DC Exchange Growing Connections: The 2026 DC Exchange October 07, 2026 By awadmin Share: Eleven federal employees got on a plane heading west. That’s not the opening line of a joke, but the start of another iteration of the California Agriculture Leadership Foundation (CALF) DC Exchange. This year’s crop of DC Exchange fellows (pun absolutely intended) stepped away from our hectic workaday lives to spend six full days immersing ourselves in North State agriculture. Lively exchanges with a diverse range of operators added eleven new souls to the California ag family and expanded a network that CALF has been cultivating for more than 50 years. We broke bread with producers, processors, and educators across CALF Regions 1 and 2, building new connections between California agriculture and the DC-based federal agencies serving American agriculture. We also found new pathways for collaboration across our own agencies and divisions. We kicked off our California adventure – no, we didn’t go to Disneyland – at the headquarters of agricultural mapping and data analysis firm Land IQ. Richly detailed land‑use maps covering nearly every acre of California agricultural production since 2014 introduced recurring themes that echoed throughout the week: water access, climate change, state and federal regulations, labor availability, rising input costs, international competition, shifting consumption patterns, and rapid technological adoption. Over the course of our visits, we saw how these forces are reshaping agricultural enterprises that have persisted for generations to feed California communities, the nation, and the world. If there was one constant throughout the week, it was change. We saw farms that had climbed the value chain over decades – moving from grains like wheat and corn to cattle, dairy, and tree fruit, and then pivoting to wine grapes, tree nuts, and olives. And even where producers stuck with the same products (rice, dairy, cattle), we saw how dramatically operations had changed over time. Those of us with prior California ag experience noticed just how much has shifted in the last 5, 10, or 15 years. We met producers anticipating market swings, embracing new technologies, diversifying revenue, and capturing value‑added processing opportunities. We also saw educational institutions fostering young people’s passion for agriculture – building their business and academic skillsets and forging the ties (and marriages!) that bind the ag community across the northern part of the state. And, perhaps most importantly, we saw how public policy decisions across all levels of government shape the playing field on which operators compete. We gained a deeper appreciation for the confluence of – and sometimes competition between – conservation, labor, climate, technology, finance, tradition, and innovation. We heard stories from sectors struggling under onerous regulatory regimes; the sheer number of permits required for basic on‑farm activities (and the time those permits take!) surprised many of us. We were discouraged by public education funding challenges in Hamilton City, and heartened by a dedicated team of educators motivating the next generation of agriculturists through grant‑funded initiatives. We were inspired by CALF alumni driving public policy changes, including a years‑long effort to return a basic tool – carcass composting – to ranchers. And we watched innovators translate their values into action, like Montna Farms’ “fish food,” which returns nutrients to recovering salmon populations. We were surrounded by the layered history of the region and the people who shaped it: gold rush optimists, war veterans, Dust Bowl refugees, migrant laborers, and many more. We were warmly welcomed by the Sikh community of Yuba City, who shared their religious traditions, their food, and their deep commitment to the region’s economic vitality. We met some of the larger‑than‑life personalities who helped define agriculture in the region. And good god, the jokes! Everywhere we went, we were immersed in the infectious humor of ag puns. Bryce Lundberg probably takes the ducking (rice) cake, but only Clover can talk dairy to us. Just as often as we laughed at ag jokes, we were embraced by the hospitality of ranchers, farmers, growers, processors, and their families. CALF alumni welcomed us with open arms, shared their passion, and gathered friends, neighbors, and employees to swap stories, sample products, and give their time freely for our benefit. To this beautiful community – who imparted a depth of knowledge we could never gain from a conference call – we’d like to say: Thank you. Thank you for your patience as you walked a bunch of city folk through the nuances and challenges of your industry, and for answering our many (many) questions. And to CALF and its steadfast supporters, thank you for the opportunity to walk the pastures, rice checks, and orchards; to marvel at the engineering; and to see, touch, and taste California agriculture in 2026. Ag may be a small world, but even the best agriculturists need to keep growing their networks to succeed in this dynamic, capital‑intensive industry. When the gap between agriculturists and the federal bureaucracy can feel like a yawning chasm, it’s good to know there’s a public‑private partnership that has been building bridges across that divide for decades. 2026 DC Exchange Alumni Jeana Harbison, U.S. Department of Agriculture Laura Pineda-Bermudez, Library of Congress Brett Waite, White House Office of Management and Budget Elizabeth Prosser, US Department of Labor Devin Abbott, United States Department of Agriculture Evan Mangino, U.S. Department of Agriculture – Foreign Agricultural Service Laura Paul, APHIS Policy and Program Development Brittany Hendricks, U.S. Trade Representative Anne LeBrun, USDA-APHIS Khue Nguyen, Environmental Protection Agency Paola Felix-Rodriguez, USDA/Office of Budget and Program Analysis (OBPA) Thank you to our hosts: Land IQ Montna Farms Sacramento Packing, Inc. OMC Lomo Cold Storage The Sikh Temple of Yuba City Sutter County Museum Colusa Industrial Properties and Colusa Beef Processing Plant Mitchell Yerxa (Class 48) Oroville Dam Schohr Ranch Lundberg Family Farms M&T Chico Ranch Audrey Tennis (Class 12) Hamilton City High School and Ag Education Program Carriere Family Farms Chico State Farm Dutton Ranch Pozzi Ranch Valley Ford Cheese Company Tresch Family Farm Santa Rosa Junior College Shone Farm Serres Ranch Clover Processing Facility Bodega Bay Oyster Company Cline Family Cellars Thank you to our host families! Megan Byrne (Class 44) Mitchell Yerxa (Class 48) Woody (Class 5) and Kathy Yerxa Stephanie Younger (Class 43) Cameron Boomgaarden (Class 54) Tracy Schohr (Class 39) Carissa Rystrom (Class 48) Audrey Tennis (Class 12) Theresa Schneider (Class 54) Bill Carriere (Class 27) Betsy Karle (Class 51) Sarah DeForest (Class 39) Rocco Cunningham (Class 50) John Azevedo (Class 37) Taylor Serres (Class 49) Pat Stornetta Kelley Parsons (Class 37) Tom Gore (Class 51)