AgNet News Hour: California Farm Bureau President Shannon Douglass on Policy, People, and the Future of Agriculture

The AgNet News Hour features a wide-ranging conversation with Shannon Douglass, President of the California Farm Bureau, focusing on the policies, people, and priorities shaping the future of California agriculture. Hosts Nick Papagni and Lorrie Boyer discuss the Farm Bureau’s role in representing more than 400 commodities while advocating for growers of all sizes across the state.

Douglass reflects on the 107th California Farm Bureau Annual Meeting in Anaheim, highlighting strong member engagement, youth participation, philanthropy, and recognition of long-serving leaders. She emphasizes that agriculture today goes far beyond traditional farming, offering careers in technology, science, innovation, and advocacy—making the industry accessible to first-generation farmers and young professionals.

Key policy topics include food affordability, land-use protection, rising input costs, workforce and immigration reform, and the urgent push to modernize regulations to allow autonomous farm equipment in California. Douglass points out the contradiction of permitting driverless cars on public roads while banning autonomous tractors in farm fields, noting growing bipartisan momentum for change.