County Farm Bureaus honored for outreach, community service
Four California county Farm Bureaus were honored for their contributions this year in facing up to major challenges for agriculture, including historic flooding, Colorado River water-supply issues, massive acquisitions of farmland by a development group and state regulations affecting farmers and ranchers. The awards for the Monterey County Farm Bureau, Solano County Farm Bureau, Imperial County Farm Bureau and Stanislaus County Farm Bureau were presented at the 105th California Farm Bureau Annual Meeting in Reno. The Monterey County Farm Bureau was honored in the small Farm Bureau category for its crisis management during 2023’s devastating atmospheric storms, which caused more than $600 million in damages to the regional agricultural sector.
The county Farm Bureau engaged with seven public agencies on improving Salinas River maintenance and flood control systems. It also worked closely with the California Office of Emergency Services on flood response and emergency communications and conducted scores of media interviews, drawing international attention to the region’s agricultural importance.
The Monterey County Farm Bureau additionally awarded $16,000 in scholarships to college students pursuing agricultural degrees and held three “Farm Day” events for local third graders and their parents.
The Solano County Farm Bureau was also honored in the small Farm Bureau category for efforts including securing $10 million in grants for regional farmers from the State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program and the Healthy Soils Program of the California Department of Food and Agriculture. The Farm Bureau also brought in $383,000 in funding in micro-grants for small farmers.
Meanwhile, the Solano County Farm Bureau engaged in extensive advocacy to protect the local agricultural character in the face of efforts by Silicon Valley billionaires seeking to rezone 55,000 acres of farmland to build a new city. The Solano County Farm Bureau additionally increased its membership by 33%.
The Imperial County Farm Bureau was awarded top honors for mid-sized Farm Bureaus in recognition of its outreach efforts on Colorado River issues. The Farm Bureau worked with the late California Sen. Dianne Feinstein, hosting a staff delegation for discussions on water needs for the region’s $3 billion agricultural sector.
The Imperial County Farm Bureau also raised more than $12,000 for a public relations outreach campaign to educate other elected officials and the public. Farm Bureau board members were additionally featured in a documentary, “The Green Desert,” on farmers in the Imperial and Coachella valleys who depend on the Colorado River to supply America with produce during the winter months.
Among large county Farm Bureaus, the Stanislaus County Farm Bureau was recognized for its “Farm News” publications, political activities and membership efforts, which included a membership retention rate of more than 90%. In addition, it was honored for working with farmers and ranchers on compliance matters, including irrigated lands, pesticides, stock pond and trucking regulations. The Stanislaus County Farm Bureau also partnered with the Modesto Rotary to present a “Farmworker of the Year” award, recognizing the critical contributions of agricultural employees. Additionally, the group hosted 1,200 elementary school students for its annual “Ag EdVenture Day,” providing hands-on experiences in agriculture.
The California Farm Bureau works to protect family farms and ranches on behalf of nearly 29,000 members statewide and as part of a nationwide network of 5.3 million Farm Bureau members.