Pistachio harvest ended earlier than usual this year, but growers should not stop irrigating their orchards just yet. The early finish creates a longer post-harvest period before trees enter dormancy, making proper irrigation especially important.
Research by Daniele Zaccaria, Mae Culumber and Anderson Safre of the University of California Cooperative Extension indicates that pistachio trees continue using water after the nuts have been removed. Although harvest is complete, evapotranspiration—the loss of water from the soil and through the trees’ leaves—continues until the trees become dormant.
Because the post-harvest season will be longer this year, growers should continue monitoring their orchards’ water needs. Stopping irrigation too soon could place unnecessary stress on trees as they prepare for next season.
However, the researchers suggest growers may be able to conserve water through carefully timed deficit irrigation. This practice involves applying less water than the orchard would normally use during selected periods. When managed properly, deficit irrigation may reduce water use by about 20% with little to no effect on the following year’s harvest.
The key is timing. Growers should consider orchard conditions, soil moisture and the trees’ water needs before reducing irrigation. An early harvest does not mean water use has ended, and post-harvest management can play an important role in supporting the next crop.
Friant Water Authority (FWA) announced the appointment of Johnny Amaral as its new Chief Executive Officer, following years of service and leadership within the organization.
Amaral joined Friant Water Authority in March 2019 as Chief of External Affairs and was appointed Chief Operating Officer in early 2022. In these roles, he has overseen FWA personnel and day-to-day operations, while leading FWA’s engagement on water supply reliability, water policy, legislative advocacy, and communications. As Chief Executive Officer, Amaral will focus on protecting the Friant water supply, safeguarding critical infrastructure such as the Friant-Kern Canal, strengthening trusted partnerships across the region, and leading FWA’s experienced and dedicated team.
“We welcome Johnny in his new role as he brings a strong understanding of Friant operations, water policy, and the needs of Valley farmers and communities,” said Rick Borges, Chairman of the Friant Water Authority Board of Directors.
During his time at FWA, Amaral has played a central role in advancing initiatives critical to the region’s water future. His work has included expanding opportunities for groundwater recharge for San Joaquin Valley farmers and leading the Friant-Kern Canal Capacity Correction Project as FWA’s staff lead on construction activities. In this role, Amaral has worked to secure funding and develop partnerships to support long-term repairs to this vital facility, helping protect both water deliveries and the communities that rely on them.
Amaral has also led FWA’s efforts to build and maintain strong working relationships with Groundwater Sustainability Agencies, community representatives, farm bureaus, commodity groups, advocacy organizations, and other water agencies, recognizing collaboration as essential to achieving long-term water sustainability in the San Joaquin Valley.
Prior to joining Friant Water Authority, Amaral served as Deputy General Manager for External Affairs at Westlands Water District for more than four years. He began his career in public service as Chief of Staff to Congressman Devin Nunes, where he worked on water and public policy matters for over 13 years.
A native of Tulare, Amaral lives in Exeter, California with his wife, Stephanie. They have two children: Taylor, a senior at Baylor University, and John Tomas, a sophomore at San Diego State University.
A landmark law – representing one of the most revolutionary changes to groundwater management in California history – was passed more than 10 years ago. But many farmers across the state still have not even heard of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, or SGMA.
Building on the relationships cultivated by the Small Farms Network of the UC Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program, a new team of educators will help small farmers understand the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act. Photo by Elena Zhukova
Jarin Tasnim Anika started as a SGMA technical assistance community educator for small farms with University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources earlier this year. She said that of the dozens of small-scale farmers she has spoken with, “an extremely small fraction” of them had heard of SGMA.
Photo Caption: Building on the relationships cultivated by the Small Farms Network of the UC Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program, a new team of educators will help small farmers understand the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act. Photo by Elena Zhukova
“I’ve been driving around Merced, Stanislaus and San Joaquin counties – the counties I cover – and for almost all of the small farmers, I can honestly say that I was the first person who has talked about SGMA with them,” Anika said.
GSAs are making progress toward this goal. They’re developing strategies to prevent overdraft of groundwater and are addressing a host of related problems for farmers, residents and the environment – from wells running dry to poor water quality to land subsidence.
But while GSAs are required by law to consider all “beneficial users” in the implementation of SGMA, many of them overlooked a major subset of groundwater users: small farmers. Nearly 80% of farms in California can be categorized as small-scale farms, by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s definition of small farm (a farm with annual gross cash farm income between $1,000 and $350,000).
In 2022, UC ANR and a coalition of partners published a report, “SGMA and Underrepresented Farmers,” that analyzed, through the lens of small farmers and socially disadvantaged farmers, the Groundwater Sustainability Plans developed by the agencies.
“We reviewed these 20-year plans to see if small-scale farmers are incorporated into that planning, and the results were alarming,” said Ngodoo Atume, one of the authors of the report. “We found that across all 14 plans we reviewed, none of those agencies were considering small-scale farmers.”
The result is that many small farmers (predominantly tenant farmers) with whom Atume has met are wholly unfamiliar with SGMA.
“We asked many questions: ‘Have you heard of SGMA? Have you heard of this groundwater regulation? Have you heard of the potential cutbacks? Has the landowner shown you any notice to attend a meeting?’” Atume said. “And we get ‘no’ across the board.”
Because the impacts and benefits of SGMA for small farmers are not addressed in those plans, the 2022 report recommended more focused engagement of those stakeholders. So this year, UC ANR hired a dedicated team to provide technical assistance, education, policy analysis and outreach for small farmers.
Atume serves as the statewide coordinator, and Anika is one of five regionally based SGMA educators for small farms, part of the UC Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program.
The others are Erik Rodriguez (Fresno and Madera counties), Luis Paniagua (Tulare and Kings counties) and Sonia Rios (Riverside and San Bernardino counties). Another educator is currently being recruited for Santa Clara, San Benito and Monterey counties.
The team of regional SGMA educators for small farms currently comprises (from top left) Erik Rodriguez, Jarin Tasnim Anika, Sonia Rios and Luis Paniagua.
Economists studied farmland parcels along the borders of neighboring GSAs, some with greater baseline overdraft (and ostensibly subject to more stringent SGMA restrictions) than others. Parcels near the administrative borders experience similar hydrological, climactic and agronomic conditions – the only difference being the expectation of greater future regulation.
The researchers then compared the differences in the planting of new perennial crops and the drilling of new wells between neighboring parcels of farmland, at a time before SGMA passed in 2014 and after SGMA, in 2020 and 2021.
“We found that SGMA had no statistically significant effect on the differences,” said Ellen Bruno, associate professor of Cooperative Extension in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics at UC Berkeley.
In other words, farmers didn’t seem to be altering their practices in the face of impending regulation. Bruno and co-author Nick Hagerty concluded it appears that, in SGMA’s early years, potential restrictions were perceived to be so far in the future that short-term considerations – like well-drilling in response to drought or planting due to favorable markets – were taking precedence.
“The implication of people continuing business as usual so far is that the groundwater will continue to be overdrafted,” Bruno added. “And, of course, the point of SGMA is to try to correct that and bring the basins into sustainability.”
She said that Atume’s community education team can help small farmers learn more about groundwater management and take appropriate action.
“There’s a lot of variation in what people know; big farmers have many more resources to plug into changing regulations,” Bruno said. “I think Ngodoo’s team could be really instrumental in helping everybody stay informed – both on how they’re going to be regulated and what they can do to respond to the regulation.”
SGMA education team sees uneven implementation across agencies
Management actions outlined in the Groundwater Sustainability Plans include groundwater allocations, taxes or fees based on users’ extraction, pumping restrictions, and efficiency incentives, among other policy instruments (see a database summarizing strategies in those plans).
And while the agencies have laid out their long-term plans and actions, implementation has been uneven and inconsistent.
“It’s a very small percentage of GSAs that are actually implementing actions right now that might impact the stakeholders,” Atume explained. “In that sense, SGMA is still at the very beginning stages, and so people are not worried about it.”
Nevertheless, the team wants to begin a step-by-step education process. Piggybacking on personal networks and events established by their UC ANR peers, the regional educators are finding opportunities to introduce themselves and build trust with local farmers. They are planning workshops for later this year.
Eventually, they want farmers to see them as people to contact if they have questions about groundwater.
“If you have any questions related to a random fee that you’re getting, or somebody came out and told you that you have to install this specific thing on your irrigation infrastructure, you can call me,” said Rodriguez, the educator for Fresno and Madera counties. “I’ll help you figure it out and explain it.”
Some farmers are already reaching out, such as a small farmer in Merced County who recently experienced quite a shock. According to Anika, the local GSA sent an invoice to the farmer with a penalty of $15,000 for overextraction of groundwater. She was referred to Anika, who explained that the notice was sent to make the farmer aware of her potential penalty.
Communication barriers a major challenge for small farmers
Beyond the task of distilling the complex, technical wording of SGMA into an easy-to-understand format, language barriers are another challenge.
For example, the majority of small farmers Anika has met with are Hmong, and she expressed gratitude for the linguistic help of staff research associate Vong Moua. Other members of the UC ANR Small Farms Network who speak non-English languages have helped with outreach to speakers of Spanish, Iu Mien, Punjabi and Cantonese.
A complicating factor is that GSAs will usually send flyers and mailings only to the owners of land – not the tenant farmers.
“Reaching tenant farmers is difficult because it requires very targeted outreach in their language to engage them,” Atume said. “Even for GSAs that have made a lot of progress with outreach, most times those materials still stop at the landowner, and then the responsibility then lies with the landowner to communicate that information to the small farmers.”
On their end, the community educators are also struggling with a dearth of information for crops grown by their clientele. According to Anika, Hmong farmers, for example, cultivate herbs, spices and seasonal vegetables under mixed cropping systems that have not been studied extensively by California academics, in terms of crop water use.
While growers of almonds have a lot of research-backed information about their crops’ water requirements, small-scale farmers often lack those resources.
“As a scientific team, we always try to give data-based recommendations, but at this point, I can only provide theory in our discussions – not data – so that’s another challenge I face all the time,” Anika explained. “I think people are trying their best to gather more information, but there’s just not a lot of research on these crops that are very culturally focused.”
Ngodoo Atume, SGMA technical assistance for small farms coordinator, said that the team is planning workshops to spread awareness of the historic groundwater law. Photo by Evett Kilmartin
SGMA educators cultivate partnerships with GSAs
Another key task for the SGMA education team is engaging with the Groundwater Sustainability Agencies themselves. The team members regularly attend agency meetings to share feedback and farmer perspectives.
“For some of these GSAs, there is – for the first time – someone consistently attending the meetings and providing small-farmer input on agenda items,” Atume explained. “That’s a huge part of the team’s work.”
Rodriguez, in Fresno and Madera counties, said he is first familiarizing himself with the GSAs (and their respective Groundwater Sustainability Plans) before reaching out to small farmers to explain the nuances of SGMA. He wants to know the details of those plans and the exact scope of his role – and then prepare the most relevant and accessible resources for when he approaches the growers.
“We’re finally at a point now where we’re starting to consult with different GSAs on how their work is conveyed in the outreach materials,” Rodriguez said. “We’re trying to make these materials GSA- or subbasin-specific, and we want their seal of approval and logo on it.”
One community educator said more research is needed on the water requirements of culturally significant crops for small farmers. Photo by Elena Zhukova
Building and strengthening relationships with the GSAs is a high priority for the SGMA team members, as they get a better sense of the unique political pressures, legal situations or local interests that each agency must navigate. Anika noted that some GSAs have been eager to learn more about the needs of small farmers, and Rodriguez has found that agencies in his area are receptive to hearing from the community.
“They are open – they do answer questions, they do schedule meetings,” he said.
As the team assists GSAs in communicating with under-engaged stakeholders, Atume believes small farmers can be incorporated more meaningfully in the implementation of SGMA. She hopes all groundwater users contribute to a future where water is available for communities, agriculture and ecological health.
“Personally, I think everyone should comply with SGMA; I don’t think some stakeholders should comply and others shouldn’t,” she said. “But at the same time, I do think that there should not be disproportionate impact on any particular group of stakeholders. Overall, we all need to move towards sustainability.”
The SGMA education team is supported by funds from the state Legislature through the California Department of Water Resources’ Underrepresented Communities, California Tribes and Small Farmers Groundwater Technical Assistance Program. — By Michael Hsu, UCANR
UC Agriculture and Natural Resources brings UC information and practices to all 58 California counties. Through research and Cooperative Extension in agriculture, natural resources, nutrition, economic and youth development, our mission is to improve the lives of all Californians. Learn more at ucanr.edu.
The California Agricultural Leadership Foundation (CALF) is proud to announce the selection of Class 55 of the California Agricultural Leadership Program (CALP), a distinguished group of emerging agricultural leaders who will engage in a 17-month intensive program designed to develop leadership skills and prepare them to lead in California’s dynamic agricultural industry.
The Ag Leadership Program selects individuals who demonstrate strong leadership potential and a deep commitment to advancing California agriculture. Over the course of the program, fellows participate in immersive experiences, including leadership seminars, national and international travel seminars, and hands-on projects that foster personal growth and drive industry impact.
“Class 55 will be challenged to broaden their perspectives, expand their influence, and lead with purpose. They embody the very essence of CALF’s mission, to grow leaders who make a difference. This cohort will carry forward a legacy of service-driven leadership that will help ensure California agriculture thrives for generations to come,” said CALF President and CEO Lesa Eidman (Class 49).
Class 55 represents a wide range of agricultural sectors, including field crops, forestry, rice, tree crops, winegrapes, berries and water and brings diverse perspectives through their work in associations, government, agricultural services, and production.
The California Agricultural Leadership Foundation has been cultivating leaders for over 55 years, with alumni contributing to policy development, industry advancement, and community engagement across the state and nation. The Class 55 cohort continues this tradition of leadership excellence.
Class 55 fellows’ inaugural ceremony will take place on October 3rd in Fresno, California. For more information about the Ag Leadership program or to learn more about the Class 55 Fellows, visit agleaders.org Tickets and additional event information are available at agleaders.org/events
Class 55 Fellows
Claire Aicken – County of San Diego AWM, Oceanside, CA
Jordan Albiani – Galt High School, Elk Grove, CA
Tommy Bottoms – Tremont Farms, Davis, CA
Morgan Campbell – Westside Water Authority, Bakersfield, CA
Sam Christopherson – Markon, Sacramento, CA
Natalie Collins – California Association of Winegrape Growers, Lodi, CA
Drew Crane – Crane Mills, Tehama, CA
Kelly Damewood – California Certified Organic Farmers, Santa Cruz, CA
Jared Davit – Jarran Ag Services, Yuba City, CA
Josh Enos – Carriere Family Farms, Glenn, CA
Lauren Fann – Almond Board of California, Modesto, CA
Omar Alexander Gonzalez-Benitez – Planasa LLC, Watsonville, CA
Lisa Howard – Tolenas Winery, Fairfield, CA
Casey Kirchhoff – Kirchhoff Family Wines, Clarksburg, CA
Kiaran Locy – California Prune Board, Sacramento, CA
Cesar Mendoza – BASF Corporation, Fresno, CA
Jordon Navarrot – Reclamation District 108, Grimes, CA
Jon Neugebauer – McArthur Farm Supply, McArthur, CA
Logan Robertson Huecker – Sequoia Riverlands Trust, Visalia, CA
Ryan Scott – Monterey Pacific, Templeton, CA
Emma Sertich – Center Safe Ag, Ventura, CA
Sadie Strain – Strain Farming Company, Arbuckle, CA
Kevin Voorhees – AgWest Farm Credit, San Luis Obispo, CA
Jeremy Wagner – County of San Mateo AWM, Redwood City, CA
About California Agricultural Leadership Foundation
The California Agricultural Leadership Foundation (CALF) is dedicated to cultivating leaders who have the vision and capacity to advance, benefit, and promote California’s agricultural community. Since its founding in 1970, more than 1,400 fellows of the California Agricultural Leadership Program have become lifelong leaders, serving as catalysts for a vibrant agricultural industry and making lasting contributions to their businesses, communities, and families. CALF delivers a comprehensive and diverse leadership curriculum in collaboration with its five partner universities: UC Davis, Cal Poly Pomona, Fresno State, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, and Chico State.
World Ag Expo offers a look into the latest in innovation and education through the return of the Top-10 New Products competition and seminar sessions. Exhibitors and industry experts can now apply to put their mark on the 2026 show.
The Top-10 New Products Competition at World Ag Expo provides a glimpse into cutting-edge technology and innovation. Open to exhibitors, the innovation contest showcases the latest in a competitive field of new products ranging from groundbreaking technology to simple solutions. Previous award winners have pointed to the Top-10 New Products Contest as a catalyst for success.
“Since winning the Top Ten New Product Award in 2025, we’ve leveraged that recognition to successfully promote our latest innovation—the Synergy Blower,” shared Seth Richmond, Director of Product at Flory Industries. “Our marketing team has capitalized on the momentum, driving strong industry interest and rapid adoption, both domestically and internationally. The Synergy Blower is now officially launched and in full production, with many new units already at work in this year’s almond harvest.”
The Top-10 New Products Competition information and application can be found at bit.ly/WAE26TOP-10. Applicants must be exhibitors at the 2026 World Ag Expo and products released anywhere in the world between February 9, 2025 and February 10, 2026 are eligible. The application deadline is October 31, 2025 and winners will be announced in December.
World Ag Expo also provides a platform for learning through educational seminars. Attendees can enjoy seminars, which are included with general show admission, featuring some of the most knowledgeable professionals in their respective sectors. Each year, tracks include Dairy & Livestock, Technology, Irrigation & Water, Demonstrations, and more.
Educational seminars are held in the Seminar Center on the southeast side of the grounds throughout all three days of the show. Experts, including exhibitors, universities, government agencies, and more, provide valuable insights, aiming to expand producer knowledge and practices.
More seminar information and the application is available at bit.ly/WAE26Seminar. The final seminar schedule and speaker information will be available online and in the official show app. The application deadline is October 31, 2025 and speakers will be notified in December.
World Ag Expo is the largest annual outdoor ag tradeshow in the world. In 2025, the show saw over 100,000 attendees from 49 states and 80 countries. More than 1,200 exhibitors on 2.6 million square feet of exhibit space make World Ag Expo a premium platform for networking, education, and business in one of the most productive ag counties in the United States.
International attendee ticket packages are on sale now. General admission and ag tour tickets go on sale October 1st. Attendees can purchase tickets and plan their visit at www.WorldAgExpo.com.
The International Agri-Center® is home to World Ag Expo®, February 10-12, 2026 in Tulare, California. An estimated annual average of 100,000 individuals from 60 countries attend World Ag Expo® each year. The largest annual agricultural show of its kind, World Ag Expo® hosts more than 1,200 exhibitors displaying cutting-edge agricultural technology and equipment on 2.6 million square feet of show space. Learn more at www.worldagexpo.com.
