Food And Farm News
June 17, 2026
Labor expenses push farmers to automate
Rising farm labor costs in recent years, combined with depressed crop prices, have pushed California farmers to seek labor-saving technology in an effort to remain financially viable, according to farmers and industry leaders. During the past decade, multiple state laws increased farm labor costs. Since 2016, the state’s minimum wage increased 40%, rising faster than inflation and farm revenue. Meanwhile, California phased in an agricultural overtime law, entitling farmworkers to overtime benefits when they work more than eight hours a day or 40 hours a week. Josh Puckett, vice president of operations at Sierra Gold Nurseries in Yuba City, said the rising costs threatened the tree nursery’s profitability. To adapt, the company invested in new technologies to reduce manual labor and make its operation more efficient. This month, where a potting line of 12 people once worked, a robot transplanted rootstock into pots of soil. In place of utility vehicles, autonomous shuttles ferried plants around the 65-acre facility. “We’ve implemented a lot more automation,” Puckett said.
Policymakers, agricultural leaders gather to discuss key issues
Labor shortages, rising costs and water access emerged as key concerns for California farmers during discussions at the 2026 Agri-Pulse Food & Ag Issues Summit. The annual conference, held earlier this month in Sacramento, brought together policymakers and agricultural leaders. Dan Sumner, an agricultural economist at the University of California, Davis, said changes affecting immigrant laborers have caused uncertainty for some farmers, with the threat of immigration raids worrying farmers and workers. “There’s a bunch of fear out there, and I don’t think it would take more than an incident or two to make real chaos for hired farm labor,” Sumner said. “We really will see incredible stress on all of agriculture and, of course, the families involved.”
Counties struggle with new abandoned orchard law
A coalition of agriculture advocates that successfully pushed for stronger enforcement against abandoned orchards and vineyards last year is now frustrated that the law they championed—Assembly Bill 732—has yet to be enforced. The bill by Assemblymember Alexandra Macedo, R-Tulare, allows county agricultural commissioners to assess fines of up to $1,000 per acre for properties deemed a public nuisance. Agricultural commissioners say the bill gives them a tool with which to warn landowners whose neglected properties harbor pests and diseases that can affect neighboring farms. But so far, the legislation has had little impact on mismanaged orchards, said Roger Isom, president and CEO of the Western Tree Nut Association. “We thought it would make things happen, but unfortunately, it hasn’t moved the needle at all,” Isom said.
Water uniformity tool helps farmers identify savings
A recently launched online computer program not only helps producers determine whether irrigation systems are applying water uniformly but can also estimate the cost of wasted energy, water and fertilizer. Dubbed the Distribution Uniformity and Return-on-Investment Estimator, the free program identifies areas of an irrigation system needing maintenance, repairs or upgrades to improve distribution uniformity. It also translates the distribution uniformity score into an estimated financial return on investment based on estimated water, energy and fertilizer savings as well as estimated potential yield improvements. Statewide, the impacts could be huge, according to irrigation experts Jim Anshutz and Inge Bisconer, who created the tool. California has more than 4 million acres irrigated with low-flow microsprinkler and drip irrigation. Of those, about 3.4 million acres have not been tested.
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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