Karen Ross Talks Water, Regulation, and Prop 50 Silence on AgNet News Hour

The October 13 edition of the AgNet News Hour delivered one of the most important interviews of the season as hosts Nick Papagni and Josh McGill sat down with California Agriculture Secretary Karen Ross. The discussion, recorded at Reedley College, covered water storage, regulation, labor, and the growing tension between Sacramento and Central Valley agriculture.

Ross acknowledged that California farmers are facing unprecedented “headwinds,” citing low prices, labor shortages, immigration struggles, and rising regulatory costs. She compared current conditions to the hardships of the 1980s farm crisis, adding that today’s mix of climate uncertainty and government regulation has made farming even more difficult. Still, she emphasized that the future can be bright if farmers and policymakers work together on education, technology, and efficiency.

Ross praised programs like the new competency-based certificate programs at community colleges such as Reedley, which train farmworkers for jobs in automation and ag tech. She said those initiatives are key to keeping workers employed as agriculture transitions toward more technology-driven production. “We want to make sure we leave no one behind in making those transitions,” Ross said.

On water, Ross pointed to both new and long-delayed storage projects. She cited Sites Reservoir as “this close” to construction, calling it one of the largest new water storage projects in California history. However, she also admitted that years of environmental reviews and permitting have slowed progress. “We know flooding is going to be more prevalent,” she said. “So, we have to be prepared for drought and flooding at the same time.”

But it was Ross’s silence on Proposition 50 that drew the biggest reaction from hosts and listeners alike. When Papagni asked whether she supports or opposes the controversial measure, Ross declined to take a position, saying only, “I’m not going to weigh in on that.” McGill and Papagni later noted that as an appointee who serves at the governor’s pleasure, Ross may not be free to speak candidly about Prop 50 — a measure that critics say would erase rural representation and hand political control to urban centers.

The hosts closed the show by contrasting Ross’s cautious answers with farmers’ growing frustration. “You can’t support Prop 50 and support agriculture at the same time,” McGill said.

The episode ended with a call for leadership, accountability, and faster water infrastructure action. As Papagni put it, “Water leads to life. Without it, we have nothing in the Central Valley — and it’s time Sacramento remembered that.”