SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Excellence in leadership, member services, policy implementation, agricultural promotion and public relations earned honors for county Farm Bureaus during the 102nd California Farm Bureau Annual Meeting. The awards were presented Dec. 8 during a ceremony conducted virtually.
For county Farm Bureaus with up to 499 agricultural members, the Monterey County Farm Bureau earned the County of the Year Award. The county Farm Bureau partnered with local agencies on pandemic-related matters, including a first-in-California Ag Worker Protection Advisory Document. It also takes an active role in local water, housing and transportation issues, and started a Friends of Monterey County Farmers group to connect with local consumers.
The Napa County Farm Bureau received the County of the Year Award in its membership class of 500 to 799 members. The county Farm Bureau has been active during the pandemic, arranging for COVID-19 tests for farm employees and creating local, Spanish-language outreach videos about pandemic safety. The county Farm Bureau provided free N95 respirators to farm employees during wildfires, and undertook fee administration for a regional vineyard water-quality program.
Among county Farm Bureaus with 800 or more members, the Sonoma County Farm Bureau was named County of the Year. Through daily emails, the county Farm Bureau kept its members up to date about the pandemic and the status of local wildfires. In addition, the county Farm Bureau hosts a weekly radio program to inform listeners about local agriculture. It has been active on water quality issues and has taken a lead role in promoting animal agriculture.
The Sacramento County Farm Bureau received the Innovator Award, which recognizes the most creative, forward-thinking program undertaken by a county Farm Bureau. The county Farm Bureau created virtual farm tours, released weekly on its social media platforms, to highlight the top commodities produced in Sacramento County. It was also selected by the American Farm Bureau Federation among 12 from across the nation for County Activities of Excellence.
The California Farm Bureau works to protect family farms and ranches on behalf of nearly 34,000 members statewide and as part of a nationwide network of nearly 5.6 million Farm Bureau members.
— California Farm Bureau