AgNet West Radio Network: History, AgNet News Hour and Team
Profile updated November 2026
AgNet West is a California farm radio network that produces daily agricultural news for more than 30 stations from Shasta County to Imperial County. Launched in 2012 as a western offshoot of Florida's Southeast AgNet, it is a division of AgNet Media, Inc., and produces its reports in the Central Valley near Fresno.
| Launched | June 2012 |
|---|---|
| Parent company | AgNet Media, Inc., Newberry, Florida |
| Owners | Gary Cooper and Robin Loftin |
| Coverage | 33-plus radio signals, about 94% of California farm acreage |
| Flagship show | AgNet News Hour, formerly Farm City Newsday |
| Funding | Advertising and program sponsorships |
| Official website | AgNetWest.com |
History of AgNet West
AgNet West was announced on June 18, 2012, when Southeast AgNet owners Gary Cooper and Robin Loftin formed AgNet West Media LLC with two California partners: farm journalist Patrick Cavanaugh, then co-owner and editor of Vegetables West and Pacific Nut Producer, and Laurie Greene, who handled West Coast operations. Weekday headlines covering specialty crops, livestock and dairy, tree, nut and vine crops and general farm news were designed for morning and midday slots, and the network debuted with 12 affiliates.
The partnership changed quickly. In December 2013 Cooper and Loftin announced that AgNet West's operations had been fully acquired and merged into their company, renamed AgNet Media, Inc. that year. Cooper served as general manager, and Sabrina Hill led the farm news operation as farm news director. Affiliates at the time included KERN in Bakersfield, KION in Salinas, KPAY in Chico, KSRO in Santa Rosa, KFIG in Fresno and KROP in Brawley.
In early 2014 the network added Farm City Newsday, a full-hour program that later became the AgNet News Hour.
AgNet West Today
AgNet West now describes itself as California's largest farm radio network service, reaching more than 33 radio signals that together cover about 94% of the state's farm acreage. It is supported entirely by advertising and sponsorships, and its sales office shares the Florida headquarters of AgNet Media.
Beyond radio, it sends a weekly e-newsletter, AgNet West This Week, to about 3,000 readers and draws roughly 10,000 monthly visitors to its website, where news is organized under agribusiness, animal agriculture, fruits, nuts, vegetables and research.
What AgNet West Is Covering Now
Daily headlines
Six daily farm news headlines air on affiliates on weekdays, covering markets, water, regulation, pests and the crops that define California agriculture.
AgNet News Hour
The hour-long program, also distributed as a podcast, airs on stations in the Central and Salinas valleys and on the Central Coast with interviews and longer features.
Sponsor and industry news
Recent site content in 2026 has included citrus fruit quality and packout, harvester equipment and research updates for nut and vegetable growers.
AgNet West Editors and Staff
AgNet West's own pages name these owners and team members:
- Gary Cooper - Co-owner, AgNet Media
- Robin Loftin - Co-owner, AgNet Media
- Brian German - AgNet West team
- Sabrina Halvorson - AgNet West team
- Danielle Leal - AgNet West team
- Randall Weiseman - AgNet West team
- Patrick Cavanaugh - Former founding partner (2012)
The network says its on-air team has more than 100 years of combined radio experience. General inquiries go to Office@AgNetWest.com.
Who Listens to AgNet West
AgNet West's audience is California's farm community: almond, pistachio and walnut growers, citrus and table grape producers, Salinas Valley vegetable growers, dairy families and the agribusinesses that serve them. Its stations stretch from the Sacramento Valley to the Imperial Valley.
California is the nation's largest farm state by value, and the federal Census of Agriculture and USDA NASS Quick Stats document the hundreds of crops its listeners grow, many of them produced almost nowhere else in the country.
AgNet West listeners juggle water allocations, labor rules and a few hundred different crops, so a lighter take on Central Valley life goes down easily. They can find one at farm.FM, which serves farm satire with a straight face. Almond growers, dairy families and cattle ranchers in the foothills will all find farm humor, ranch humor and farm jokes worth repeating at the coffee shop.
farm.FM, the nation's first satirical farm site, also runs Tractor Tunes, a country music lineup for farmers. For a sample of the writing, try the archive of one of its staff humorists.
AgNet West Sources and Agriculture Authority Links
- AgNet West: About the network - its founding, stations and programs.
- AgWired: Southeast AgNet announces AgNet West - the 2012 launch.
- AgNet Media principals become sole owners of AgNet West - the 2013 ownership change.
- USDA NASS: Census of Agriculture - state and county data for California agriculture.
- USDA NASS Quick Stats - California crop and livestock statistics.
AgNet West FAQ
Who owns AgNet West?
AgNet Media, Inc., owned by Gary Cooper and Robin Loftin, who also run Southeast AgNet in Florida.
When did AgNet West start?
It was announced in June 2012 and debuted with 12 affiliate stations.
What is the AgNet News Hour?
An hour-long farm news and interview program, formerly called Farm City Newsday, aired on California stations and as a podcast.
How many stations carry AgNet West?
The network reports more than 33 radio signals covering about 94% of California farm acreage.
Fourteen years after its launch, AgNet West remains a daily source of farm radio news for California's diverse agriculture.