Jim Morris, a sixth-generation Scott Valley rancher, reported minimal direct federal funding impacts on his operation, but significant challenges from high input costs, including: electricity, equipment, fertilizer, and seed, while market prices remain low for most products except cattle.
Morris identified water regulations imposed by the state as agriculture’s biggest current challenge, more so than federal policy changes. He also noted the industry’s aging workforce problem, calling himself “a young guy in ag,” which he described as “a bad thing.”
Jim advocated for developing value-added processing facilities locally rather than exporting raw commodities. “We could clean seed, do processing here,” Morris said. “Take a crop from a lower value crop to a high value product when it leaves the Valley, and employ more people.”
He explained how hay exports to China work economically: shipping containers arrive at West Cost ports full of goods, and it’s cost-effective to fill the empty containers with pressed hay for the return trip to China rather than ship them back empty.
Morris said agriculture has become “way too good” at production, leading to oversupplied markets and depressed prices.