We Grow California

Darcy and Darcy welcome back Westlands General Manager Allison Febbo to discuss their Valley Clean Infrastructure Plan. Joining them is Westlands' solar/energy partner, Patrick Mealoy from Golden State Clean Energy. Darcy V, a Westlands grower, shares that he is excited about this project.  Darcy B. takes a little more time to warm up to what she thinks is just another mega solar install, but she quickly learns that it's not at all! And although when fully operational, it is estimated 136,000 acres will be producing solar energy or providing battery back-up, it's not about energy; this is about taking assets (farm land) that are losing value because of water unreliability and putting them to work, making them valuable, and providing Westlands growers, California agriculture, and farming communities an opportunity to thrive. The Darcys have always said California needs to invest in water infrastructure to improve its overall water reliability for all sectors: urban, ag, industrial/commercial, and the environment, and until that happens, this plan takes lemons and truly makes lemonade.  You have to hear the details, how it works, what the long-term plans are, and more. 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.

Chris White, Executive Director of the San Joaquin River Water Authority Exchange Contractors, joins Darcy Villere in the studio and kicks off 2026 with A LOT of information.  There are changes on how the Central Valley Project and State Water Projects are operating and Chris does his best to break it down for Darcy refreshes his memory and making sense out of all the moving parts – water being just one of them.
 
Get comfortable and listen closely because the Bureau of Reclamation released major changes to Central Valley Project (CVP) operations including the removal of the Fall X2 requirement (if you don’t remember what that is, we had a whole episode called Call to Action Fall X2 and you can listen to that here) removal of the early Delta export-reduction (just reading that clears up any confusion, right?) and last and in no way least is a revision of the Old & Middle River flow criteria and Stormflex operations. Chris gives his perspective on the impact of these changes, and whether these federal changes impact the state operations.  If you drink water, use it to bathe, cook, or grow food, you don’t want to miss this episode!
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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.

In this episode of We Grow California, Darcy Villere sits down with Joaquin Esquivel, Chair of the State Water Resources Control Board, to talk about the future of California water. The episode covers how the Board balances the competing needs of agriculture, communities, and the environment during an era of droughts, floods, and climate uncertainty. Joaquin shares insights on SGMA enforcement, groundwater recharge, and the state’s push to ensure safe, clean drinking water for all Californians. His perspective offers a clear look at the challenges ahead and the opportunities for collaboration across the state.
Let us know what you’re thinking! You can provide comments, suggestions, questions, or recommendations at https://www.ecwaterpac.com/podcast/. Thanks for tuning 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.

After a few weeks of hiatus, California State Treasurer Fiona Ma joined Darcy & Darcy for an in-depth discussion on water, ag, infrastructure financing, and public service. If you don’t know what the state treasurer does, think of this position as the state’s primary banker. Treasurer Ma’s office processes more than $3 trillion in payments within a typical year and provides transparency and oversight for an investment portfolio of more than $124 billion, approximately $34.8 billion of which are local government funds. 
Ma has been a strong advocate for California’s agricultural sector and has worked on various initiatives to support farmers and promote sustainable agricultural practices. Her commitment to agriculture underscores her understanding of its vital role in California’s economy and environmental sustainability. But that’s not all!  Darcy & Darcy learned that Treasure Ma is the co-founder of the San Francisco Farm Bureau, and it all started with saving the historic Cow Palace! To find out the rest of the story, tune in!
For more information on the State Treasurer’s office including funding and financing resources, visit www.treasurer.ca.gov/index.asp 
Let us know what you’re thinking! You can provide comments, suggestions, questions, or recommendations at https://www.ecwaterpac.com/podcast/. Thanks for tuning 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.

Darcy & Darcy welcomed California State Senator Anna Caballero, representing District 14, which stretches across parts of Madera, Merced and Fresno counties. Last year, Senator Caballero joined us and shared with us her efforts on SB 366, a bill that was intended to modernize the California Water Plan and mandated that the Department of Water Resources to set long-term water supply targets.SB366 died in committee, leaving many in the water sector wondering if the water plan would ever have any accountability. 
The Senator’s back with the Darcys to talk about SB 72, which was just newly signed into law. SB 72 picked up where SB366 left off, setting statutory long-term targets, with an interim target of 9-million-acre-feet. The conversation goes far beyond the bill, and includes the challenges California cities, communities, and water districts face in managing flood waters, repurposing flood control dams for water storage as well, and more.  To learn more about Senator Caballero, visit www.sd14.senate.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.