Well fall is here, and the weather has changed. Mother nature brought us some early rain, which is good and bad, because there are still numerous crops out in the fields needing to be harvested. It’s a double-edged sword as to emotion on the rain. So far harvest as been well for most growers, as yields are up and down depending on where you are. Markets have been unstable as well, as the tariff effects have finally kicked in and are affecting all growers as prices have slumped off on most crops. I had a chance to meet and discuss these issues with the Secretary of Agriculture, Sonny Purdue, when he visited the Valley. I explained the needs and desires of growers wanting a trade deal settled soon and understood the administrations concerns on getting growers a better deal. I also mentioned to him growers appreciated the $12-billion aid package provided for growers, but we would rather have trade deals in place instead of receiving an aid package. Purdue reiterated that he has discussed this with the President and the Administration is working on this diligently, so hopefully there will be a silver lining coming soon.
As the year comes to an end so does my presidency. It just seems like it started not long ago, but 4 years have passed by at a blink of any eye. I am very gracious and thankful to have been able to lead and represent this great organization, not just as its president, but on other state committee’s as well. I hope I have brought a different view to this seat as to how things are done and looked at. I prided myself for the relationships that I had before coming into this position that helped me bridge many gaps that were in place, which have built better working relationships now with many local agencies. I started off my presidency with a rough start losing my office staff and having to learn many things on the go and by the seat of my pants, but I could not have done this at all without the love and support of my wife and family, they allowed me to do this and it meant sacrificing family time away from them to deal with farm bureau issues. So, to them I say thank you. I also like to thank my fellow board members. They were, and always will be there for me, and helped me throughout the whole process. They were always there when I needed anything, and for that I thank all of you for the support. In my eyes it’s not just me as the lead, it’s a team effort, so thank you! I would also like to thank my staff. You have always supported me as well, helped take the workload off me, made sure the farm bureau work was always done, and that we represented our members to the fullest! To our next president Nick Davis and his committee, I wish you all good luck and I am here for you if there is anything needed. Thank you to all our Madera County Farm Bureau members for allowing me to be your president for the last 4 years!
