to three times more…
Inside the 2025 Almond Market: Supply, Pricing, Tariffs, and Global Demand
…world.” The Water Crisis and Political Obstacles Despite its natural advantages, California’s best agricultural regions—especially on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley—still struggle with unreliable water access. Toor…
Building the Future of Ag Education at Merced College
…work today. Preparing for Tomorrow’s Farming Jacobsen understands that the challenges facing agriculture — water regulations, labor shortages, transportation costs, and environmental pressures — require new thinking. “What we’re doing…
Ecorobotix, AgTech Grants, and Hannah Johnson’s Push for California’s Future
…opened the show with a call to “take care of today’s farming before tomorrow’s farming,” stressing that growers must survive regulatory and water challenges before they can embrace full automation….
California Farmers Confront Global Competition and Retail Pressure on AgNet News Hour
…crisis. “You can’t expect California farmers to compete with countries where water, labor, and safety standards are nowhere near ours,” McGill said. Papagni added that it’s time for grocery chains…
Building the Future of Farming: Insights from UC ANR’s Gabe Youtsey at FIRA USA 2025
…out that California growers face serious and immediate pressures: Water scarcity Land access issues Labor shortages Increasing regulatory burdens Farmers need help now, but they also need the tools and…
Beef Plan, Spray Tech, and AI: California Ag Eyes Relief and Reinvention
…Systems CEO Willie Hartman. His pitch to cash-strapped growers was simple: do more with less. Hartman said their electrostatic sprayers can cut water use by roughly 80%, cover two to…
California Ag Tech on Display: TK, Bayer Crop Science, and John Deere’s GUSS Steal the Show
…wet winter — a welcome change for water storage and dormancy cycles. “Cold, wet weather is good for trees,” he said. “They’re staying dormant longer and recharging.” Next, Papagni sat…
Van Groningen & Sons: A Century of California Farming
…adapt to new groundwater regulations under SGMA (Sustainable Groundwater Management Act). “We actually have more water in storage than we’re using,” he said. “Now we’re encouraging farmers to use more…
Todd Snider Takes the Helm at Kern County Farm Bureau, Calls for Smarter Water Policy and Farm Advocacy
…its voice — and that’s devastating for agriculture.” He also spoke passionately about California’s water crisis, calling it “a man-made problem.” “Growers pay for 100% of their water and only…
Bill Jones: Fixing California’s Water and Future
…the ongoing conflict between Governor Gavin Newsom’s administration and the federal government, Jones pointed to California’s water crisis as a prime example of failed cooperation. “The water problem is a…
Verdant Robotics and Van Groningen & Sons Showcase Innovation and Tradition on AgNet News Hour
…family tradition with Brian Van Groningen of Van Groningen & Sons in Manteca. The fourth-generation farmer talked about his family’s 100-year legacy growing watermelons, cantaloupes, honeydews, sweet corn, and pumpkins…
Bill Jones: “California Will Come Back Stronger Than Ever”
…water for irrigation, but it has to come at the right time,” he said, noting that most of this year’s rainfall will once again “go right to the ocean” instead…
Nat DiBuduo: Politics, Water & California Farming
…“There’s a program called SGMA (Sustainable Groundwater Management Act) that limits how much groundwater you can pump,” he said. “If we don’t activate the water projects that voters approved, there…