Food And Farm News
10-22-2025
Food and Farm News
Farmworkers set fear aside to pick California bounty
Going into the year, farmers warned that the Trump administration's mass deportation agenda could leave crops rotting in the field. Nowhere was there more at risk than in California, which relies on more than half a million farmworkers-many of them undocumented-to harvest much of the nation's fruits, nuts and vegetables. High-profile raids in Kern and Ventura counties earlier this year briefly disrupted farm operations, but farmers, workers and researchers said farmworkers largely showed up and harvested this year's crops. Daniel Hartwig, president of the California Fresh Fruit Association, said that while immigration enforcement remained a concern and a real threat to food production, he was not aware of any crops perishing this year due to a lack of labor. In terms of production, Hartwig said, "we haven't seen a significant impact."
Pumpkin patches fill agritourism niche
With Halloween season in full swing, Californians are once again headed to pumpkin patches-not just to pick pumpkins but to also experience a variety of seasonal activities that local farms provide. California farms continue to embrace agritourism to diversify their income and engage with consumers. "Overall, I've seen increasing interest from farmers in offering agritourism, not specifically pumpkin patches but all types of opportunities for the public to come onto the farm," said Rachael Callahan, University of California statewide agritourism coordinator. San Joaquin County farmer James Chinchiolo has run a U-pick cherry orchard since 2019. This year, he expanded his agritourism offerings with a pumpkin patch, corn maze and farm tours. "I'm very happy with the experiences that we've created for people," he said. "In my judgment, those people are going to go back and communicate how much joy they had, and this will only grow."
Food trends boost pistachio market as production rises
Pistachio harvest is wrapping up this month, and California growers expect a potential record crop that surpasses their 1.5-billion-pound production in 2023. From 2018 to 2022, the Central Valley saw a boom in new pistachio orchards. As the wave of recent plantings begins coming into production, growers say they hope the global market can absorb more of the state's pistachios. The sector has seen strong demand, helped in part by the use of pistachios as a confectionary ingredient. This year, global supplies of pistachio kernels reportedly ran short after Dubai chocolate, which contains a pistachio-tahini paste filling, became a viral trend on TikTok. "That high demand is there, and it seems like it's there to stay," said Ali Amin, owner of the Los Angeles-based export company Primex International Trading. "It's not a fad."
AgTEC program equips farmworkers for the future
Launched in 2024, Merced College's AgTEC program was designed to teach farmworkers foundational skills they need to perform high-tech jobs in the agriculture sector. "Agriculture and the ag tech industry is evolving," Cody Jacobsen, dean of agriculture and industrial technology at Merced College, told Ag Alert® in an interview. "We wanted to train the boots-on-the-ground laborers, the folks who are harvesting our fruits and vegetables, so that they can be competitive for these careers and not get displaced out of jobs." The program, which is part of the F3 Initiative, is offered at seven community colleges in California. It is the state's first competency-based agriculture program, which means that instead of enrolling for a 15-week semester and earning a letter grade, students complete the course on their own time and earn a certificate by demonstrating mastery of the skills taught in the program.
A Service of the California Farm Bureau
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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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