Food And Farm News
October 21, 2026
Ag program aims to upskill farmworkers
A program launched two years ago in California aims to teach farmworkers new skills. The Agricultural Technology and Education Collaborative, or AgTEC, program is offered at six colleges in the Central Valley. So far, the program has seen more than 800 enrolled students and about 150 graduates spread across the participating colleges. The program, launched in late 2024, aims to equip students with the knowledge and skills needed to thrive amid agriculture's evolving technologies and needs. While it's open to students of all backgrounds, it's particularly oriented towards farmworkers interested in expanding their agricultural skills. Karen Aceves, AgTEC's regional director, said the program can help fill a need in the changing world of agriculture while retaining workers already in the industry. "We don't know where our industry is going," Aceves said. "We need someone who's adaptable and can adapt to those changes."
Immigration raids slow farm work in the Central Valley
A surge in immigration enforcement in the Central Valley during the past two weeks stalled agricultural work in parts of the nation's top farming region as some workers were detained and others stayed home. "We are certainly seeing a dramatic uptick in activity over the last week or so," Heather Riden, program director at the Western Center for Agricultural Health and Safety, said last week. "The level of stress in many of our agricultural communities is really high." Kevin Herman, owner of Madera-based The Specialty Crop Co., said the raids were causing about half of the roughly 100 workers hired to harvest figs in his orchards to miss work for more than a week. As a result, the farm was unable to ship its full volume of fresh-market figs to retailers it supplies across North America. Farmers said a prolonged operation, as has been reported to be taking place in the state through next month, could significantly disrupt food production.
Growers harvest short pistachio crop as costs mount
A March heat wave and the natural tendency of pistachio trees to alternate-bear combined for a perfect storm that may reduce the 2026 harvest to less than half the record 2025 crop. While the market has responded with higher grower prices, they may not make up for the short crop, said Jeff Nichols, vice president of supply chain and grower relations with Nichols Farms in Hanford. "It's a challenge for the industry overall because the crop is half of what was expected, but the (grower) price isn't going to double," he said. "Overall, the crop revenue to the grower is going to decrease." In January, pistachio industry members estimated a 1.2-billion-pound crop because 2026 is an "off" year in the trees' alternate-bearing production cycle. With harvest nearly finished, the crop appears to be about 655 million pounds. During 2025's "on" year, growers harvested a record 1.57 billion pounds.
Survey finds high diesel prices threaten farm viability
High diesel prices continue to squeeze California farmers' profit margins, adding to financial stress and forcing some to scale back field work, delay equipment maintenance and postpone purchases, according to a new California Farm Bureau survey. More than half of respondents said current diesel prices threaten the long-term viability of their farms, while 57.6% said savings from being able to use red-dyed diesel on public roads would help keep their operations financially viable. The issue has gained urgency following an Oct. 5 executive order by President Trump to temporarily allow red-dyed diesel to be used on public highways and defer the 24.4-cent-per-gallon federal diesel excise tax on that fuel through Dec. 31. However, state law still prohibits dyed diesel on public roads, preventing California farmers and ranchers from fully benefiting from Trump's order.
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.
.svg.png?cacheid=0.9616018850896426)
