Larson honored by San Diego supervisors

Sept. 27 was the final day of work for San Diego County Farm Bureau executive director Eric Larson, who retired after 22 years in that position and 48 years working in agriculture.

A Sept. 24 proclamation of the San Diego County board of supervisors recognized Larson for his contributions to local agriculture and his cooperation with county government.

“Eric Larson is a very special person in this community and has done a lot for agriculture,” Supervisor Dianne Jacob said.

Larson began his agriculture activity with the Encinitas 4-H Club chapter, and he was also in San Dieguito High School’s National FFA Organization chapter. He concluded the amateur portion of his agriculture career at California State Polytechnic University San Luis Obispo.

The San Diego County Farm Bureau hired Larson as its executive director in 1996, although he did not begin that position until 1997. He had previously been the general manager of the California Horticultural Growers Association for 13 years.

In addition to his full-time activity Larson also served on Carlsbad’s planning commission, and he was twice elected to the Carlsbad City Council.

The Carlsbad Municipal Water District is a separate legal district although the city council members are also the water district’s board members, and Larson was Carlsbad’s representative on the San Diego County Water Authority board from 1990 to 1993.

During Larson’s tenure as the San Diego County Farm Bureau executive director the California Farm Bureau named its San Diego County affiliate as the state’s Farm Bureau of the Year three times.

“Eric has done everything he can to keep that industry thriving,” Supervisor Jim Desmond said.

Larson worked with the county supervisors, the county planning commission, and staff members on land use issues including the general plan update, the Purchase of Agricultural Conservation Easement program, the tiered winery ordinance, the tiered beekeeping ordinance and the agritourism zoning changes.

“Eric has been a big help in what we’re doing at the board of supervisors promoting agriculture,” Jacob said.

“The Farm Bureau has been a good group to work with,” Desmond said. “They’ve always been a good working partner, and I think that’s primarily due to Eric’s leadership.”