Farm land photo by Karsten Winegeart on unsplash.com
published on July 2, 2026 – 2:05 PM
Written by Frank Lopez
The Business Journal brought home two awards from the 2025 California News Publisher Association’s California Journalism Awards.
Business Journal staff reporter Frank Lopez brought home two awards under the category of agricultural reporting for his coverage on the rise of farm bankruptcies in the Central Valley and the closing of a local wine distributor.
Lopez’s story, “Fields of Debt,” earned a second-place showing in the ag category. The story explored the rise in farm bankruptcies between March 2024 and March 2025, and the pressures growers continue to face including elevated interest rates, a fall in the sale prices of commodities, higher labor costs and fewer investors for farm properties.
The California Journalism Awards are the premier annual journalism competition organized by the California News Publisher Association. The awards recognize excellence in reporting, writing, photography, design, multimedia and newsroom innovation by California news organizations of all sizes, from major metropolitan newspapers to small community publications and digital-only newsrooms.
Lopez’s third-place story, “The Final Pour: Stefanelli Distributing Announces Closure Amid Industry Challenges,” details the closing of the Fresno wine distributor as the company’s leaders looked towards retirement.
Stefanelli Distributing was in business for over 70 years and distributed products for Sutter Home, Charles Krug, Almaden, Paul Masson and more.
The story detailed the decision to shutter after falling consumer interest, highlighting social and economic challenges facing the wine industry and its future.