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Democratic leaders are pushing for House passage of President Joe Biden’s package of social and climate spending priorities this week, while the Senate is set to debate an Agriculture Department nominee who will be key to carrying out the administration's climate policy.

Lawmakers dove into the issues surrounding a port crisis that has bumped agricultural exports to the end of the line for shipping priorities.

Ag commissioners and farm groups are pushing for a science-based approach as the state launches a public notification system for pesticide applications.

Leading entrepreneurs and ag innovators squared off at the Western Growers/S2G Ventures' AgSharks competition this week, vying for $250,000 in seed funding.

Concerns about the proposed groundwater sustainability plan for a basin that includes parts of Kern, Inyo and San Bernardino counties prompted a request for adjudication that is scheduled for a court meeting on Nov. 19, which is also the deadline for anyone claiming groundwater rights to join the lawsuit.

Albert Keck II has been tapped to serve as chairman of Western Growers Board of Directors and Allied Grape Growers has named Kyle Collins as its manager of North Valley operations.

CDFA Secretary Karen Ross is the latest state official to dive into discussions at the UN Climate Conference.

The Biden administration expects to start distributing the first dollars from the new, bipartisan infrastructure bill in the first half of 2022, but it is likely to take significantly longer for farmers and rural Americans to see some of the long-sought spending.

The rainy season is kicking off with enough moisture to ease some Californians’ water worries, but the long-term outlook for agriculture remains one that calls upon farmers to maximize “crop per drop.” In the case of almonds, one of the state’s most profitable crops, it could take decades to transition from existing trees to others that can achieve similar yields with less water.

The Natural Resources Conservation Service has unveiled a new computer application that harnesses the power of artificial intelligence to forecast and support better water management practices in the West.