Farming pioneer Righetti receives Farm Bureau honor

» December 5, 2006 «

A pioneer in avocado production who has provided 75 years of service to Farm Bureau has received the California Farm Bureau Federation Distinguished Service Award.

CFBF Distinguished Service Award winner Ernie Righetti with wife Susan and granddaughter Tricia.

Ernie Righetti of San Luis Obispo received the award last night during the Farm Bureau Annual Meeting in Anaheim.

Righetti, 90, became active in the San Luis Obispo County Farm Bureau in 1931, less than 10 years after his father helped found the organization. He served as president of the county Farm Bureau in the mid-1970s and remains a member of its board of directors.

In the late 1960s, Righetti began converting his family's cattle ranch into an avocado farm. The family had grown the fruit on a small scale since the mid-1930s.

"Ernie had faith in the avocado's future in San Luis Obispo and forged ahead to make what had been the family's hobby the focus of what is now a fourth decade of commercial avocado production," wrote county Farm Bureau President Paul Clark in nominating Righetti for the award.

The Righetti family farm specializes in growing Hass-variety avocados that it markets throughout the world. Righetti served several terms as a member of the California Avocado Commission and worked with other organizations to develop and promote avocado production and consumption.

"Ernie Righetti is a prime example of how farmers become leaders while staying close to their roots," California Farm Bureau President Doug Mosebar said. "He has traveled the world, yet still lives in the house where he was born. He has worked tirelessly to help his community and has shared his farming knowledge with visitors from all over the globe. He doesn't seek the spotlight, but he deserves it."

The Distinguished Service Award-the highest honor bestowed by the California Farm Bureau-has been presented annually since 1953. The California Farm Bureau Federation, the state's largest farm organization, works to protect family farms and ranches on behalf of nearly 92,000 members.

Contact: Dave Kranz
Phone: 916/561-5550
news@cfbf.com

Permission for use is granted, however, credit must be made to the California Farm Bureau Federation when reprinting this item.