The heat is on! It seems as if I turned the calendar page and Mother Nature turned the oven on to High! But the weather isn’t the only thing that has me sweating. I knew that sitting in the President’s seat would have challenges. I knew the day would come when MCFB would be asked to take a firm stance. That day has come…
A little back story, about five or six years ago, SGMA was starting to roll out in Madera County. The various irrigation districts were doing their different studies, and Madera County’s Department of Water and Natural Resources was starting theirs. Several “white” area growers decided to form a group to represent themselves with the County. This group asked MCFB to help facilitate the group as well as hold their funds while they got organized. Eventually, MCFB’s Executive Director, Christina, got some questions from growers in irrigation districts asking if MCFB was going to take sides and support some of the white area growers in not wanting to pay any SGMA-related fees. The answer was that we were absolutely NOT interested in pitting farmer against farmer. As soon as the white area group got completely organized, they hired their own executive director, and Christina was invited to their meetings to share her perspective as it related to MCFB, as well as share whatever information she gained from attending water conferences and California Farm Bureau meetings.
Because of the questions of equal representation at that time, a majority of the MCFB Board of Directors voted to take a neutral stance. We directed Christina to attend as many different water agency meetings as she could handle. That included meetings with the county. The majority of the Board of Directors agreed that MCFB was to be a clearinghouse of information. Over the ensuing years, we continued to adopt a neutral stance. Our mission has always been to support and represent ALL Madera County growers and ranchers. That still continues to this day.
Madera County is weeks away from a trial date set for the lawsuit that was filed against them by Valley Groundwater Coalition, now known as California United Water Coalition. The basis of this lawsuit is an allegation that the county held a Proposition 218 special election without proper notification or information. The results of the Prop 218 election yielded a $246 per irrigated acre per year “fee” in the white areas. This is an exorbitant fee for everyone. CUWC was founded by white area growers that chose not to join any of the other white area groups when those were being formed. After the 218 election and the resulting implementation of the assessments, CUWC quickly formed and sued the county. An injunction was issued by the Court, which stopped the collection of the fees for the time being.
As a result of the County filing a motion to dismiss their lawsuit, CUWC recently sent a letter to the MCFB Board asking if we supported them in their lawsuit, as they want as much public support as possible. So, the time had come for some difficult conversations among the Directors. A special Board of Directors meeting was called, and nearly every Director was able to attend. By a majority vote, the Board voted to disseminate communications provided to us by CUWC as well as reiterate our support for the white area growers in their endeavors to defeat the $246 fee for something that is more economically feasible. It’s my hope that the different white area groups can come together to advocate for a fee that makes sense and causes the least economic damage.
As MCFB Directors, we each bring a unique perspective. One thing that I have observed over the years is that even when the perspectives are at odds, the conversations and debates are done respectfully with the goal of staying true to our mission statement. One of my Directors stated that farmers are their own worst enemies when it comes to fighting FOR each other. I believe she is right. We often can’t see past what is only good for ourselves. If we are going to stave off the state of California and bring our sub-basins into balance, all of us need to work together. Since 1915, MCFB has been standing up for Madera County farmers and ranchers, and we will continue to do so as long as there is agriculture in this county.
As always, I am extremely grateful to the whole board. Their engagement, perspectives, collective wisdom, and willingness to have the difficult conversations will continue to help me become more well-rounded and informed. I also welcome any MCFB Members to contact me with any helpful comments or suggestions.
