The Ag Net News Hour’s Lorre Boyer and Nick Papagni, “The AgMeter” started out the show by discussing the latest agriculture news, focusing on weather and drought concerns. California is experiencing better rainfall and snowpack levels, but faces water storage issues. The Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer fell 12 points to 140, with 43% of farmers citing trade policy as their top concern, surpassing interest rates. The farm capital investment index dropped to 54, while farmland value expectations remained cautiously optimistic. The survey revealed a shift in priorities post-election, with trade policy becoming more important. The hosts debated the impact of tariffs on agriculture, emphasizing the need for a level playing field and the potential long-term benefits despite current uncertainties.

In this segment of the show, Nick and Lorrie focused on the Trump administration's federal layoffs and a lawsuit by California's Attorney General Bonta, joined by 20 attorneys, challenging the mass terminations of federal probationary employees. The lawsuit, supported by a temporary restraining order, aims to reinstate employees from 18 federal agencies, including the U. S. Department of Agriculture. The conversation also touched on a proposed bill in Congress, the Honor Farmers Contracts Act, which seeks to unfreeze USDA funding and ensure farmers are reimbursed for contracts. The bill addresses the impact of frozen funding on farmers' investments, particularly in specialty crops.

In today’s Almond Board of California feature, ABC’s Taylor Hillman had an interview on the California Almond Stewardship Platform (CASP) and its new incentive- linking to the NRCS Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP). Michael Roots, Manager of Field Outreach and Education at the Almond Board of California, explained that CSP offers per-acre payments for soil health practices like cover crops and dust protection. The new CASP report simplifies the application process by translating farm practices into NRCS codes. CASP also benefits growers with tools like irrigation and nitrogen calculators, and data sharing with handlers. The segment also touched on the importance of prunes in California, noting that nearly 100% of U.S. prunes are grown there.