We Grow California

The Governor finished signing or vetoing all the bills on his desk by the September 30th deadline. In all, he signed 1,040 bills into law and vetoed 120.  This week, Darcy and Darcy start this episode off by thanking a faithful listener for writing-in with critical, but-right-on-the-money comments and then welcomed back Assembly Ag Committee Chair Esmeralda Soria to share her thoughts on how the legislative session ended. She discussed some key legislation she was able to get over the finish line as well as some that fell short. She also discussed with the Darcys how she continues to bridge the gap between urban and ag policymakers, and her hopes on how we can do better investing in water infrastructure as well as how she has been able to remove regulatory barriers for farmers, growers, and processors.

Assemblywoman Esmeralda Soria serves as California’s 27th Assembly District Representative, serving the communities of: Biola, Cantua Creek, Caruthers, Coalinga, Firebaugh, Fresno, Huron, Kerman, Mendota, Raisin City, San Joaquin, Three Rocks, Tranquility, Westside, Chowchilla, Fairmead, La Vina, Madera, Madera Acres, Parksdale, Parkwood, Atwater, Bear Creek, Cressey, Delhi, Dos Palos, El Nido, Franklin, Le Grand, Livingston, Los Banos, McSwain, Merced, Planada, Santa Nella, South Dos Palos, and Tuttle. This is the rest of the legislative session story so be sure to tune in!

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We Grow California Podcast is paid for by the Exchange Contractors Federal PAC and Exchange Contractors State PAC and is not authorized by any candidate or candidate committee.

California’s two-year legislative session is over, and Senator Kelly Seyarto joins Darcy and Darcy to share his perspective on how it ended.  At the time of recording, the Governor had over 700 bills on his desk, which historically he either signs or vetoes.

Senator Kelly Seyarto represents the 32nd District, which includes parts of Riverside and Orange counties. The Senator shared his perspective on what went right – believe it or not - there were a few things – what went wrong, and what he thinks still needs to be done. The Senator shared his perspective on water infrastructure, the bullet train, wild fires, El Niño, and so much more! This is one episode NOT TO MISS! Listen in!

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We Grow California Podcast is paid for by the Exchange Contractors Federal PAC and Exchange Contractors State PAC and is not authorized by any candidate or candidate committee.

Send us Fan Mail

We Grow California Podcast is paid for by the Exchange Contractors Federal PAC and Exchange Contractors State PAC and is not authorized by any candidate or candidate committee.

Darcy and Darcy are back – finally – from their unplanned sabbatical! Darcy V has been doing what farmers do: farming and solving major problems in the field.  He’s also been coaching Tee Ball and busy with life.  Darcy B has been doing what she does best – influencing water policy at all levels, preaching water quality and public health—and is super excited to bring Darcy V, and you, up to speed. This episode will give you the California water updates you need including big changes at the Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA), Friant Water Authority, infrastructure projects, and everyone’s least favorite mussel – the Golden Mussel. Darcy and Darcy tried to cover all the bases and are glad to be back!  

Let us know what you’re thinking! You can provide comments, suggestions, questions, or recommendations at https://www.ecwaterpac.com/podcast/. Thanks for tuning in!

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We Grow California Podcast is paid for by the Exchange Contractors Federal PAC and Exchange Contractors State PAC and is not authorized by any candidate or candidate committee.

Darcy and Darcy welcome back Westlands General Manager Allison Febbo to discuss their Valley Clean Infrastructure Plan. Joining them is Westlands' solar/energy partner, Patrick Mealoy from Golden State Clean Energy. Darcy V, a Westlands grower, shares that he is excited about this project.  Darcy B. takes a little more time to warm up to what she thinks is just another mega solar install, but she quickly learns that it's not at all! And although when fully operational, it is estimated 136,000 acres will be producing solar energy or providing battery back-up, it's not about energy; this is about taking assets (farm land) that are losing value because of water unreliability and putting them to work, making them valuable, and providing Westlands growers, California agriculture, and farming communities an opportunity to thrive. The Darcys have always said California needs to invest in water infrastructure to improve its overall water reliability for all sectors: urban, ag, industrial/commercial, and the environment, and until that happens, this plan takes lemons and truly makes lemonade.  You have to hear the details, how it works, what the long-term plans are, and more. Listen in!

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We Grow California Podcast is paid for by the Exchange Contractors Federal PAC and Exchange Contractors State PAC and is not authorized by any candidate or candidate committee.

Chris White, Executive Director of the San Joaquin River Water Authority Exchange Contractors, joins Darcy Villere in the studio and kicks off 2026 with A LOT of information.  There are changes on how the Central Valley Project and State Water Projects are operating and Chris does his best to break it down for Darcy refreshes his memory and making sense out of all the moving parts – water being just one of them.

Get comfortable and listen closely because the Bureau of Reclamation released major changes to Central Valley Project (CVP) operations including the removal of the Fall X2 requirement (if you don’t remember what that is, we had a whole episode called Call to Action Fall X2 and you can listen to that here) removal of the early Delta export-reduction (just reading that clears up any confusion, right?) and last and in no way least is a revision of the Old & Middle River flow criteria and Stormflex operations. Chris gives his perspective on the impact of these changes, and whether these federal changes impact the state operations.  If you drink water, use it to bathe, cook, or grow food, you don’t want to miss this episode!

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We Grow California Podcast is paid for by the Exchange Contractors Federal PAC and Exchange Contractors State PAC and is not authorized by any candidate or candidate committee.

In this episode of We Grow California, Darcy Villere sits down with Joaquin Esquivel, Chair of the State Water Resources Control Board, to talk about the future of California water. The episode covers how the Board balances the competing needs of agriculture, communities, and the environment during an era of droughts, floods, and climate uncertainty. Joaquin shares insights on SGMA enforcement, groundwater recharge, and the state’s push to ensure safe, clean drinking water for all Californians. His perspective offers a clear look at the challenges ahead and the opportunities for collaboration across the state.

Let us know what you’re thinking! You can provide comments, suggestions, questions, or recommendations at https://www.ecwaterpac.com/podcast/. Thanks for tuning in!
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We Grow California Podcast is paid for by the Exchange Contractors Federal PAC and Exchange Contractors State PAC and is not authorized by any candidate or candidate committee.

After a few weeks of hiatus, California State Treasurer Fiona Ma joined Darcy & Darcy for an in-depth discussion on water, ag, infrastructure financing, and public service. If you don’t know what the state treasurer does, think of this position as the state’s primary banker. Treasurer Ma’s office processes more than $3 trillion in payments within a typical year and provides transparency and oversight for an investment portfolio of more than $124 billion, approximately $34.8 billion of which are local government funds. 

Ma has been a strong advocate for California’s agricultural sector and has worked on various initiatives to support farmers and promote sustainable agricultural practices. Her commitment to agriculture underscores her understanding of its vital role in California’s economy and environmental sustainability. But that’s not all!  Darcy & Darcy learned that Treasure Ma is the co-founder of the San Francisco Farm Bureau, and it all started with saving the historic Cow Palace! To find out the rest of the story, tune in!

For more information on the State Treasurer’s office including funding and financing resources, visit www.treasurer.ca.gov/index.asp 

Let us know what you’re thinking! You can provide comments, suggestions, questions, or recommendations at https://www.ecwaterpac.com/podcast/. Thanks for tuning in!

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We Grow California Podcast is paid for by the Exchange Contractors Federal PAC and Exchange Contractors State PAC and is not authorized by any candidate or candidate committee.

Darcy & Darcy welcomed California State Senator Anna Caballero, representing District 14, which stretches across parts of Madera, Merced and Fresno counties. Last year, Senator Caballero joined us and shared with us her efforts on SB 366, a bill that was intended to modernize the California Water Plan and mandated that the Department of Water Resources to set long-term water supply targets.SB366 died in committee, leaving many in the water sector wondering if the water plan would ever have any accountability. 

The Senator’s back with the Darcys to talk about SB 72, which was just newly signed into law. SB 72 picked up where SB366 left off, setting statutory long-term targets, with an interim target of 9-million-acre-feet. The conversation goes far beyond the bill, and includes the challenges California cities, communities, and water districts face in managing flood waters, repurposing flood control dams for water storage as well, and more.  To learn more about Senator Caballero, visit www.sd14.senate.ca.gov/ .

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We Grow California Podcast is paid for by the Exchange Contractors Federal PAC and Exchange Contractors State PAC and is not authorized by any candidate or candidate committee.

With growing frequency, water systems, cities, and other water utilities have been held for ransom as a direct result of a cybersecurity attack.  These attacks can hold a system hostage for millions of dollars, jeopardizing customer data as well as water and wastewater operations; ultimately impacting public health and safety.  Many systems have recently discovered that insurance is no longer covering the bill. For policymakers, believing “We’re fine” is not only naive but also dangerous and can be extremely expensive.

This week, Darcy Villere and Darcy Burke welcomed American Water Works Association’s in-house cybersecurity expert, Dr. Kevin Morley, and Santa Margarita Water District Board Member and local government cybersecurity advisor, Frank Ury. Kevin and Frank share what the bad actors are doing and where they are hiding (It should scare you), why paranoia is not always such a bad thing, and why a recovery plan is critical. If your Cybersecurity or IT Team says, “We’re fine.” You need to listen.

For more information about Dr. Kevin Morley and the American Water Works Association’s cybersecurity resources, visit https://www.awwa.org/resource/cybersecurity-guidance/.  To learn more about Frank Ury and Santa Margarita Water District, visit https://www.smwd.com/. 

Let us know what you’re thinking! You can provide comments, suggestions, questions, or recommendations at https://www.ecwaterpac.com/podcast/. Thanks for tuning in! 

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We Grow California Podcast is paid for by the Exchange Contractors Federal PAC and Exchange Contractors State PAC and is not authorized by any candidate or candidate committee.