San Diego County Farm Bureau earns honors

SAN DIEGO – Excellence in policy implementation, leadership, membership services, agricultural education and public relations led to awards for three county Farm Bureaus at the 100th California Farm Bureau Federation annual meeting. The “County of the Year” awards were presented during a recognition dinner Dec. 5.

For the second consecutive year, the San Diego County Farm Bureau was honored as “County of the Year” among Farm Bureaus with 800 or more members.

Among its programs and services, the San Diego County Farm Bureau offers a membership-assistance program for beginning farmers, stages an annual San Diego Farm and Nursery Expo, administers a local water-quality coalition, operates two weekly farmers markets, promotes its San Diego Grown 365 brand, serves on two groundwater-sustainability agencies and administers a local Carbon Farming Task Force to help cities meet state-mandated Climate Action Plan requirements.

During 2018, the San Diego County Farm Bureau launched a new website and moved into a new building that acts as a training and meeting hub for other agricultural organizations in San Diego County.

Among county Farm Bureaus with 500 to 799 members, the Imperial County Farm Bureau was honored as “County of the Year.” Its services include workshops and training opportunities for members, sponsorship of a daily farm report on a local radio station and publication of monthly columns in a local newspaper.

During 2018, the Imperial County Farm Bureau hosted its most successful scholarship fundraiser ever and distributed $34,000 in scholarships to local students. It also helped in planning the first Imperial Valley Ag Expo and participated in organizing a Saladero Contest in which teams compete in using locally grown produce to create the best salad.

The Monterey County Farm Bureau received the “County of the Year” award for county Farm Bureaus with up to 499 members. The county Farm Bureau provides a complete range of services to its members and the broader community, including participation on local boards working on groundwater management, water-quality protection, land use and more.

This year, the Monterey County Farm Bureau took the lead in urging local government bodies to address the issue of illegal camping that has worsened problems of illegal dumping of trash in farm fields. This marks the third straight year Monterey County has earned the award in its membership class.

Also during the awards ceremony, six county Farm Bureaus earned recognition for outstanding membership recruitment and retention: Amador, Imperial, Madera, Napa, Orange and Sonoma.

In addition, the Mendocino County Farm Bureau has been selected as one of 24 nationwide “County Activities of Excellence” winners by the American Farm Bureau Federation and will exhibit at the AFBF Annual Convention next month in New Orleans. Mendocino County Farm Bureau was selected for its Centennial Celebration, held earlier this year.

Submitted by California Farm Bureau Federation.