Food And Farm News
11-12-2025
Farmers plant less cotton in face of stagnant market
With cotton prices around the world continuing to stagnate, California growers planted fewer acres this year than almost any time in the past century. "Upland cotton is at 85 to 90 cents a pound right now. That's the same darn price as when I started 30 years ago," said Roger Isom, CEO of the California Cotton Ginners and Growers Association. "It's tough out there for our farmers." California farmers planted 91,000 acres of pima cotton and 15,968 acres of upland cotton this year-a 38% drop in pima but a 30% increase in upland from 2024, the CCGGA reported. Overall, cotton acreage declined 33%. Kings County continued to lead in plantings, with 47,753 of the state's 106,968 acres. "Quality is great, but the demand is down," Merced County farmer Jeff Mancebo said.
Natural wine trend revives old-fashioned methods
A cadre of California grape growers and winemakers crafts wine as it was made hundreds if not thousands of years ago. No filtering, no fining, no additives. Just grapes, wild yeast, a barrel and time. Darek Trowbridge of Old World Winery in Sonoma County farms biodynamically-an organic practice that treats the vineyard as a living system. To make his natural wines, Trowbridge uses a practice called head training, which allows vines to grow freely from the trunk without a trellis. He also mows rather than tills the soil and spreads composted mulch of his own design at the base of the vines to conserve water, boost nutrients and increase yield. "This is a beautiful way to grow a vine on its own," he said. "Just let it be. Let it do its thing, organically. And it works."
California aquaculture producers prepare for holiday season
California aquaculture producers are getting ready for a busy holiday season, when demand typically rises for freshwater fish and seafood. "Aquaculture producers across California are consistently supplying high-quality seafood and recreational fish. This is especially true during the busy holiday season, as many growers provide products for special occasions and family gatherings," Butte County aquaculture producer and consultant Tony Vaught told Ag Alert® in a field report. The state produces a diverse range of freshwater fish, including tilapia, channel catfish, trout and steelhead, as well as saltwater fish, oysters, clams and mussels. California also produces most of the nation's caviar from sturgeon farms. "Demand for these products remains strong due to reduced wild catches and increasing global seafood consumption," Vaught said.
Study finds California surface water costs triple during drought
Recent droughts in California pushed the cost of surface water for farmers and other users up by $487 per acre-foot, according to a new study by researchers at the University of California, Davis. That's more than triple the cost of water during an average year. "During dry years we have really high surface water prices, and during wet years we have really low water prices," said lead author Madeline Turland, a former UC Davis graduate student who is now an assistant professor of resource economics at the University of Alberta. The researchers found that greater use of California's aquifers to store surface water during wet years could help stabilize water prices in years of drought and in turn benefit farms and the state's economy. "This study shows why coordinating both sources matters-it can lower costs now and help communities and farmers better weather future climate swings," Turland said.
For more information about any story in Food and Farm News, contact the California Farm Bureau Marketing/Communications Division at 916-561-5550 or email news@cfbf.com. Connect with us on Facebook, X, or Instagram: @CAFarmBureau.
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