California Farmers Plant Agave and Gas Prices Down Again

**After years of drought, some California farmers are planting agave, a drought-tolerant succulent used to make sweeteners and distilled beverages like tequila.

Calling agave an emerging, low-water crop, researchers at the University of California and in Mexico are sharing research and growing guidelines for growers interested in sustainably growing agave.

Researchers say agave plants carry significance for indigenous cultures, having provided food, fiber and tools for sewing and medicine for thousands of years.

**With winter fast approaching, average gas prices declined again for the fifth straight week, with gas dropping 5.2 cents last week to $3.50 a gallon, according to GasBuddy.

That’s down 33.2 cents from a month ago and 26.8 cents per

gallon lower than a year ago.

The price of diesel, however, increased 3.8 cents last week to $4.48 per gallon, still 82 cents lower than a year ago.

**As U.S. farmers faced drought conditions this year, so too did producers in Canada.

Recently, Canada announced $219 million of support for farmers and ranchers who are dealing with extraordinary costs due to drought conditions and wildfires.

The funding, through the AgriRecovery Framework, will help recovery and ensure they have the tools needed to continue to be resilient in the face of natural disasters.