Environment
Commentary
Lessening California’s Energy Regulations Will Help Consumers
Gas costs too much in the Golden State. Addressing this unaffordable energy problem should be a top priority for state legislators and the governor. California has taken a step backward toward this goal, however; but may be primed to take a step forward too. Read the op-ed here.
Wayne H Winegarden
July 2, 2025
Commentary
California gasoline prices on the rise — yet again
Three days before celebrating Independence Day, drivers will take another hit at the gas pump on what has become an annual ritual in California. On July 1, motor fuel taxes will edge up, just as they have on this date for a number of years. The current state excise tax ...
Kerry Jackson
June 30, 2025
Agriculture
Context matters when considering immigration enforcement
According to most recent data, 44 percent of farmworkers in the U.S. are undocumented. However, it is hard to know with certainty how accurate that percentage is with some estimates hovering around 50 percent and others as high as 75 percent. The U.S. National Agricultural Worker Survey (NAWS) breaks down ...
Pam Lewison
June 25, 2025
Agriculture
Mental Health is Important for Food Security
Brian Brett is credited with writing, “Farming is a profession of hope.” It is one of my favorite reminders about the life I pursue. My bio notes I am a fourth-generation farmer in Eastern Washington who works in public policy advocating for farmers and ranchers. It is a balancing act ...
Pam Lewison
June 21, 2025
Agriculture
Empathy for ag could save lives
American farmers and ranchers are 3.5 times more likely to die by suicide than the general population. The stressors for farmers and ranchers are difficult for many in the general population to understand because many of them are difficult to quantify. However, they are not impossible to empathize with when ...
Pam Lewison
June 14, 2025
California
Read the latest about CA's government green mandates
Newsom’s ‘California way’ would take away your gas-powered car
Newsom has joined a new coalition with other states to spread the “California Way” across the Sierras. Like Newsom, the other governors in this group want to take away your choice to drive a more affordable gas-powered ride, force you to drive a much more expensive electric vehicle, and outlaw ...
Kerry Jackson and Tim Anaya
June 13, 2025
Agriculture
Bankruptcies in farm country put strain on mental health
Financial stress on farms is often cited as the single biggest stressor for farmers and their families. The 2024 data shows farm bankruptcies are up 55 percent from 2023, a trend that should ring alarm bells not just for lenders. When a farm owner files Chapter 12 bankruptcy, it is ...
Pam Lewison
June 7, 2025
Agriculture
Women farmers experience farm stress differently
A little more than a third of farms in the U.S. are owned and operated by women. Recent research from the University of Georgia suggests women in ag experience the difficulties of farming and ranching differently than their male counterparts. The research further suggests additional efforts should be made to ...
Pam Lewison
May 26, 2025
Agriculture
Beef still superior to ‘Meatless Mondays,’ according to data
Research suggests Americans are paying closer attention to what they eat resulting in a slightly healthier population but climate change has not slowed in the last two decades. What has improved since the inception of Meatless Mondays is efficiency in cattle nutrition, water use, land management, and overall footprint in ...
Pam Lewison
May 25, 2025
Agriculture
Cattle can be a first line of fire defense
Research tells us cattle removed an estimated 11.6 billion pounds of fine fuels from California rangelands in 2017. Removal of fine fuels – grasses, shrubs, weeds – changes wildfire behaviors by keeping fires smaller and reducing flame length. As fire seasons continue to be a challenge for the state and ...
Pam Lewison
May 24, 2025
Lessening California’s Energy Regulations Will Help Consumers
Gas costs too much in the Golden State. Addressing this unaffordable energy problem should be a top priority for state legislators and the governor. California has taken a step backward toward this goal, however; but may be primed to take a step forward too. Read the op-ed here.
California gasoline prices on the rise — yet again
Three days before celebrating Independence Day, drivers will take another hit at the gas pump on what has become an annual ritual in California. On July 1, motor fuel taxes will edge up, just as they have on this date for a number of years. The current state excise tax ...
Context matters when considering immigration enforcement
According to most recent data, 44 percent of farmworkers in the U.S. are undocumented. However, it is hard to know with certainty how accurate that percentage is with some estimates hovering around 50 percent and others as high as 75 percent. The U.S. National Agricultural Worker Survey (NAWS) breaks down ...
Mental Health is Important for Food Security
Brian Brett is credited with writing, “Farming is a profession of hope.” It is one of my favorite reminders about the life I pursue. My bio notes I am a fourth-generation farmer in Eastern Washington who works in public policy advocating for farmers and ranchers. It is a balancing act ...
Empathy for ag could save lives
American farmers and ranchers are 3.5 times more likely to die by suicide than the general population. The stressors for farmers and ranchers are difficult for many in the general population to understand because many of them are difficult to quantify. However, they are not impossible to empathize with when ...
Read the latest about CA's government green mandates
Newsom’s ‘California way’ would take away your gas-powered car
Newsom has joined a new coalition with other states to spread the “California Way” across the Sierras. Like Newsom, the other governors in this group want to take away your choice to drive a more affordable gas-powered ride, force you to drive a much more expensive electric vehicle, and outlaw ...
Bankruptcies in farm country put strain on mental health
Financial stress on farms is often cited as the single biggest stressor for farmers and their families. The 2024 data shows farm bankruptcies are up 55 percent from 2023, a trend that should ring alarm bells not just for lenders. When a farm owner files Chapter 12 bankruptcy, it is ...
Women farmers experience farm stress differently
A little more than a third of farms in the U.S. are owned and operated by women. Recent research from the University of Georgia suggests women in ag experience the difficulties of farming and ranching differently than their male counterparts. The research further suggests additional efforts should be made to ...
Beef still superior to ‘Meatless Mondays,’ according to data
Research suggests Americans are paying closer attention to what they eat resulting in a slightly healthier population but climate change has not slowed in the last two decades. What has improved since the inception of Meatless Mondays is efficiency in cattle nutrition, water use, land management, and overall footprint in ...
Cattle can be a first line of fire defense
Research tells us cattle removed an estimated 11.6 billion pounds of fine fuels from California rangelands in 2017. Removal of fine fuels – grasses, shrubs, weeds – changes wildfire behaviors by keeping fires smaller and reducing flame length. As fire seasons continue to be a challenge for the state and ...