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Rural America
California: Fire, Politics
Water. The US Drought Monitor declared California free of drought in January 2026, the first time in 25 years that no part of the state was
Meat, Migrants
The US has the world’s largest producer and consumer of beef. The cattle industry is known for decade-long cycles that see cattle numbers rising
Labor: History, H-1B
The US ended 2025 with about 164 million employed and eight million unemployed workers and an unemployment rate of 4.4 percent. Unemployment is
Farm Workers
California: New Laws
California’s minimum wage rose from $16.50 to $16.90 January 1, 2026; California is one of 19 states that raised their minimum wages in 2026.
Other States
Arizona. The Colorado River basin, which provides water for people and farms in seven states, has too little water to supply the three Lower Basin
UFW, Unions
Since October 2023, the UFW was certified to represent workers on eight farms via card check and reported collective bargaining agreements at three
Immigration
Trump: Shutdown, Immigration
Donald Trump may be a transformational president. During the first year of his second term, Trump reversed Biden-era migration policies by halting
DHS: CBP, ICE, USCIS
DHS has shifted resources to immigration enforcement, reducing resources devoted to other crimes, including human trafficking, terrorism, and
H-2A: IFR, Effects
DOL certified 398,358 jobs to be filled with H-2A workers, 96 percent of the 415,496 requests. DOL processed 24,526 applications from about 16,000
Canada, Mexico
Canada. Temporary foreigners were eight percent of Canada's 42 million residents in in 2025. Canada’s population declined in 2025 for the first
Europe, Asia
Should richer countries with aging populations open doors to workers from poorer countries by creating or expanding low-skill guest worker programs?
Global: People, Trade, UN
The OECD reported that 6.2 million permanent immigrants arrived in the 38 member countries in 2024, about the same number as in 2023, including
Other
California: $61 billion
California had $61 billion in farm sales in 2024, led by $8.6 billion worth of milk, $5.6 billion each worth of almonds and grapes, $5 billion worth
US Ag: China, USDA
Trump won almost 80 percent of the vote in farm-dependent counties in 2024. The trade war with China reduced the prices of corn and soybeans, which
Food, Wine
MAHA. HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr’s “Make America Healthy Again” strategy downplays the danger of saturated fats, whole milk and steak.
Climate
Governments from most countries met in Belém, Brazil in November 2025 at the UN’s Conference of the Parties (COP 30) to assess efforts to keep