We Grow California

Latest Episodes:

Lean into your Local Farmer with Western United Dairies Anja Raudabaugh CEO Aug 20, 2025

Show notes

Anja Raudabaugh, Chief Executive Officer of Western United Dairies joins Darcy and Darcy this week and shares how she led the effort to defeat Sonoma Ballot Proposition Measure J

a citizen-led initiative which would have banned dairy as well as similar farming operations. The ballot initiative was defeated with 85% of voters, NOT supporting the proposition. Anja was able to get the Republican Party of Sonoma County, but also the Democratic Party of Sonoma County AND the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board to oppose the measure? How? That’s what the Darcy’s wanted to know! To find out Anja’s secrets, listen in! To learn more about Anja and Western United Dairies, visit www.wudairies.com.

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We Grow California Podcast is paid for by the Exchange Contractors Federal PAC and Exchange Contractors State PAC and is not authorized by any candidate or candidate committee.

Keeping It Simple with Jarrett Martin of Central California Irrigation District Aug 06, 2025

Show notes

The K.I.S.S. method, Keep it Simple (Sweetheart), is easier said than done. This is especially true when you are coordinating 23 Groundwater Sustainability Agencies and their respective plans and consultants into one Groundwater Sustainability Plan. Yes, you read that right, twenty+ agencies!

Jarrett Martin, General Manager of Central California Irrigation District (CCID), took on that task for the Delta-Mendota Subbasin and believes that after two failed attempts they are close to approval. Darcy Villere and Darcy Burke have been waiting to have Jarrett on for quite some time and were eager to learn how he did it! Jarrett makes it sound easy. He shares the ultimate goals of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act and how he managed to ‘Keep It Simple’.

Jarrett also shares how State Board staff knew and understood legacy conditions, which ended up being a game-changer. To find out more, and how Jarrett and the Delta-Mendota Subbasin achieved this herculean task, listen in!

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We Grow California Podcast is paid for by the Exchange Contractors Federal PAC and Exchange Contractors State PAC and is not authorized by any candidate or candidate committee.

Assemblyman David Tangipa – Applying Common Sense to California’s Problems Jul 23, 2025

Show notes

Assemblyman David Tangipa joins Darcy and Darcy for a great conversation that covers a wide range of California issues and topics! For those that don’t know him yet, David is the youngest person serving in the California legislature. He was elected to the California State Assembly in 2024 and represents District 8, which includes Calaveras, Fresno, Inyo, Madera, Mariposa, Mono, and Tuolumne counties. Darcy & Darcy discuss with David his perspective on the business of California’s legislature, his first six months in office, some great ideas he has about putting existing infrastructure to work doing double duty, the impact the Groundwater Sustainability Act has had on his constituents, and most importantly, lessons learned.

One thing is clear: David is an upcoming California policy leader. The ECPAC is looking forward to hosting a fundraiser for David on July 31st at noon at M & M’s Italian Restaurant in Los Banos. If you would like to support David or join us for lunch, please contact Terra at (559) 281-9088 or email her at tbrusseau@centralvalleygroup.com. All are welcome to attend.

To learn more about Assemblyman Tangipa and District 8 visit www.ad08.asmrc.org/.

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We Grow California Podcast is paid for by the Exchange Contractors Federal PAC and Exchange Contractors State PAC and is not authorized by any candidate or candidate committee.

Karla Nemeth, Director of the California Department of Water Resources, Leading, Learning & Adapting Jul 09, 2025

Show notes

Karla Nemeth, Director of the California Department of Water Resources, a verifiable Woman of Water – aka a WOW - joins Darcy and Darcy this week and the conversation never stops! Karla shares her experiences and how relationships are the key to California’s water response success – especially in a crisis. She tells the Darcys how she has learned and adapted. Those lessons and adaptations came from weather uncertainty, regulations, legislation, and serving four (Yes FOUR!) Governors, each with their own Water and Delta plans. The complexity of her job grows daily, however, that has not dissuaded her. Karla shares that her job is to solve problems and she is ready for whatever may come.

Darcy and Darcy don’t let her off easy. They ask her about floods and California’s preparedness, the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, the Delta Conservation Plan (DCP), Infrastructure or lack thereof, and what keeps her up at night. Listen in! This is an episode you don’t want to miss!

To learn more about the California Department of Water Resources, visit www.water.ca.gov.

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We Grow California Podcast is paid for by the Exchange Contractors Federal PAC and Exchange Contractors State PAC and is not authorized by any candidate or candidate committee.

Adán Ortega’s Call to Action on the Governor’s DCP Budget Trailer Package Jun 10, 2025

Show notes

Time is of the essence for the Delta Conveyance Plan (DCP) studies and to help us understand what’s going on and the urgency, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California’s Chairman Adán Ortega joined Darcy and Darcy. Recently Governor Newsome included the DCP as part of his Budget Trailer Package. Adán sets the record straight on how this legislation simply finishes the studies that are necessary so that decisions can be made with good data, rather than propaganda, misinformation, and wishful thinking. He stresses throughout the interview that this legislation is not a blank check to build the tunnel; rather it does what hasn’t been able to be done since the mid-1800’s - finish a Delta conveyance study.

This episode is a little intense, and sadly Darcy V. is suffering from laryngitis, but Darcy B. asks some tough questions. Adán doesn’t sugar coat the dire situation the Delta finds itself in. The impact the Delta failure will have on its region, state, and country is catastrophic at best. Adán shares some great insight on how Metropolitan has been preparing for a Delta failure, investing in storage and other risk mitigation efforts including its CAMP4H2O, but the reality is, this is a statewide issue.

Help get the necessary studies completed and make the information available so that an informed decision can be made about the DCP once and for all. Contact your California state legislator and ask them to support the Governor’s DCP Budget Trailer Package. If you are not sure who your legislator is, you can look them up at https://findyourrep.legislature.ca.gov/. You can even send them an email from their official page. Every voice counts and it’s about time the legislature started counting yours.

To learn more about Chairman Adán Ortega and the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, please visit, www.mwdh2o.com.

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We Grow California Podcast is paid for by the Exchange Contractors Federal PAC and Exchange Contractors State PAC and is not authorized by any candidate or candidate committee.

Dan Keppen – A Seat At The Table May 28, 2025

Show notes

Darcy and Darcy are back from the Association of California Water Agencies’ (ACWA) Spring Conference! They had the pleasure of meeting Dan Keppen, the Executive Director at the Family Farm Alliance (Alliance). This week Dan joins them and discusses his upcoming retirement, his successes, challenges, and accomplishments.

After twenty years with the Alliance, and over thirty years in agriculture and water, Dan shares some advice and insights for our next generation leaders, as well as those that are leading now. The Alliance has members from all 16 western states and actively represents their ag water interests at the federal level. Dan’s been able to do this successfully by building coalitions and focusing on what can be agreed upon – which as we all know, is easier said than done. Listen in, learn how Dan has made it work on a very tight budget, and how the Family Farm Alliance earned their seat at the table. Check them out at www.familyfarmalliance.org/

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We Grow California Podcast is paid for by the Exchange Contractors Federal PAC and Exchange Contractors State PAC and is not authorized by any candidate or candidate committee.

Catching Up with Darcy & Darcy Apr 30, 2025

Show notes

Did you miss them? Darcy B. has literally been traveling the world, and Darcy V. has been planting acres and acres of tomatoes. They are finally back in the studio and are catching up on everything that happened while Darcy B. was globe-trotting including the Central Valley Project (Federal) and the State Water Project allocations, Metropolitan’s new General Manager (Deven Upadhayay), Metropolitans Climate Adaptation Master Plan and Business Model, another Canyon Lake Fish Kill, future guests, and more.

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We Grow California Podcast is paid for by the Exchange Contractors Federal PAC and Exchange Contractors State PAC and is not authorized by any candidate or candidate committee.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor Mar 19, 2025

Show notes

It’s March and newly elected officials have settled into their seats. At the state level, one third of all legislators are new. Locally, that percentage could be higher or lower. Regardless, newly elected officials rarely have an understanding about California’s water complexities nor the importance of Agriculture and its unique challenges.

To get a newly elected perspective, Darcy and Darcy welcome Canyon Lake Mayor, Mark Terry. Mayor Terry was appointed to City Council two years ago and then was elected to his first four-year term in November. The Mayor shares his perspective on the importance of water, having a city that has two water providers, how is navigates the challenges, and what he recommends. Join the conversation and find some take-aways that might work for you in your community.

For more information about Mayor Mark Terry and the City of Canyon Lake, visit https://www.canyonlakeca.gov/ .

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We Grow California Podcast is paid for by the Exchange Contractors Federal PAC and Exchange Contractors State PAC and is not authorized by any candidate or candidate committee.

Sarah Woolf - A Change Maker Mar 05, 2025

Show notes

Sarah Woolf, a California Ag and Water icon, joins Darcy and Darcy and discusses Water Wise - a water management company for farmers in the central San Joaquin Valley, the Change Coalition, the San Joaquin Blueprint, the San Joaquin Valley Water Collaborative Action Program, and family farming – just to name a few!

Sarah shares her perspective on California water and agriculture, how it has changed, and where it may be going over the next decade or two. What was clear, was there is so much more to talk about! Darcy & Darcy can’t wait to have her back! Sarah is truly a W.O.W. – a Woman of WATER! This is a conversation you can’t miss!

To learn more about Sarah’s consulting firm, Water Wise, visit, www.WaterWise.Ag

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We Grow California Podcast is paid for by the Exchange Contractors Federal PAC and Exchange Contractors State PAC and is not authorized by any candidate or candidate committee.

Westlands Water Works Harder Feb 26, 2025

Show notes

Darcy and Darcy welcome back Westlands Water District's Assistant General Manager, Jose Gutierrez and for the first time, welcome Kitty Campbell, Supervisor of Resources. Westlands has been doing some innovative groundwater sustainability efforts and in this episode, Jose and Kitty talk about their Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) Program. This program works with Westlands growers to use their existing wells and convert them to dual purpose, meaning they recharge the deep aquifer beneath Corcoran clay layer when surface water is available as well as pump when groundwater extraction is permitted. Growers receive groundwater credits for each acre foot of water they store. Westlands has nine of these wells located throughout the District and over 70 have been installed by growers. Darcy and Darcy discuss the benefits for Westlands, the growers, and possibly for Southern California agencies looking for places to park water. Join the conversation!

To learn more about Westland’s ASR program, visit https://wwd.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/asr-information.pdf.

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We Grow California Podcast is paid for by the Exchange Contractors Federal PAC and Exchange Contractors State PAC and is not authorized by any candidate or candidate committee.

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