On this episode of On The Town on KNCO News Talk 830, Tom Fitzsimmons speaks with Nevada County Farm Bureau Vice President Carl McCosker, owner of Brush Bustin’ Boers, about the future of farming and ranching in Nevada County. McCosker shares how his Nevada Union High School FFA experience helped develop lifelong leadership skills and eventually led him into local agricultural advocacy and targeted goat grazing.

The conversation explores Nevada Irrigation District water rates, Proposition 218, irrigation costs and the financial pressures facing Nevada County farmers and ranchers. Tom and Carl explain how reliable agricultural water supports local food production, green pastures, livestock operations and wildfire prevention throughout Grass Valley and the Sierra Nevada foothills. They also discuss brush reduction through targeted grazing, Nevada County Farm Bureau membership, sustainable farming, Nevada County Fair livestock projects and the important role of local 4-H and FFA students in the future of California agriculture.