California Ag Network

Category: Non-Video

  • Jill Sperling Named State Supervisor of Ag Education and California State FFA Advisor

    The California Association, FFA, is pleased to announce the appointment of Jill Sperling as the new State Supervisor of Agricultural Education and California State FFA Advisor. Her selection was made by the California Department of Education, taking effect on May 1, 2025, following the retirement of Charles Parker. She becomes the first woman to serve in this role in the organization’s nearly 100-year history.

    A respected agricultural educator and mentor, Sperling brings a wealth of knowledge, experience, and leadership to the position, having earned multiple local and state awards for her excellence in teaching and service. Prior to this position, she served as the Central Region FFA Advisor for 10 years, supporting 86 agricultural education programs spanning from Sacramento to Merced counties. Before joining the state leadership team, Sperling spent 14 years as an agriscience educator and FFA advisor at Kingsburg High School.

    “I am immensely proud to be the first female State Supervisor of Agriculture Education and State FFA Advisor in California,” Sperling shared. “I have deep roots in agriculture education and grew up seeing the meaningful impacts that agriculture teachers make on the lives of their students through the three-circle model of agriculture education. I have been honored to serve the teachers and FFA members of the Central Region for the past ten years and am looking forward to working with my colleagues to provide leadership to the 108,000+ FFA members and over 1,100 agriculture teachers throughout our great state in the years to come.”

    As State FFA Advisor, Sperling will help lead the strategic vision of the California Association, FFA, supporting more than 108,000 members across 366 chapters. She will work in close partnership with California’s regional advisors to ensure local programs meet the diverse needs of students, while also collaborating with the California FFA Foundation, California Agricultural Teachers’ Association, and the California Department of Education to support the organization’s growing and evolving programs.

    Stepping into this distinguished role marks both a personal and professional achievement for Sperling. A native of Sacramento County and a proud American FFA Degree recipient, she follows in the footsteps of her father, Bob Heuvel, who served in this same position for nearly 30 years. Her husband, Dustin, is also a former FFA member, and their children, Auston and Avery, are former and current members of their local FFA program.

    About California Association, FFA: The California Association, FFA, serves more than 108,000 students and strives to make a difference in their lives by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth, and career success through agricultural education. To learn more about the California FFA, visit calaged.org.

  • Golden State Farm Credit Supports Local Students with Back-to-School Backpack Donation

    Golden State Farm Credit (GSFC) recently donated 25 backpacks filled with school supplies to support students and families through The Salvation Army of Chico’s Back-to-School program, an annual effort to ensure local students are prepared for a successful start to the school year.

    Recipients of the program will receive a backpack filled with various school supplies such as notebooks and paper, writing utensils, a calculator, and a lunchbox. Each donation will support a child in need living in Chico, Paradise, Magalia, or Forest Ranch, helping relieve the financial burden from local families, parents, and guardians.

    GSFC has previously partnered with The Salvation Army of Chico, particularly through its annual participation in the Angel Tree program, which provides Christmas gifts to hundreds of children in the region. This back-to-school effort represents a meaningful extension of that partnership and a shared commitment to serving the community year-round.

    “We’re proud to support programs that provide local youth with the tools they need to succeed,” said Kris Costa, director of marketing and communications at GSFC. “Supporting the Angel Tree Program has always been a meaningful experience for our team, so when The Salvation Army invited us to be part of their back-to-school effort, we were excited to jump in and help.”

    This donation is part of GSFC’s ongoing commitment to serve and strengthen rural communities. The association’s community outreach pillar extends beyond supporting local agriculture organizations, activities, and events; they believe in supporting families in the community when the need arises. Looking ahead in 2026, GSFC plans to connect with other Salvation Army locations near its branch offices to expand the backpack donation effort.

    About GSFC:

    Golden State Farm Credit (GSFC) is a lending institution of the Farm Credit System with offices in Northern and Central California that service the counties of Butte, Glenn, Tehama, Shasta, Trinity, Fresno, Kings and Tulare. The GSFC administrative office is located at 3013 Ceres Avenue, Chico, CA 95973. The Farm Credit System (System) is a nationwide network of borrower-owned lending institutions that provides loans, leases, and related services to farmers, ranchers, rural homeowners, agribusiness, agricultural and rural utility cooperatives, and Young, Beginning and Small Farmers nationwide. Congress established the System in 1916 to provide a reliable source of credit for the nation’s farmers and ranchers. Today, the System provides more than one-third of the credit needed by those who live and work in rural America.

    For more information about Golden State Farm Credit, call (530) 895-8698 or visit us online at www.goldenstatefarmcredit.com.

  • Innovative Ag Education Program Reaches Over 1 Million California Students

    Educating today’s students about the importance of California agriculture is critically important to protecting the future of farming and ranching in the Golden State. For nearly 40 years, the California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom has been a leader in that effort and is continuing to innovate to meet the needs of California classrooms.

    “We’ve been around since 1986, and our whole mission is to support teachers and students in incorporating agriculture into their classroom because agriculture affects our daily lives. It’s the food we eat; it’s the clothes we wear – it affects everything that we do,” said Amanda Fletcher, the Foundation’s executive director.

    During 2024, Fletcher said the Foundation’s programs reached over 1 million pre-K to high school students by engaging more than 34,000 teachers across California. Among the Foundation’s most-used resources was the 22ndannual issue of What’s Growin’ On, a 16-page interactive student newspaper funded in part by Farm Credit. More than 100,000 copies were distributed.

    Kevin Ralph, California President for AgWest Farm Credit, said California’s Farm Credit organizations have supported the Foundation’s work for many years.

    “Farm Credit has been proud to support What’s Growin’ On for more than 15 years – and in fact increased our support this year – because it’s proven to be an innovative and effective way of educating third through eighth graders about all the aspects of California agriculture,” Ralph said.

    Jacob DeBoer, Regional Marketing Manager with American AgCredit, agreed that the Foundation continues to do great work.

    “What makes the Foundation’s efforts so successful is that it comes up with ways to really reach students,” DeBoer said. “This year, the theme is ‘Imagine Your Future in Agriculture,’ which is especially important given the need to attract students to consider careers in ag-related fields. Besides information about farming, the newspaper and other programs discuss careers in fields including tech, marketing, soil science and ag mechanics. There’s nothing like drones to capture a young student’s imagination.”

    All seven Farm Credit organizations serving California – AgWest Farm Credit, American AgCredit, CoBank, Colusa-Glenn Farm Credit, Fresno Madera Farm Credit, Golden State Farm Credit and Yosemite Farm Credit – are financially supporting the Foundation’s work. They are all part of the nationwide Farm Credit System – the largest provider of credit to U.S. agriculture.

    Fletcher said the Foundation got its start in 1981 as a program launched by the California Farm Bureau Federation. It was spun off five years later as an affiliated 501c3 nonprofit. Today, seven – soon to be eight – employees develop age-appropriate curricula using a wide range of distribution methods.

    For example, a popular part of the program is the virtual California Farm Day. This year, 31,000 students watched one of two age-appropriate, hour-long programs including video and live Q&A sessions with ag experts. One segment showed a pest advisor walking through a broccoli field examining plants for insects. He explained that some insects were beneficial, and others weren’t and talked about the steps he took to become a pest advisor.

    “We had over 800 questions asked of the live hosts. A lot of the kids who were on that broadcast were from urban and more disadvantaged schools who don’t always have the ability to go on field trips, so this offered a little window into agriculture and how it affects their lives,” she said.

    “We probably work with 60% urban classes and 40% from the agricultural areas. Our target demographic is those urban and disadvantaged schools because we want to get into schools in L.A. and the Bay Area to make sure they’re getting the same education about agriculture that students in counties that have that rich agriculture history have access to.”

    This year, a grant from the California Department of Food and Agriculture allowed the Foundation to develop an interactive website called KnowinWhatsGrowin.com. Fletcher said it matches the state’s fourth-grade curriculum and focuses on specialty crops grown in different parts of the state.

    Santa Clara County students can learn about mushrooms, for example – how they’re grown and harvested, nutritional information, products that use mushrooms and even recipes.

    Because the Foundation strives “to keep growing, because if you stay stagnant that doesn’t work when the goal is to get the information out to the populace,” the staff is currently beginning a four-year project to develop a monthly curriculum for high school students that outlines ag-related careers. The lesson plans will tie into math, science and ag mechanics.

    “Then we are going to be working on developing an internship program that will go along with that. It’ll be exciting in the next couple of years once that gets off the ground,” she said.

    “We want to create materials that are easy and quick for teachers to implement so they have good programming for their students and to make sure that the next generation is informed about where their food and fiber comes from.”

    About Farm Credit:

    AgWest Farm Credit, American AgCredit, Colusa-Glenn Farm Credit, CoBank, Fresno Madera Farm Credit, Golden State Farm Credit and Yosemite Farm Credit are cooperatively owned lending institutions providing agriculture and rural communities with a dependable source of credit. For more than 100 years, the Farm Credit System has specialized in financing farmers, ranchers, farmer-owned cooperatives, rural utilities and agribusinesses. Farm Credit offers a broad range of loan products and financial services, including long-term real estate loans, operating lines of credit, equipment and facility loans, cash management and appraisal and leasing services…everything a “growing” business needs. For more information, visit www.farmcreditalliance.com

    About the California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom:

    California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom (AITC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to increasing agricultural awareness and understanding among California’s educators and students. AITC develops accurate, teacher-tested educational materials, provides training and programs for educators, and collaborates with organizations to highlight the importance of agriculture in daily life. Through initiatives such as comprehensive lesson plans, the What’s Growin’ On? student newspaper, the Imagine this… writing contest, Virtual Farm Day, the annual teacher conference, and many more programs, AITC fosters agricultural literacy and supports the future of agriculture – impacting over 1 million students annually. For more information, visit www.learnaboutag.org.

  • Not a Peep — Bird Flu Silences Poultry Competitions at Fairs

    Summertime at California county fairs usually brings a barnyard chorus of oinks, neighs and bleats from livestock. But in California, cock-a-doodle-doos are missing from that chorus. A statewide ban on bird exhibitions, due to highly pathogenic avian influenza, has left empty cages and disappointed young 4-H members who spent months raising chickens for competition.

    “Fowl News: Bird Flu Ruffles Feathers at the Fair,” is the latest episode of Unfold, a UC Davis podcast. In this episode, guest host Caroline Champlin, with University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources, explores how 4-H programs are keeping poultry education alive amid the ban. At the Orange County Fair, kids compete in the “avian bowl,” a quiz game designed to test knowledge of poultry science. You also can read an in-depth article on the topic at UC ANR’s Green Blog.

    UC Davis veterinary epidemiologist Maurice Pitesky, also with UC ANR, explains why the ongoing bird flu outbreak may be here to stay. He discusses how the virus spreads, the risks of bringing animals together, and innovative approaches to teaching about the bird flu, including a cooperative board game about stopping disease spread.

    In this episode:

    Maurice Pitesky, associate professor, UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine and University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources Cooperative Extension specialist

    You can listen to episodes of the Signal Award-winning podcast Unfold, on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, your smart speaker or wherever you get your podcasts. Original music for Unfold comes from UC Davis alumnus Damien Verrett and Curtis Jerome Haynes. Follow us on X at @unfoldpodcast or Bluesky at @unfoldpodcast.bsky.social. — By Amy Quinton, UC Davis

  • Wheat That Makes Its Own Fertilizer

    Scientists at the University of California, Davis, have developed wheat plants that stimulate the production of their own fertilizer, opening the path toward less air and water pollution worldwide and lower costs for farmers.

    The technology was pioneered by a team led by Eduardo Blumwald, a distinguished professor in the Department of Plant Sciences. The team used the gene-editing tool CRIPSR to get wheat plants to produce more of one of their own naturally occurring chemicals. When the plant releases the excess chemical into the soil, the chemical helps certain bacteria in the soil convert nitrogen from the air into a form the nearby plants can use to grow. That conversion process is called nitrogen fixation.

    The study was published online in Plant Biotechnology Journal.

    In developing countries, the breakthrough could be a boon for food security.

    “In Africa, people don’t use fertilizers because they don’t have money, and farms are small, not larger than six to eight acres,” Blumwald said. “Imagine, you are planting crops that stimulate bacteria in the soil to create the fertilizer that the crops need, naturally. Wow! That’s a big difference!”

    The breakthrough in wheat builds on the team’s earlier work in rice. Research also is underway to extend this technology to other cereals.

    Worldwide, wheat is the No. 2 cereal crop by yield and takes the biggest share of nitrogen fertilizer, using about 18% of the total. Globally, more than 800 million tons of fertilizer were produced in 2020 alone, according to figures from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization.

    But plants take up only about 30 to 50% of the nitrogen in fertilizer. Much of what they don’t use flows into waterways, which can create “dead zones” that lack oxygen, suffocating fish and other aquatic life. Some excess nitrogen in the soil produces nitrous oxide, a potent climate-warming gas.

    The work-around: Protect the fixer

    Nitrogen-fixing bacteria produce an enzyme called nitrogenase, the “fixer” in nitrogen fixation. Nitrogenase is only located in the bacteria, and it can only work in environments with very little oxygen.

    Legumes such as beans and peas have root structures, called nodules, that provide a cozy, low-oxygen home for nitrogen-fixing bacteria to live.

    Unlike legumes, wheat and most other plants don’t have root nodules. This is why farmers use nitrogen-containing fertilizer.

    “For decades, scientists have been trying to develop cereal crops that produce active root nodules, or trying to colonize cereals with nitrogen-fixing bacteria, without much success. We used a different approach,” Blumwald said. “We said the location of the nitrogen-fixing bacteria is not important, so long as the fixed nitrogen can reach the plant, and the plant can use it.”

    To find a work-around, the team first looked at 2,800 chemicals the plants produce naturally. They found 20 that, among other jobs useful to the plant, also stimulate bacteria to produce biofilms. Biofilms are a sticky layer that surround the bacteria and create a low-oxygen environment, allowing nitrogenase to work. The scientists determined how the plant makes those chemicals and which genes control that process.

    Then, the team used the gene-editing tool CRISPR to modify wheat plants to produce more of one of those chemicals, a flavone called apigenin. The wheat, now with more apigenin than it needs, releases the excess through its roots into the soil. In experiments they conducted, apigenin from the wheat stimulated bacteria in the soil to create the protective biofilms, allowing nitrogenase to fix nitrogen and the wheat plants to assimilate it.

    The wheat also showed a higher yield than control plants when grown in a very low concentration of nitrogen fertilizer.

    Farmers could save billions

    Farmers in the United States spent nearly $36 billion on fertilizers in 2023, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates. Blumwald calculates that nearly 500 million acres in the U.S. are planted with cereals.

    “Imagine, if you could save 10% of the amount of fertilizer being used on that land,” he pondered. “I’m calculating conservatively: That should be a savings of more than a billion dollars every year.”

    Other authors include Hiromi Tajima, Akhilesh Yadav, Javier Hidalgo Castellanos, Dawei Yan, Benjamin P. Brookbank and Eiji Nambara.

    A patent application has been filed by the University of California and is pending. Bayer Crop Science and the UC Davis Will Lester Endowment have supported the research.

    Read about the earlier work of the Blumwald team to develop rice that can stimulate its own nitrogen fertilizer here. — By Trina Kleist, UC Davis

  • Medfly Quarantine in Portion of Santa Clara County

    A portion of Santa Clara County has been placed under quarantine for the Mediterranean fruit fly (Medfly) following the detection of two wild female flies in the city of San José. If not stopped, Medflies can devastate fruits and vegetables grown in backyards and on local farms by reproducing and leaving larvae in produce, and the invasive flies can then spread to other regions. A quarantine is a way to minimize damage and stop the risk of spread by restricting the movement of fruits and vegetables.

      

    CDFA is working collaboratively with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Santa Clara County Division of Agriculture on this project.  This project is new and separate from the recently-eradicated Medfly infestation in Alameda County.

     

    The quarantine area measures approximately 109 square miles, bordered on the north by Trade Zone Boulevard; on the south by Camden Avenue; on the west by San Tomas Expressway; and on the east by Evergreen Valley Community College.  The quarantine will cover parts of the cities of San José, Santa Clara, Campbell, and the town of Los Gatos. A link to the quarantine map may be found here: www.cdfa.ca.gov/plant/medfly/regulation.html

      

    The quarantine will affect any growers, wholesalers, and retailers of susceptible fruit in the area as well as local residents.  Home gardeners are urged to not move homegrown produce from their property.  However, residents living in the quarantine area may consume or process (i.e. juice, cook, or grind in the garbage disposal) fruit on the property where they were picked or dispose of fruit by bagging and sealing and placing in the garbage (not green waste).  These actions protect against the artificial spread of the infestation to nearby regions where it can affect California’s food supply and backyard gardens.

      

    Sterile male Medflies are scheduled to be released in the area as part of the eradication effort. The release rate will be 250,000 males per square mile per week in an 84.76 square mile area around the infestation.  The sterile medfly release program has a proven track record of eradication in California.  Sterile male flies mate with fertile wild female flies in the natural environment but produce no offspring.  The fly population decreases as the wild flies reach the end of their natural life span with no offspring to replace them, ultimately resulting in the eradication of the pest.  The sterile male medflies are reared at the joint CDFA/USDA sterile insect rearing facility in Los Alamitos, California, which prepares sterile flies for release everyday over California.

      

    Additionally, properties within 200 meters of the detection sites are treated with an organic formulation of Spinosad, which originates from naturally-occurring bacteria in soil, to eliminate any mated females and reduce the density of the population.  To further reduce the population, properties within 100 meters of infested properties are subject to host-plant or fruit removal to eliminate eggs and larvae.

      

    This eradication approach is the standard Medfly program used by CDFA and is the safest, most effective, and most efficient response program available.  CDFA has successfully eradicated each and every detected Medfly infestation in California history, dating back more than 40 years.

      

    The pest is known to target more than 250 types of fruits and vegetables. Damage occurs when the female lays eggs inside the fruit.  The eggs hatch into maggots, which tunnel through the flesh of the fruit, making it unfit for consumption.  Residents who believe their fruits and vegetables are infested with fruit fly larvae are encouraged to call the State’s toll-free Pest Hotline at 1-800-491-1899 or email reportapest@cdfa.ca.gov.

      

    While fruit flies and other invasive species that threaten California’s crops and natural environment are sometimes detected in agricultural areas, the vast majority are found in urban and suburban communities.  The most likely pathway for these invasive species to enter our state are by “hitchhiking” in fruits and vegetables brought back illegally by travelers as they return from infested regions of the world or from packages containing fruits and vegetable from other states or countries.  To help protect California’s agriculture and natural resources, CDFA urges travelers to follow the Don’t Pack a Pest program guidelines (www.dontpackapest.com/).

     

    To help prevent future introductions, residents are encouraged to:

    • Assist agriculture crews working to protect your garden by allowing them access to your yard to place traps and inspect plants.
    • When entering California from another state or country, avoid bringing agricultural products – including fruits and vegetables.  Help us protect our agriculture, natural resources, and California’s unique biodiversity from invasive fruit flies – please Don’t Pack a Pest (www.dontpackapest.com/).
    • Determine if your property is located within an active quarantine area by visiting www.CAFruitFly.com.
    • Please do not send or receive any homegrown fruit, vegetables, or meat products, as they may contain invasive species that can “hitchhike” in these products.
    • Inspect your garden regularly for signs of invasive fruit flies or maggots and report any findings to CDFA at 1-800-491-1899.

      

    Federal, State and County agricultural officials work year-round to prevent, deter, and eliminate the threat of invasive pests and diseases that can damage or destroy our agricultural products, natural environment, resources, and unique biodiversity.  The efforts are aimed at keeping California’s food supply plentiful, safe, and pest-free.

      

    Residents with questions about the project may call CDFA’s Pest Hotline at 1-800-491-1899.  To learn more about invasive species and how to protect California’s fruits and vegetables, please visit www.cdfa.ca.gov/plant/fruitfly

  • California Avocado Commission Announces Fall Grower Meetings

    Throughout September, the California Avocado Commission (CAC) will host a series of Fall 2025 District Grower Meetings in various California avocado growing regions. As with last year, CAC Board members will be in attendance to discuss the 2025-26 assessment rate and budget. CAC staff will provide reports on 2024-25 marketing and industry affairs activities, as well as engage with growers regarding communication preferences. Growers will have the opportunity to ask questions and participate in discussions.

    Below are the dates, times and locations for the 2025 District Meetings.

    Fallbrook

    Tuesday, September 9
    9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
    Fallbrook Public Utility District
    990 East Mission Road
    Fallbrook, CA 92028

    Oxnard

    Wednesday, September 10
    9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
    Hilton Garden Inn – Adagio Bella Banquet Hall
    2000 Solar Drive
    Oxnard, CA 93036

    San Luis Obispo

    Thursday, September 11
    9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
    San Luis Obispo County Farm Bureau
    4875 Morabito Place
    San Luis Obispo, CA 93401

  • Bills to Support Central Valley Specialty Crop Producers Reintroduced

    Congressman David Valadao (CA-22) has reintroduced two bipartisan bills to improve the domestic specialty crop industry—the Specialty Crop Domestic Market Promotion Program Act and the Specialty Crop Mechanization Assistance Act. California produces the most specialty crops in the country in both quantity and diversity, with over 400 commodities produced in the state per year. These bills would make technology and resources available so they can access new markets and remain competitive.

    Congressman Valadao originally introduced these bills in the 118th Congress.

    “Specialty crops are a cornerstone of Central Valley agriculture, but due to challenges like labor shortages, supply chain disruptions, and rising costs, it’s been difficult for farmers to stay competitive,” said Congressman Valadao. “We need to ensure our growers are best equipped to handle these obstacles, and these bills will give them the tools needed to expand into new markets, invest in modern technology, and continue putting fresh, nutritious food on tables across the country.”

    “CFFA is again proud to have worked with the California Table Grape Commission to co-lead this collaborative effort to promote U.S. produce domestically and help equip our farmers with the tools and technologies they need to thrive in a rapidly changing world. I would like to thank Congressman Valadao for reintroducing these bills that aim to support the modern needs of American agriculture. These bills will support farmers and their employees to ensure that America continues to be a global leader in agricultural production,” said President of the California Fresh Fruit Association, Daniel Hartwig.

    “California table grape growers are grateful to Congressman Valadao for his leadership in reintroducing the Specialty Crop Domestic Market Promotion Program Act and the Specialty Crop Mechanization Assistance Act. These measures address two of the most pressing challenges our industry faces—expanding consumer demand and addressing critical labor shortages. Investments in market development will help ensure consumers know when U.S.-grown produce is in season and available, while mechanization assistance will support growers in overcoming labor challenges. Together, these efforts strengthen the competitiveness of U.S. specialty crops, provide consumers with greater access to healthy, nutritious produce, and support the long-term viability of family farms in California and across the nation,”

    said President of the California Table Grape Commission, Ian LeMay.

    Additional co-sponsors include: Rep. Josh Harder (CA-09), Rep. Julia Brownley (CA-26), Rep. Jimmy Panetta (CA-21), and Rep. Doug LaMalfa (CA-01).

    The Specialty Crop Domestic Market Promotion Program Act would create a program that helps specialty crop producers market their products to access American markets. It replicates the popular Market Access Program (MAP) through USDA’s Agriculture Marketing Service (AMS) specifically for specialty crop producers to break into niche domestic markets.

    Read the full text of the bill here.

    The Specialty Crop Mechanization Assistance Act makes it easier for specialty crop producers to remain competitive in the face of labor shortages by making expensive automation technology more accessible to producers. This bill aims to create a reimbursement-based cost-share program which would permit growers and processors to invest more in these time and money-saving technologies.

    Read the full text of the bill here.

  • Experts Discuss Factors Driving Up Beef Prices

    Americans love beef. Reportedly, a typical American eats three hamburgers a week. Yet Americans shopping for ground beef, New York strips, or sirloin in 2025 are paying for that love through extreme sticker shock as prices continue to skyrocket.

    “We are in the middle of a classic cattle cycle downturn,” said agribusiness expert Mario Ortez Amador. “U.S. beef production is declining because the national herd has shrunk to its lowest levels in decades.”

    Economic expert David Bieri concurs. “Tariffs are playing a secondary but important role in beef pricing that consumers are seeing right now, with the impact becoming more pronounced in recent months,” Bieri said.

    What is driving the reduction in beef production in the U.S.?

    “Incentivized by high cattle prices and high input costs, many ranchers reduced their breeding herds — both by culling older cows and by selling heifers that otherwise could have been kept for breeding. The result is fewer calves coming through the pipeline,” Ortez said. “Because it takes about 18-24 months for a calf to reach slaughter weight, production is relatively unresponsive to price signals in the short run. Even though beef prices are high, it takes time for producers to rebuild the herd and bring more beef into the market. This is a classic feature of food production, crops take time to grow, livestock does too.”

    “Incentives also matter,” Ortez said. “With cattle prices at record highs, ranchers often prefer to capitalize on today’s market rather than wait years for future returns. In economics we say a dollar today is worth more than a dollar tomorrow — and that mindset reinforces the short-term liquidation of cattle rather than long-term herd expansion.”

    To what degree are tariffs playing a role in pricing consumers see right now?

    “The primary factor driving record-high beef prices is a severe supply shortage — by some metrics, the U.S. cattle herd is at its smallest level since 1951 — because of multiyear droughts that increased feed costs, so ranchers are selling cattle rather than breed them,” Bieri said. “Tariffs are adding to this supply pressure, above all the 50 percent tariff on Brazilian imports since Aug. 1, affecting Brazil’s roughly one quarter share of all U.S. beef imports.”

    What would it take to see beef prices return to more affordable levels?

    “On the demand side, beef demand has been remarkably resilient,” Ortez said. “Despite higher retail prices, consumers continue to value beef strongly in their diets. When you put constrained supply together with steady demand, you get the record beef prices we’re seeing today.

    “Prices will only ease once the national herd begins to rebuild. That process starts when producers stop liquidating cows and begin retaining more heifers for breeding. But those heifers won’t calve for two years, and the resulting calf will take another 18 months to reach market weight. That means it could be several years before supplies increase enough to meaningfully pressure prices downward,” he said.

    About Ortez
    Mario Ortez Amador is a collegiate assistant professor of agribusiness and entrepreneurship in the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics. He was recently named the James A. and Renae C. Pearson Collegiate Faculty Fellow by the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors. Read his full bio here.

    About Bieri
    David Bieri is an associate professor in the School of Public and International Affairs and an associate professor of economics. He also holds an appointment in the Global Forum on Urban and Regional Resilience. View Bieri’s full bio.

  • Valley Farmer Alexandra Duarte Launches Campaign for State Senate

    Conservative Republican, farmer, and mother of four, Alexandra Duarte officially announced today that she is running for California’s 4th State Senate District.

    Alexandra and her husband, John, built their life on their family farm in Modesto, where they grow almonds and walnuts. Alexandra lives by the values of faith, hard work, and patriotism, which she and John always taught to their children. As a farmer, Alexandra knows firsthand the long days and tough work that make our way of life possible.

    “Newsom’s socialist Democrats are destroying California, and I’m ready to fight back,” said Duarte. “It’s time the 4th District had a Senator who will stand up for true conservative principles—defending our families, protecting our God-given freedoms, and ensuring Sacramento works for us, not against us. I will be that Senator.”

    Alexandra is unapologetically pro-gun, pro-family, and pro-freedom. In the State Senate, she will fight to secure the border, defend the rights of parents and our children, and stop radical environmental policies that have left California’s forests to burn and water inaccessible.

    Unlike career politicians, Alexandra Duarte is a farmer, a mom, and a conservative who believes in faith, family, and freedom. She is running for State Senate to fight for hardworking families, expose radical Sacramento democrats, and Make California Great Again.

    Conservative. Farmer. Mom. Alexandra Duarte for State Senate.

    To learn more about Alexandra Duarte, visit AlexandraForSenate.com.