Executive Address

Once again the MCFB office is still busy as ever.  We had a successful Pesticide Handling & Tractor/ATV safety training last month.  A huge thank you goes out to all of our sponsors and attendees.  This month we have another Agricultural Conservation Easement informational meeting on April 19^th, and we are preparing for our annual Scholarship Wine and Beer Tasting event on May 1^st at ApCal.  We also had a great leadership conference in Sacramento with CFBF where we were able to meet with legislators and discuss our concerns about upcoming bills.  On top of it all we have been trying to stay apprised with all of the new SGMA regulations.  Unfortunately, there are a lot of new water regulations coming out that will significantly impact growers, not only in Madera, but statewide.  On a positive note, MCFB had scholarship interviews this past month, and I am happy to report that we will be awarding $40,000 in scholarships to Madera County students furthering their education in agricultural or agricultural related fields.  These scholarships would not have been possible had it not been for the contributions and support from you, our members, and from our local businesses.  We spend a lot of time and effort in planning our scholarship fundraiser to help the kids in our community, so we look forward to seeing you all on May 1^st at ApCal. If you would like tickets or to contribute to the event, please contact the office.  Have a great month, and pray for April showers!