Both houses of the Legislature on Thursday approved resolutions honoring California Ag Day. The ag chairs will present the resolutions to CDFA Secretary Karen Ross on Tuesday at the Capitol’s Ag Day festivities.
Senate Ag Chair Melissa Hurtado encouraged her colleagues to come out and “learn about agtech, check out the animals, see John Deere’s latest and greatest tractors, and pick up some flowers.” Assemblymember Esmeralda Soria of Fresno, a fellow moderate and the incoming Assembly ag chair, praised the industry for leading the way in robust production and strong environmental protections, and called for more support and resources from Sacramento to maintain that progress.
Ag Day also marks the annual Republican lambasting of their counterparts for enacting tough-on-ag policies.
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“I love to get up and talk about agriculture in California,” said Senator Brian Dahle of Bieber. “Agriculture in California is a tough business.”
He pointed out that one of the state’s biggest almond companies filed for bankruptcy last month. He shared similar concerns as farm groups that aggressive regulations and skyrocketing energy costs have led to fewer family farms and more investment firms buying up farmland.
“Food grows where water flows,” added Sen. Shannon Grove of Bakersfield, who labeled farmers as conservationists when it comes to water use.
