Lydia Johnson

The California Ag Leadership Foundation added Davidson Pattiz, CEO of Zenith Insurance Company, as a board member. Marla Livengood was named Cal Cities’ regional public affairs manager for the Central Valley Division. 

President Trump appointed Josh F.W. Cook as administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency in California and the Pacific Southwest. Wilbur Ellis promoted Kayla Allen to senior credit analyst.

USDA named Alec Varsamis deputy communications director. A veteran of the first Trump administration, he was press secretary and acting communications director for then-Agriculture Secretary Sonny Purdue. Since then, Versamis has worked at agencies Ketchum and Veno Group in account supervisor roles focused on agriculture, food and ingredients as well as crisis and issue management communications. He is a graduate of the University of San Francisco. 

A Republican on the House Agriculture Committee, Florida Rep. Kat Cammack, says it’s “absolutely feasible” to put parts of the farm bill in a budget reconciliation measure, but that it probably couldn't happen until fiscal 2026.

Providers of foreign food assistance that have seen their contracts reinstated after the funding freeze are still struggling to resume operations.

The University of California Davis College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences named Ashley Stokes as college's new dean. Tanimura & Antle hired Laura Rosemeyer as a national account manager. Fresh Del Monte Produce appointed Deema Anani as chief commercial officer

The Mushroom Council added two new marketing staff to the organization: Cristie Mather as vice president of marketing and Adriane Rippberger as director of marketing.

In a National Agriculture Day gathering at the USDA Whitten Building, student members of the National FFA Organization, 4-H, National Grange and Agriculture Future of America discussed their generation’s role in growing the future of agriculture together. 

Chavonda Jacobs-Young departed from USDA where she was chief scientist. Terrain hired Marc Rosenbohm as a senior grain and oilseed analyst. Riley Padgett returned to USDA as chief of staff for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs.

The National Association of State Departments of Agriculture hired Logan Moss as an associate director of public policy. Mike DeCamp retired as CEO and president of CoverCress. 

Costa blasts food procurement cuts * Happy National Ag Day * Ag’s economic impact

There’s a new twist in President Donald Trump’s trade wars. He is threatening to impose steep duties on wine and alcohol from the European Union if the bloc doesn’t drop its retaliatory tariff on U.S. whiskey.

Sacramento Valley farmer Roger Cornwell was elected chair of the Northern California Water Association board of directors. The California Association of Pest Control Advisers hired Keri Frank as a sales manager. 

Tyler Hassen, the head of oilfield services company Basin Energy, has been named assistant secretary of policy, management and budget at the Department of Interior.