December 03, 2025

AgNet News Hour: Midweek Agriculture Insights & Industry Headlines

48 minutes

The latest midweek edition of the AgNet News Hour delivered a fast-paced blend of California agriculture updates, community conversations, and industry innovations. Hosted by Nick Papagni and Lorrie Boyer, the episode covered everything from winter health habits to major ag policy issues, commodity challenges, and new breakthroughs shaping U.S. farming.

Seasonal Trends, Food Costs & Community Life

Nick and Lorrie opened the show discussing winter colds, flu season, and staying healthy in public spaces. Their lighthearted talk about potlucks and restaurant cleanliness led to a more serious point: fast food isn’t the cheapest option anymore, and local restaurants continue to struggle with inflation and freight costs.

Nick also announced plans to bring holiday spirit into the AgNet West studio and encouraged listeners to share local Christmas light displays for on-air features.

California Christmas Tree Farms Under Pressure

The hosts explored the challenges facing Christmas tree growers across California and the U.S. Rising production costs, increasing demand for artificial trees, and regulatory hurdles continue to pressure the traditional tree market. A California tree grower is expected to join the show soon for deeper insight.

Winter Meeting Season: Key Agriculture Events

The episode highlighted several major December events:

California Farm Bureau Annual Meeting – Anaheim

Almond Board of California Conference – Sacramento

Organic Grower Summit – Monterey

These conferences offer growers education, networking, and a break from fieldwork during the slower winter season.

National Association of Farm Broadcasting: Industry Takeaways

Lorrie shared updates from the NAFB Annual Meeting in Kansas City, including:

Continued push for year-round E15 availability

Reports from major commodity groups, including the Pork Board and NCBA

Farm Credit’s economic outlook pointing to high input costs, a tight farm economy, and the need for financial discipline, especially for younger producers

Her takeaway: agriculture is cyclical—prepare during the good years to withstand the hard ones.

Butte County Focus: Interview with Colleen Cecil

A major highlight was an in-depth conversation with Colleen Cecil, Executive Director of the Butte County Farm Bureau.

Key Themes:

Importance of 4-H and FFA in developing leadership and communication skills

Workforce challenges and the value of hiring people with agricultural backgrounds

Farmland loss due to housing development

Water policy and SGMA concerns

Wolf reintroduction impacts

The need for more farmers in public office

Cecil emphasized that policymakers don’t need all the answers—they just need reliable agricultural partners to ask.

Butte County Commodities: A Diverse, Surprising Mix

Butte County produces far more than almonds and walnuts. The region’s commodities include:

Citrus

Nursery stock

Prunes

Olives & olive oil

Kiwis

Nick also announced plans to bring premium olive oil producer Vincent Ricchiuti onto a future episode.

Innovation Spotlight: Avocados, Organics & New Crop Research

The episode highlighted several exciting developments:

Heat-tolerant avocado trees from Duarte Nurseries could expand production deeper into the Central Valley.

Organic growers continue advancing automation, soil health, and certification practices.

Researchers are working on self-fertilizing wheat, disease-resistant crops, and tools to combat threats like citrus greening.

Nick reminded listeners that farmers are among the country’s top environmental stewards—despite often being misunderstood.

Efficiency Across Livestock & Dairy

From pork to dairy, U.S. producers continue proving they can do more with less. Better nutrition, management, and automation are driving higher output even as herd sizes decline.

Looking Ahead

Nick and Lorrie plan to bring more Farm Bureau leaders, California growers, and industry innovators on future episodes. For full interviews, daily ag news, and podcast episodes, visit AgNetWest.com and follow AgNet West on social media.

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By AgNet West Radio Network

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