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Kitchen Table Kibitzing October 4, 2026 [1]

['Side Pocket', 'Chitown Kev']

Date: 2026-10-04  

Boom and Bust

Sonoma county has always been an agricultural area. We’ve been here for 50 years and not only participating as a flower farm, but observing the ebb and flow of agricultural choices. An early one was Kiwis. People who had barely heard of Kiwis began planting them, even tearing out other plantings to take advantage of the anticipated big money. Of course they were still being imported from New Zealand. Changing consumer preferences and competition slowed demand. There is still significant production in California but the frantic local planting has diminished.

In the 1990s, chefs coveted the tender meat of Emus and the media dubbed emu as “the nation’s next red meat.” While I was working at the postoffice many folks with a little land started buying fertilized eggs and making big plans. From L A Times:

An unhatched chick could fetch up to $4,000. Mature breeders were being insured at more than $50,000 a pair. Microchips had to be embedded under each animal’s skin to guard against rustlers. And boosters, flush in their diamonds and denim, seemed to be at every livestock show in the nation touting the lean red flesh of this ostrich-like creature as “the meat of the future.”

One guy I worked with was planning his wealthy future, with a stash of fertilized eggs. He came in one day looking downcast. “Rats ate them all” he said. Raising Emus is no longer the path to riches.

After cannabis growing and sales were legalized here, the industry blossomed. We saw dispensaries on every corner. As expected, too much of a good thing, But repressed demand was satisfied (and with the increased strength of the product, who needs much?) Taxable cannabis sales have declined since peaking in 2021 at about $5.8 billion, down to $1.15 billion in the first quarter of 2026according to the state Department of Tax and Fee Administration.

The real shocker is the wine industry. All of our hills are covered in vines, and yet wine consumption everywhere is decreasing due to consumer preferences, health considerations, and pricing. Young people want cocktails. Many of our wine industry friends have lost jobs.

Locally…….

Sales Decline — The industry has experienced a fifth year of declining sales, impacting overall revenue.

— The industry has experienced a fifth year of declining sales, impacting overall revenue. Vineyard Acreage — There has been a reduction in vineyard acreage, signaling potential long-term challenges for production.

AI can be anything, so it can be the next bust. Keep your eyes on that one.

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[1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/10/4/800107613/community/kitchen-table-kibitzing-october-4-2026/

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