From the Fields: John Pierson, Solano County rancher

April 8, 2026

Photo/Ching Lee

By John Pierson
Solano County rancher

Currently, we’re just trying to keep everything ready for the nice weather. We supposedly got rain here the other day, but we only got two-tenths of an inch, so I don’t think we’re going to get any more. It doesn’t look like it. It’s been enough to let the pastures grow and get things moving, but now we’re at the point where we need to start putting water on them. That’s when things start to pick up and get a little more involved.

Right now, it’s every day putting water out and changing water, just staying on top of irrigation and making sure everything is getting what it needs. It’s a steady routine this time of year, just keeping things moving and making sure nothing falls behind.

Water is not a major big issue right now. We’re in Solano Irrigation District, and the dam is almost completely full, so we’re in decent shape.

The concern is more with the regulations that are coming out. It doesn’t affect our water directly right now, but it’s something coming down the line that we’re keeping an eye on. At this point, there’s not much you can do. You can’t really make decisions until you find out what they’ve got in mind, so a lot of it is just sitting back, watching and waiting to see how things develop.

For us, cattle prices have been phenomenal. We raise Beefmaster cattle. We sell registered stock, so we’re in a little different segment of the business and don’t follow the butcher’s side as closely. But the demand for Beefmaster animals is increasing slowly and steadily, and prices are coming up along with the beef market. The challenge is that everything we buy also costs more, so while prices are higher, expenses are too. It kind of keeps you in the same position.

In this issue:

Reprint with credit to California Farm Bureau. For image use, email agalert@cfbf.com