Mark hosts growers for farm policy roundtable
The sun had barely crested the foothills when growers from across Contra Costa and Solano counties began filtering into the community hall, coffees in hand, ready to talk shop. By mid-morning the chairs were full and the conversation had already turned to the federal crop insurance programme, irrigation infrastructure, and the never-ending challenge of keeping family operations viable. Mark DeSaulnier, long known for rolling up his sleeves at these gatherings, sat at the front of the room with a stack of briefing notes and a genuinely open ear.
What followed was less a stump speech than a working session. Farmers described how shifting weather patterns are reshaping planting calendars, how labour shortages are squeezing harvest windows, and how international trade frictions are rippling back to the farm gate. Several attendees drew parallels with growers in the Murray-Darling basin who have wrestled for decades with competing demands from agriculture, environmental flows, and urban water needs — a comparison that resonated strongly with several California rice and almond producers in the room.
Water allocation and drought strategy
Water dominated the early exchanges. Several farmers described how allocations from state and federal projects have become less predictable, and how a single bad year can wipe out a generation of orchard investment. Mark spoke plainly about the need to modernise ageing canal systems and to fund on-farm efficiency upgrades, noting that many of the same debates playing out in the Sunraysia irrigation districts along the Murray river are mirrored here in the Sacramento Valley.
One almond producer pointed out that in his part of New South Wales colleagues talk about "making every drop count," a sentiment he said translates directly to how he manages his micro-sprinklers. Several growers pushed for expanded technical assistance through the Natural Resources Conservation Service, while others urged Mark to champion multi-year water banking pilots so that surplus wet-year flows can be stored for dry cycles rather than flushed out to sea.
Crop insurance and risk management
The discussion then shifted to safety nets. Producers of row crops, stone fruit, and wine grapes laid out how the current federal crop insurance framework often fails to capture the true value of their crops, particularly for specialty varieties that command premium prices but carry higher input costs. Mark acknowledged the gap and said he would push for more flexible policies that reflect regional realities rather than one-size-fits-all national templates.
A wheat grower from Yolo County noted that his counterparts in the Wimmera often rely on multi-peril crop insurance products that pool risk across entire shires, and wondered whether similar cooperative approaches could work back home. Several attendees agreed that aggregate risk pools could lower premiums and spread exposure, especially for mid-sized operations that fall through the cracks of existing programmes. You can read the full session notes on the campaign privacy terms page.
| Policy area | Current U.S. approach | Proposed direction | Australian parallel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water infrastructure | Project allocations, ageing canals | Modernisation, efficiency grants | Murray-Darling basin planning |
| Crop insurance | National templates, limited specialty cover | Flexible regional policies | Wimmera cooperative pools |
| Labour programmes | H-2A visas, contractor oversight | Streamlined applications | Pacific Islander schemes |
| Trade access | Bilateral talks, tariff responses | Indo-Pacific expansion | Beef and live export protocols |
| Technology uptake | Tax credits, scattered grants | Matching grants for small farms | Federal co-investment programmes |
Labour, mechanisation, and the future of the workforce
Labour came up next, and the room got quieter. Farmers described how the H-2A visa programme, while useful, is expensive and bureaucratic, and how local labour shortages mean crops sometimes rot in the field. Mark talked about streamlining the application process and cracking down on farm labour contractors who exploit workers. A tomato grower from the Sacramento delta said his mates back in Bundaberg face similar headaches with Pacific Islander labour schemes, and the parallels drew knowing nods.
The conversation also turned to automation. Several producers are trialling robotic weeders, drone-based crop scouting, and AI-driven yield prediction, but the capital costs are daunting. Mark floated the idea of a federal matching grant programme for small and mid-sized farms adopting labour-saving technology, noting that Australian growers have benefited from similar federal co-investment schemes in the past. The group agreed to circulate a proposal draft for review before the next town hall.
Trade, tariffs, and export markets
Trade was the topic that generated the most heat. Farmers who ship almonds, walnuts, dairy, and wine to Asia and Europe described how tariff retaliation and shifting currency rates can wipe out margins overnight. Mark stressed the importance of rebuilding strong trade relationships and pursuing new market access agreements, particularly in the Indo-Pacific where demand for high-quality protein and produce is climbing.
A beef producer from the eastern hills mentioned that cattlemen from the Pilbara to the Top End watch the same export indicators he does, and that a strong yen or a weak yuan can mean the difference between profit and loss. Several attendees asked Mark to commit to regular briefings on trade developments, and he agreed to host quarterly calls with the agricultural advisory committee.
Building a long-term policy agenda
By the end of the afternoon the group had sketched out a rough agenda: water infrastructure modernisation, flexible crop insurance, labour reform, technology adoption grants, and active trade diplomacy. Mark committed to carrying these priorities back to Washington and to publishing progress updates on the campaign privacy page.
The gathering wrapped with the kind of straight-talking exchange that defines rural politics on both sides of the Pacific. As one grower put it with a grin — borrowing a phrase he had picked up from a visiting agronomist from Toowoomba — "She'll be right, mate, but only if we keep having these yarns." Mark thanked everyone, stacked his notes, and headed for the door, already talking about the next round of meetings.