The Ag Executive is the podcast where agriculture meets leadership. Join us as we sit down with CEOs and top executives from across the agriculture industry to uncover insights, strategies, and stories that are shaping the future of farming, agribusiness, and beyond.
Reid Robinson, CEO of Sierra Gold Nursery, joins Jason Scott to discuss leading through agricultural market cycles, making long-term capital decisions in permanent crops and building a culture rooted in quality and consistency. He shares insights on managing volatility, investing in high-value crops, maintaining customer trust and positioning ag businesses for steady, sustainable growth.
Jason Scott sits down with Robert Verloop at the 2026 California Walnut Conference to discuss global market shifts, domestic demand opportunities, rising production costs, and strategies to strengthen the long-term stability of California’s walnut industry.
World Ag Expo Chairman Ron Clark discusses the Expo’s innovation, global reach, regulatory challenges, and its role in advancing California agriculture through technology, education, and international collaboration in Tulare County.
Jason Scott sits down with Zach Frazier, President and CEO of American Pistachio Growers, and discusses industry growth, global marketing strategy, and tackling water, regulatory, and cost challenges facing growers.
Jay Visser sits down with Steve Vasquez, head of the California Pistachio Research Board, for a look at the 2026 season and what could still shape the crop. They cover water conditions, decision tools like the Pistachio Weather Station Network, and where research is focused to help growers.
Rich Kreps shares a pistachio season outlook, market context, and actionable agronomy tips to boost yields, quality, and profitability today.
Cliff Beumel, CEO and president of Agromillora, joins Jason Scott to share what he sees from the front end of California’s value chain. He explains why today’s challenges go beyond a single bottleneck, driven instead by higher interest rates, tighter margins, trade uncertainty and global competition. Beumel discusses the shift toward risk mitigation, how diversification is shaping nursery demand, the cost of delaying replant decisions, and why olives offer a lower-input, domestic-market hedge in a volatile ag economy.
Jason Scott sits down with the JCS editorial team to reflect on the biggest ag themes of 2025 and what’s ahead for 2026. Kristin Platts, Cecilia Parsons and Jay Visser share insights from the field, including efficiency trends, technology adoption and changing grower priorities. They also preview the coverage and conversations shaping West Coast Nut and Progressive Crop Consultant magazines in the coming year.
Jason Scott sits down with Todd Sanders, executive director at California Apple Commission, California Blueberry Commission, California Wild Rice Advisory Board, California Olive Committee and more, to discuss how he fell into agriculture and the everyday fight in Sacramento/DC. Sanders urges retailers to back locally grown produce and spotlights research partnerships that keep California competitive.
Nichols Farms VP of Farming and HotSpot AG CEO James Nichols shares his grower-to-AgTech journey and a water-first playbook built on ET scheduling, automated irrigation and continuous fertigation. He breaks down SGMA compliance, evolving pest pressures in pistachios and what’s next in nutrient dosing and crop protection.