California agriculture may be on its way to getting better representation in Washington D.C. with John Duarte running for California’s new 13th Congressional District.  A Central Valley native and an active multigenerational farmer, John is no career politician.  Protecting property rights and increasing water storage are among his top priorities. Watch this brief interview with John to see what he …

Farmers and other California residents have been pushing legislature for many years to increase our state’s water storage capacity with no success, and with the “years of plenty” long past, hundreds of thousands of acres of prime farmland will go fallow this year. This will have devastating impacts on our nation’s food supply, local communities and the many families that …

Many California farms are run by families who have cultivated the land for several generations.  It’s not just land, it’s not just an investment — it is part of what defines them and their mission to feed the world. Watch this brief interview with Charlotte Mitchell from the California Farmland Trust as she shares how to protect their legacy of …

The pandemic proved challenging to all in various ways, and farmworkers had unique needs that had to be met in order to keep agriculture going and food from California on dinner tables all over the world. The California Farmworker Foundation was among the great organizations that rose to the occasion to meet their needs. Pandemic aside, farmworkers are essential, they …

Among some of the top issues impacting the California fresh fruit industry, and all of the state’s agricultural industries for that matter, are record inflating production costs.  This was addressed at the recent annual conference of the California Fresh Fruit Association (CFFA). Watch this brief interview with CFFA President Ian LeMay as he addresses this. Please thank this video’s sponsor Suterra for …

In addition to the announcement of Dwayne Cardoza stepping down as CEO of the Raisin Bargaining Association (RBA) at their recent annual meeting, Harvey Singh was also announced as the new RBA Chairman.  Watch this brief interview with Harvey Singh as he introduces himself and shares his outlook for the California raisin industry. Read more about it in the May issue …

Have you seen spotted lanternfly? If so, report it immediately. It is an invasive pest making its way around the US from the East Coast and it can be very destructive to vineyards. Watch this brief interview with Cindy Kron from the UC Cooperative Extension as she shares more about this pest and how California growers can prepare for it. …

Attendees at the recent annual meeting of the Raisin Bargaining Association were surprised to hear Dwayne Cardoza’s announcement that he was stepping down as CEO of the association.  This announcement comes after serving several years as Chairman and then as CEO following Kalem Barserian’s retirement.  He served the raisin industry faithfully through some very tumultuous times for not only the …

While innovations in vineyard mechanization have come a long way, labor challenges still prevail in the California raisin industry — and those issues have been amplified since the pandemic.  Watch this brief interview with UCCE Viticulture Farm Advisor George Zhuang as he shares what labor-saving options growers have to stay in the game.  Read more about it in American Vineyard …