Farm Bureau Friday brings you conversations at the heart of agriculture. Each week, members of our team sit down with voices from across the Farm Bureau community—leaders, advocates, educators, and changemakers—to talk about the issues, innovations, and stories shaping ag today and tomorrow.
In this episode of Farm Bureau Friday, Kristin Platts and Anna Genasci talk with Dr. Eliza Lockwood, Medical Affairs Lead at Bayer's Crop Science Division, about the role pesticides play in public health and modern food security. Lockwood shares how her path from emergency medicine to toxicology shaped her perspective and breaks down the scientific rigor behind today’s crop protection tools. The conversation explores misinformation, glyphosate safety, and why sound agricultural policy matters for both growers and consumers.
Stanislaus County Farm Bureau’s Anna Genasci and JCS Marketing’s Kristin Platts sit down with California Farm Bureau President Shannon Douglass to discuss the organization’s key challenges and achievements in 2025 and what they mean for California agriculture. Douglass highlights how Farm Bureau is addressing regulatory pressures, strengthening advocacy for growers and expanding its support for growers and ranchers statewide.
Stanislaus County Farm Bureau’s Anna Genasci and JCS Marketing’s Kristin Platts sit down with Troy Gravatt, dean of agriculture, environmental sciences and technical education at Modesto Junior College, to discuss how the college's agriculture program continues to build a strong pipeline of skilled, career-ready students entering California’s ag workforce. The conversation also looks ahead to future plans for the School of Agriculture and how the college is adapting to meet the industry’s evolving needs.
Stanislaus County Farm Bureau’s Anna Genasci and JCS Marketing’s Kristin Platts sit down with Linda Pinfold, Stanislaus County agricultural commissioner, to discuss the 2024 Crop Report. They cover the top 10 commodities, resilience of the dairy industry, impact of avian influenza and importance of public awareness around local agriculture.
Stanislaus County Farm Bureau’s Anna Genasci and JCS Marketing’s Kristin Platts sit down with California Farm Bureau Director of Policy Advocacy Steven Fenaroli to discuss the recent win that protected ranchers’ ability to manage coyotes in California. Fenaroli explains the proposed restrictions, how grassroots efforts turned the tide and why vigilance will be key as predator management debates continue.
Stanislaus County Farm Bureau’s Anna Genasci and JCS Marketing’s Kristin Platts sit down with UCCE Farm Advisor Franz Niederholzer, who shares the rich history and continual impact of Nickels Soil Lab in Arbuckle. Niederholzer explains how decades of research at the lab have shaped California agriculture and why outside support is still critical to sustain long-term trials, drive innovation and ensure the next generation of growers continues to benefit from this unique field-based research facility.
Learn how you can support the Nickels Soil Lab: https://myaglife.com/fundraiser/
Donations by check can be made to: Nickels Trust P.O. Box 246 Colusa CA, 95932
Stanislaus County Farm Bureau’s Anna Genasci and JCS Marketing’s Kristin Platts sit down with ag journalist Amy Wu, who shares how her platform, From Farms to Incubators, is documenting the overlooked stories of women in ag tech, and how a recently established UC Merced program is mentoring the next generation of ag communicators while reshaping how innovation is told in modern farming.
Stanislaus County Farm Bureau’s Anna Genasci and JCS Marketing’s Kristin Platts sit down with Detectives Robert Domingos and Kyle Gomes from the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Rural Crimes Division to discuss the current landscape of rural crime, how law enforcement agencies collaborate across county lines and practical steps growers and ranchers can take to protect their property and operations.
Stanislaus County Farm Bureau's Anna Genasci and JCS Marketing's Kristin Platts sit down with Dusty Ference, executive director of the Kings County Farm Bureau, to discuss their ongoing lawsuit against the State Water Resources Control Board. The legal challenge aims to prevent the Tulare Lake Subbasin from being placed on probation, a move that has already helped block costly state intervention and saved growers millions.
Stanislaus County Farm Bureau's Anna Genasci and JCS Marketing's Kristin Platts sit down with Norm Groot, executive director of the Monterey County Farm Bureau, to discuss a recent Cal Poly study they commissioned to examine the true cost of regulatory compliance for California growers. Groot breaks down key findings from the report, putting real numbers behind the growing burden of compliance in the ag industry.