California Bountiful Magazine: History, Content, TV Show and Staff
Profile updated November 2026
California Bountiful magazine is the California Farm Bureau's food and lifestyle publication, written for people who eat what California farmers grow. Published quarterly and paired with a weekly television show, it mixes farmer profiles, recipes and gardening projects.
| Publisher | California Farm Bureau, Sacramento |
|---|---|
| Frequency | Quarterly |
| Years published | 47 years as of 2024 |
| Audience | Subscribers and Farm Bureau associate members |
| Companion TV | California Bountiful, weekly on RFD-TV |
| Recent honor | Best magazine, AFBF communications awards, 2025 |
| Official website | CaliforniaBountiful.com |
History of California Bountiful
The California Farm Bureau Federation dates to 1919, when 32 county Farm Bureaus met in Berkeley to form a state organization. It built a media operation early: radio programming under the name Voice of Agriculture began in 1950 and television in 1964, and the weekly newspaper Ag Alert started in 1974.
California Bountiful grew alongside those outlets as the federation's consumer-facing magazine. By 2024 it had been published for 47 years. That fall the Farm Bureau mailed a special 64-page issue, the largest single edition in the magazine's history, to its entire membership.
The television program that shares its name traces to The Voice of Agriculture, created in 1964, and was renamed California Bountiful in 2012.
California Bountiful Today
The magazine comes out quarterly and is sold by subscription for $9.99 a year, as well as going to Farm Bureau associate members as a member benefit. Agricultural members get a discount. Barbara Arciero, who runs Farm Bureau publications, has said its aim is to show the value of agriculture in everyday life in a subtle way.
California Bountiful TV airs weekly on RFD-TV among its rural lifestyle shows, visiting farms and ranches, profiling farm families and following food to the table. In 2025 the program earned a Northern California Area Emmy nomination for a feature on grapeseed oil made from winery waste.
What California Bountiful Is Publishing Now
Farmers and ranchers
Profiles of California growers, from berry and nut farms to cattle ranches, explaining how food is produced.
Recipes and food
Seasonal recipes built around California-grown produce, often with chefs and home cooks.
Garden and leisure
Gardening projects, book reviews, Q&As and general-interest stories for readers who may never have worked a farm.
California Bountiful Editors and Staff
The California Farm Bureau's 2025 awards report credits this California Bountiful team:
- Barbara Arciero - Director of Publications and Media Relations
- Linda DuBois - Assistant Editor
- Caleb Hampton - Writer
- Ching Lee - Writer
- Christine Souza - Writer
- Aubrey Aquino - Host and Executive Producer, California Bountiful TV
Designers Paula Erath and Nicole Love lay out the magazine, which was named best magazine in the 2025 American Farm Bureau Federation communications awards.
Who Reads California Bountiful
California Bountiful is written for consumers who care about California agriculture and farm-to-fork living. The state gives them plenty to read about: the California Department of Food and Agriculture reports $64.7 billion in 2025 farm cash receipts, with milk, almonds, cattle, grapes, lettuce, pistachios and strawberries leading. California grows nearly half the nation's vegetables and more than three-quarters of its fruits and nuts.
California Bountiful readers like their strawberries local and their stories warm. For a different flavor, farm.FM mixes farm satire and farm humor about the long road from field to farmers market, plus ranch humor from the cattle side of the menu. Think of its farm jokes as a seasonal side dish, best served with a glass of something from the North Coast.
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.
California Bountiful Sources and Agriculture Authority Links
- Ag Alert: Special fall issue of California Bountiful - the magazine's history, frequency and purpose.
- RFD-TV: All About California Bountiful - the companion television program.
- Ag Alert: Farm Bureau publications earn top honors - 2025 awards and staff credits.
- California Department of Food and Agriculture: Agricultural Statistics - California's top farm commodities.
- USDA NASS: 2022 Census of Agriculture - including direct-to-consumer farm sales.
California Bountiful FAQ
Who publishes California Bountiful magazine?
The California Farm Bureau, the state's largest farm organization, based in Sacramento.
How often is California Bountiful published?
Quarterly. It is sold by subscription and is a benefit for Farm Bureau associate members.
Is there a California Bountiful TV show?
Yes. California Bountiful airs weekly on RFD-TV, hosted by Aubrey Aquino. It began in 1964 as The Voice of Agriculture.
What does California Bountiful cover?
California farmers and ranchers, recipes, gardening, book reviews and general-interest stories about food and farming.
For consumers curious about where their food comes from, California Bountiful magazine remains the Farm Bureau's friendliest front door to California agriculture.