I’d like to introduce myself as the new President of the Siskiyou County Farm Bureau.
My wife and I both grew up on ranches in Siskiyou County – Jennifer on the Shasta River and me on Bogus Creek. After spending some time outside of the county for school and work, we returned with our two boys in 2005. After returning to the ranch, we transitioned from raising sheep to a cow/calf operation. I first became active in the Farm Bureau in 2008 when I needed help resolving a conflict with a federal agency. Siskiyou County Farm Bureau was able to arrange a personal meeting with the State Conservationist for NRCS to discuss the issue. Having seen how effectively the Farm Bureau advocated for me, I have been active in the organization ever since.
I am excited and a bit anxious to step into the presidency of Siskiyou County Farm Bureau. Surveying the landscape of farming and ranching in Siskiyou County, it is hard to imagine a time when we have faced more and greater challenges in the agricultural community. Environmental, regulatory, and market crises seem to beset us from every direction. At the same time, there is reason for optimism. As a local industry, we are doing more with less. Even with fewer acres in production and less water available, we are producing more abundant and higher quality products than ever. Siskiyou County farmers and ranchers have embraced and often developed the most cutting-edge technologies and practices related to irrigation efficiency, forage and crop production, and livestock management. I see no reason for this progress and innovation to stop.
In the coming years, I hope that the Siskiyou County Farm Bureau will continue to be a resource for local agriculture and an effective voice for our community and for individual farmers and ranchers in Sacramento and Washington.