AgNet News Hour: Joel Allen Talks West Side Farming, Water, and Raising an NFL Quarterback

Today’s episode of the AgNet News Hour dives into California’s pressing ag issues, with a mix of heart and humor, as hosts Nick “The Ag Meter” Papagni and Josh McGill welcome Fresno County farmer Joel Allen to the show.

Allen, who farms 3,000 acres near Firebaugh, shares a boots-on-the-ground perspective of what it takes to run a successful West Side operation—growing pistachios, cantaloupes, corn silage, and grains. With a career that started in 1987, Allen reflects on how drastically water availability has changed over the decades. “Back then, we didn’t have any issues. Today, it’s a man-made drought,” he says, pointing to the political and regulatory roadblocks that have made water access a constant battle for growers.

The conversation also highlights Joel’s new venture into silage corn for Producers Dairy, and why he’s moved away from cotton due to market challenges. He emphasizes the growing importance of smart crop rotation, dependable labor contractors, and adjusting to the rising costs of freight and inputs.

But it’s not all business. Joel Allen is also the father of Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen—and listeners get an inside look at how the NFL star’s small-town upbringing, hard work on the farm, and Friday night lights in Firebaugh shaped his path to professional football. Joel offers sincere advice to farm families raising student-athletes: “Bloom where you’re planted. Spend time with your kids. Teach them to chase their passion.”

Also in today’s show: discussion around the rollback of the USDA’s 2001 Roadless Rule and what that could mean for wildfire prevention and timber access across 59 million acres of forest land—including 4.4 million in California.

Listen to the full episode now at AgNetWest.com or subscribe to the AgNet West podcast on your favorite platform.