A Year of Unified Advocacy

In 2025, CFWC deepened its leadership role as a unified voice for California agriculture, working alongside the Water Blueprint for the San Joaquin Valley and the San Joaquin Valley Water Collaborative Action Program. Through coordinated letters to federal and state decision-makers, the Coalition helped shape key water policy debates, advance infrastructure funding, and ensure that California’s farmers and rural communities are represented where it matters most.

Key advocacy efforts included supporting the Healthy Rivers and Landscapes alternative in the Bay-Delta Plan, championing critical infrastructure projects like the B.F. Sisk Dam improvements, Sites Reservoir permitting and construction, Success Reservoir Enlargement Project, and pressing for strong federal action under Executive Order 14181 with a shared goal of increasing available water supply by 9 million acre-feet per year by 2040.

Reaching Consumers Where They Are

CFWC’s social media programs, including the consumer-focused brand Cultivate California, continued to bring the story of California agriculture to life. By continuously monitoring public sentiment and media trends, the Coalition tailored its messaging to resonate with the audiences who matter most. In 2025, these efforts reached more than 5.5 million targeted consumers through social media and digital campaigns, generating approximately 25 million views.

Influencer partnerships with food, lifestyle, and wellness creators helped translate complex agricultural issues into relatable content. These collaborations helped ensure factual information, and the broader farm water message landed with consumers who increasingly look to trusted voices for information about where their food comes from. Partnerships with local and regional organizations brought authentic local water and agriculture narratives to digital audiences hungry for real stories from real farms.

Telling the Farm Water Story

The Coalition’s editorial and media outreach efforts achieved a publication rate exceeding 76%, with opinion pieces, letters-to-the-editor, and commentary appearing in outlets from the New York Times and Los Angeles Times to the Arizona Capitol Times and Desert Sun. Each piece drew on verified production data, peer-reviewed research, and economic analysis to build compelling pieces that help shape the public narrative on issues ranging from Colorado River operations to viral misinformation about California farm water use.

Equally important is the Coalition’s swift and strategic response to erroneous or misleading stories that threaten to distort public understanding of farm water use. When inaccurate reports about water management in the San Joaquin Valley circulated in early 2025, the Coalition responded quickly, amplifying correct information through coordinated social and digital outreach. This rapid response approach not only protected the reputations of farmers and water agencies but also reinforced the Coalition’s commitment to accuracy and accountability in public discourse. Addressing misinformation in real time ensures that stakeholders, policymakers, and the public receive reliable, timely facts, strengthening trust in California agriculture’s story.

Educational Impact

Since opening its doors to the public in November 2021, more than 562,000 individuals visited Sacramento’s Museum of Science and Curiosity (MOSAC), home to the Coalition’s interactive farm water exhibits, inspiring the next generation to understand the connection between water and food. The Coalition’s partnership with MOSAC continues to be a cornerstone of its educational mission, translating complex water data into interactive experiences that families and school groups can understand and remember.

The Team Behind the Work

This work depends on the continued efforts of CFWC staff, the active involvement of the Board of Directors, and the support of our member organizations. Research and analysis provide the foundation for the Coalition’s work, while communications and administrative functions ensure that information is shared effectively and operations remain consistent.

Together, these efforts allow CFWC to engage early in California’s water policy discussions, helping ensure that agricultural perspectives are part of the conversation before key decisions are made.

Download the Report

View the full report at: https://farmwater.org/2025-impact-report/

Our membership makes this work possible—thank you to our supporters for making CFWC’s outreach and education efforts possible.