Mira Winery, which produces a limited amount of hand crafted, all natural wines, each a singular expression of unique grapes, announced today that Ed Thralls is joining the team as President. The hiring follows the opening of Mira winery and hospitality house last fall on the 16-acre estate just south of Yountville in the heart of the Napa Valley.
“Ed has the one two punch of extensive wine business experience and in-depth understanding of high quality winemaking that will only accelerate the establishment of Mira as one of the world’s leading producers of fine wines,” said Jim “Bear” Dyke, Mira Proprietor. “Ed elevates an already exceptional team and I am thrilled he is joining us.”
Thralls came to Mira from Benovia Winery where he served as General Manager, driving Benovia’s high-growth consumer-focused business model and creating a world-class customer service reputation, directing all sales, marketing, hospitality, finance and business operations for the winery as well as production planning for the 72 acres of organically or sustainably farmed estate vineyards. Prior to that role, he served as the director of consumer sales & marketing Flowers Vineyards & Winery and Huneeus Vintners.
Mira recently announced they were incorporating the Western Hemisphere’s only wooden egg wine fermentation tank at their new winery in Yountville, CA as another component of their innovation and commitment to the highest quality wines. This unique vessel called “Ovum” by its creator, French cooperage Tonnellerie Taransaud, joins Mira’s custom designed hand-crafted tank cellar and adds an exciting new facet to Mira’s pure, terroir-driven winemaking.
Thralls holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Information Science from the University of Florida, an MBA in Finance from Georgia State University and brings more than 25 years of combined experience in both wine and financial technology industries. He studied winemaking at UC Davis and is a Certified Specialist of Wine (CSW).
The “Miracle” of Mira
In 2009 entrepreneur Jim “Bear” Dyke and winemaker Gustavo A. Gonzalez launched Mira Winery and began to produce limited production single vineyard 100% varietal wines that are interesting, balanced and a true reflection of their place, varietal, and season. Mira is the Latin root of miracle. Mira opened a new winery and hospitality house at 6170 Washington Street in August of 2019 and takes tour and tasting reservations by appointment only. For more information on Mira, please visit our website http://www.miranapa.com or follow us on Instagram and Facebook.
Category: Ag Legislation
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Mira Winery Announces Ed Thralls as President
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2020 Paso Robles Wine Industry Persons of the Year
Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance — We are thrilled to announce the 2020 Paso Robles Wine Industry Persons of the Year awardees, founders and owners of Peachy Canyon Winery, the Beckett Family!
This award, bestowed by the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance (PRWCA), annually recognizes an individual(s) who exemplify the spirit of Paso Robles Wine Country with outstanding leadership, vision, and stewardship. This award is typically presented at the PRWCA’s Annual Gala, which will not take place this year due to limitations on large gatherings. Instead, the Beckett Family, including Doug and Nancy Beckett, Jake Beckett, and Josh Beckett, will be honored in an upcoming Where Wine Takes You podcast as well as an episode of the weekly Paso Wine Zoom Hangout. An in-person celebration to honor the Beckett family will take place in the future once large gatherings are able to take place.
“We would like to thank the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance, its members and associates, for recognizing the Beckett family and our involvement in promoting Paso Robles Wine Country,” said Doug and Nancy Beckett, Founders of Peachy Canyon Winery. “Together, we sincerely appreciate this honor.”
Nancy and Doug Beckett moved to Paso Robles in 1982 seeking a life in the country. In 1984, Doug’s love of wine led him to a job making wine with Pat Wheeler at Tobias Winery. In 1988, Doug and Nancy founded Peachy Canyon Winery. Over the years Peachy Canyon Winery grew into a multi-state distributed brand, bringing the Paso Robles American Viticultural Area (AVA) name to many markets both nationally and internationally.
“Thank you to everyone in the Paso Wine community. My family and I are grateful to be a part of something very special. We will carry this special recognition as a part of who we are for generations to come. Cheers!” said Josh Beckett, Winemaker and Director of Viticulture. Jake Beckett, General Manager, followed up, “This is a huge honor. I am humbled and thankful to be a part of this community.”
Brothers Josh and Jake Beckett returned to join the family business after college, Josh in 1998 and Jake in 2000. Josh took on winemaking duties at the family brand and Jake manned the tractor in the vineyard as well as took to the road further establishing Peachy Canyon Winery as a national brand. In 2008, Josh and Jake partnered together to start their own winery, Chronic Cellars. In 2010, they left Peachy Canyon to dedicate themselves to Chronic Cellars full-time. Their success was swift and quickly recognized, attracting WX Brands to purchase Chronic Cellars. The timing was serendipitous when Doug decided he was ready to retire and his sons returned to take the reins in April of 2019. Jake Beckett now serves as Peachy Canyon’s General Manager and Josh has reprised his former role as Winemaker and Director of Viticulture.
The Beckett family is committed to the local community as well as the greater wine industry. Doug and Nancy Beckett are dedicated to the arts in Paso Robles with both serving on the board and supporting the Paso Robles Youth Arts Foundation (PRYAF). Nancy has served as the President of the PRYAF in the past and is still actively involved in their leadership. Doug and Nancy are also larger contributors and supporters to the Cancer Support Community – California Central Coast. Doug, Josh, and Jake have all served on the board of directors for the Zinfandel Advocates & Producers, an organization that promotes and protects California’s heritage wine grape variety.
The annual Paso Robles Wine Industry Person(s) of the Year award is voted on by the membership of the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance. Members are comprised of wineries, vineyards, and related businesses. The PRWCA Board of Directors is the nominating body for this annual honor that was established in 1990. – By Jennifer Bravo, Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance
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Ganoderma: Why Are My Almond Trees Falling Over?
Almond trees are collapsing all over the California, and it’s not just an old age thing anymore. If you are experiencing this in your orchard, your trees may have Ganoderma Heart Rot. Watch this brief interview with UCCE Nut Crops Advisor Mae Culumber as she explains, based on her recent presentation at the Grape, Nut & Tree Fruit Expo.
Please thank this video’s sponsor Trece for their industry support.
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Director of the UC Kearney Research & Extension Center Retires
Jeff Dahlberg, UCCE Specialist & Director of the UC Kearney Agricultural Research & Extension Center (KARE) in Parlier UC Cooperative Extension specialist Jeff Dahlberg, also the director of the UC Kearney Agricultural Research and Extension Center (KARE) in Parlier, invoked his 35 years of sorghum expertise to increasing interest in growing the crop in California and to better understanding plants’ ability to tolerate drought. Dahlberg retires Jan. 8.
As a Peace Corps volunteer in Niger in the early 1980s, Dahlberg was intrigued by sorghum, a staple food being cultivated by the country’s vast population of subsistence farmers.
“I was impressed with the fact that sorghum was so drought tolerant,” Dahlberg said. “Nigerien farmers relied solely on rain for their sorghum and millet crops.”
Upon returning to the U.S., he earned a master’s degree at the University of Arizona and a Ph.D. at Texas A&M, where his research focused on sorghum. He worked with the USDA Agricultural Research Service in Puerto Rico for 7 years and then spent the next 10 years as research director with the National Sorghum Producers in Lubbock, Texas.
When Dahlberg took the helm of the 330-acre UC agricultural research center in 2010, he and colleagues at the UC West Side Research and Extension Center and at UC Davis began conducting sorghum forage variety trials. Sorghum wasn’t new to California. In the past, it had mainly been used for animal feed. But Dahlberg believed the crop’s adaptability – excellent for forage, biofuels and gluten-free human food – offered the grain a rosy future in the Golden State.
“With our research, we have provided California farmers who are thinking about growing sorghum access to locally generated, research-based information to help them make the decision,” Dahlberg said.
Jeff Dahlberg, center, with a delegation of Chinese sorghum scientists on Sept. 24, 2015, in a sorghum field at Kearney. In 2015, Dahlberg and UC Berkeley specialist Peggy Lemaux launched a sweeping drought research project at KARE. The five-year study, funded with a $12.3 million grant from the Department of Energy, researched the genetics of drought tolerance in sorghum and how soil microbial communities interacted with sorghum roots to battle drought stress.
A journal article published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in 2018 presented the first detailed look at the role of drought in restructuring the root microbiome. The plant switches some genes on and some genes off when it detects water scarcity and access to water.
“That has implications for feeding the world, particularly considering the changing climate and weather patterns,” Dahlberg said.
In recent years, Dahlberg helped reestablish tea research at Kearney, initiated nearly 60 years ago in a study funded by Thomas J. Lipton, Inc. At the time, Lipton was seeking to grow tea for the instant tea market. When the Kearney tea research program was scrapped in 1981, a researcher had a handful of the best tea clones planted in the landscape around buildings at Kearney.
Those shrubs became the basis for a new tea research trial planted at Kearney in 2017 with UC Davis professor Jackie Gervay Hague to determine whether drought stress impacts the production of phenolics and tannins in the tea.
“We know we can grow good tea here and we can grow high tonnage,” Dahlberg said. “We want to determine if we can do that on a consistent basis and whether we can improve tea quality through irrigation management.”
In retirement, Dahlberg plans to relocate to Lake Ann, Mich., to be close to family. UC Cooperative Extension irrigation specialist Khaled Bali will serve as interim director of the UC Kearney Agricultural Research and Extension Center. — By Jeannette Warnert, UCANR
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New Avocado Study Outlines Costs & Returns of High-Density Plantings
Growers considering producing avocados in San Diego County with high-density plantings now have help to determine the economic feasibility. A new study on the costs and returns of establishing and producing avocados in San Diego County has been released by UC Agriculture and Natural Resources’ Cooperative Extension, UC Agricultural Issues Center and the UC Davis Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics.
A worker prunes weak tree branches to improve sunlight penetration in a high-density avocado orchard. Avocado has been one of the prominent crops produced in Southern California since the early 1950s. California avocado production peaked in 1987-88 with about 76,300 acres. San Diego had been the leading producer accounting for about 60% of the acreage.
“Beginning in the early 1980s, there has been a continuous decline of acreage and production of avocados in San Diego County, said Etaferahu Takele, UC Cooperative Extension farm management advisor for Southern California and co-author of the study. “This is mainly because of the expansion of urban development that has increased the cost of producing the crop and especially the cost of water, reaching to up to $2,000 per acre feet in 2020.”
The same amount of water was sufficient for the high-density avocados as it was for the traditional planting (Photo by Gary Bender). High-density planting increases profitability of avocado production given there is suitable land for high-density orchard development.
Although the cost of water accounts for 44% of the total production cost in the high-density planting, the water cost is proportionally less than in the conventional planting of 145 trees per acre when distributed over a higher yield per acre, the authors write.
Their cost analysis describes production operations for avocados planted at 430 trees per acre, with an expected life span of 40 years. The study includes a detailed summary of costs and returns and a profitability analysis of gross margin, economic profit and a break-even ranging analysis table, which shows profits over a range of prices and yields. Growers can identify their gross margin and returns to management based on their yield and prices received.
UC Cooperative Extension advisor Gary Bender checks sunlight penetration in a high-density avocado orchard. Input and reviews were provided by a UC Cooperative Extension farm advisor and grower cooperators in San Diego County. The authors describe the assumptions used to identify current costs for avocado establishment and production, material inputs, cash and non-cash overhead.
The new study, “Avocado Establishment and Production Costs and Profitability Analysis in High Density Planting, San Diego County-2020,” can be downloaded for free from the UC Davis Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics website at http://coststudies.ucdavis.edu and UCCE Riverside County Farm Management website at https://ucanr.edu/sites/Farm_Management/Costs_and_Returns. Sample cost of production studies for many other commodities are also available on the websites.
For additional information or an explanation of the calculations used in the studies, refer to the “Assumptions” section of the report or contact Takele at (951) 683-6491 Ext. 243 or ettakele@ucanr.edu or Donald Stewart at the UC Agricultural Issues Center at destewart@ucdavis.edu. — By Pamela Kan-Rice, UCANR
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California Beef Council Approves 2021 Work Plan, Appoints New Leadership
The California Beef Council (CBC) will invest over $1 million in 2021 in efforts to promote beef, provide consumer information, engage with foodservice and retail stakeholders, educate health and nutrition influencers, and provide educational and informational resources to beef producers. This 2021 work plan and budget were approved by the producer-led CBC board of directors during its annual meeting, held virtually December 15 and 16.
“California Beef Council decisions are driven by beef producers, and the cattlemen and women who are part of the organization carefully consider all strategies to determine the best way to invest our Checkoff dollars with the overall goal of driving beef demand,” said 2020 CBC Chair Jesse Larios. “Every year, the CBC reviews proposals brought forth from CBC staff and external organizations to determine how to distribute our funding in a way that best serves the long-term success of California’s beef industry.”
Programs planned for 2021 include four seasonal integrated marketing campaigns, which will combine broad marketing and advertising efforts with retail-level promotions and incentives for purchasing beef. In 2019, similar campaigns resulted in over 97 million cumulative impressions, with the results of 2020 campaigns still being analyzed. Also included in the 2021 work plan are numerous educational programs targeting California health and nutrition professionals, with the goal of providing science-based nutrition information about beef to this community of influencers.
Continued enhancement and roll-out of digital resources and experiences for retail and foodservice professionals will also take place in 2021, providing crucial beef education tools for these industries that are ideal for the virtual world. For producers, educational programs in Beef Quality Assurance certification, media spokesperson training and industry advocacy will also take place.
In addition to setting the stage for 2021, CBC staff also thoroughly reviewed the results and outcomes of programs funded in 2020, providing producer leadership with a clear picture of what was accomplished.
“This past year has certainly been challenging, and like other organizations, the CBC had to pivot and refocus its efforts in the wake of the pandemic,” noted Larios. “Yet despite some of the setbacks this year caused, we were able to successfully move forward with a variety of efforts that positively represented our cattle and beef community. I am proud of the work the CBC is able to accomplish every year, but especially in this year of disruption and uncertainty.”
During its annual meeting, the CBC board also appointed its 2021 leadership, with an executive committee comprised of producers representing every sector of California’s beef industry. Serving as chair and vice chair in the coming year are Tom Barcellos of Porterville, representing the dairy sector, and Cindy Tews of Fresno, representing the range sector. Jesse Larios, 2020 chair of the CBC representing the feeder sector, will continue in an ex-officio role.
To learn more about the CBC plans for 2021 and results of 2020, a recording of the staff presentation is available at www.CalBeef.org/beef-producers.
About the California Beef Council
The California Beef Council (CBC) was established in 1954 to serve as the promotion, research, and education arm of the California beef industry, and is mandated by the California Food and Agricultural Code. The CBC’s mission is to position the California beef industry for sustained beef demand growth through promotion, research and education. For more information, visit www.calbeef.org.
About the Beef Checkoff
The Beef Checkoff Program was established as part of the 1985 Farm Bill. The checkoff assesses $1 per head on the sale of live domestic and imported cattle, in addition to a comparable assessment on imported beef and beef products. States may retain up to 50 cents on the dollar and forward the other 50 cents per head to the Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion and Research Board, which administers the national checkoff program, subject to USDA approval.
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Ag Revolution Saved Over 100 Million Infant Lives in Developing World
UC San Diego – New research from the University of California San Diego shows that since modern crop varieties were introduced in the developing world starting in 1961, they have substantially reduced infant mortality, especially for male babies and among poor households.
The study assessed mortality rates of more 600,000 children across 37 developing countries, revealing global diffusion of agricultural technology reduced infant mortality by up to 2.4 to 5.3 percentage points. This translates to around 3 to 6 million infant deaths averted per year by the year 2000.
The global scale of the study–the most sweeping to measure the green revolution’s impact on child health–is critical because while the green revolutions represents one of the most important technological transformations in modern history, it did not reach all parts of the world equally.
“If the green revolution had spread to sub-Saharan Africa like it did to South Asia, our estimates imply that infant mortality rates would improve by 31 percent,” said Gordon McCord, study co-author and associate teaching professor of economics at UC San Diego’s School of Global Policy and Strategy.
In the course of the past 60 years, the green revolution catalyzed the spread of modern crop varieties for staple crops such as wheat, maize and rice throughout the developing world. It also exemplifies successful U.S. international cooperation–the Rockefeller and Ford foundations were the initial funders of the green revolution in the 1950s and 1960s, followed by the governments of wealthy countries, including the United States.
Developed by dozens of national agriculture programs with the support of international agricultural research centers, the crops have high yield potential such as resistance to stress, pests and disease, and improved quality of the harvested material. The increase of agricultural production worldwide has been credited with saving over a billion people from starvation.
In the paper, published in the Journal of Health Economics, McCord and co-authors combined geospatial crop data with child-level data of over 600,000 children across 21,604 locations in 37 developing countries between 1961 and 2000. Their findings imply that a substantial part of the infant mortality reduction observed in the developing world during the second half of the 20th century is due to diffusion of agricultural technologies and inputs. By the year 2000, more than three million infant lives were saved per year as a result.
The child-level data were provided by geo-located public health surveys of women of ages 15-49 regarding their fertility history, generating records for around three million children. McCord and co-authors culled down that information to focus on rural areas and to mothers who never migrated. This data set was spatially merged with crop distribution data, allowing for an analysis at high spatial resolution.
Modern crop varieties proved to have positive effect on all infants; however, the impact is greater among male than female babies. The researchers found impact on female infants only in countries with more gender parity, suggesting the larger impact on male babies is partly due to discrimination by sex in resource allocation to children. Additionally, infant mortality rates declined more sharply among poorer households.
“The health benefits of broad-based increases in agricultural productivity should not be overlooked,” McCord said. “From the policy perspective, government support for inputs leading to a green revolution as well as investments in extension and R&D programs are important.”
At the global level, the researchers’ estimates suggest that an increase in modern crop adoption from 0 to 50 percent leads to a decline in infant mortality by 33-38 deaths per 1,000 children.
The authors conclude their work speaks to the importance of improving productivity in agriculture as a means of improving lives in developing countries, including the lives of the poor in rural areas.
“It is reasonable to view with some alarm the steady decline in funding for cereal crop improvement over the last few decades in sub-Saharan Africa, the continent with the least modern crop varieties,” they write. “As such, our research can inform the recent debate about whether investing in increased smallholder agricultural productivity is an effective strategy for economic development, health improvement and poverty alleviation in sub-Saharan Africa.”
The research was supported by the Gates Foundation and the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) Standing Panel on Impact Assessment.
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USDA Provides Over $70 Million to Protect Ag from Pests and Diseases
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is allocating more than $70 million to support 383 projects under the Plant Protection Act’s Section 7721 program to strengthen the nation’s infrastructure for pest detection and surveillance, identification, threat mitigation, to safeguard the nursery production system and to respond to plant pest emergencies. Universities, states, federal agencies, nongovernmental organizations, nonprofits, and Tribal organizations will carry out selected projects in 49 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico.
“State governments, academic institutions, and other essential cooperators across the country use these USDA funds to protect American crops and natural resources and ensure the marketability of our agricultural products across the globe,” said Greg Ibach, Under Secretary for USDA’s Marketing and Regulatory Programs.
The fiscal year 2021 project list includes 29 projects funded through the National Clean Plant Network (NCPN). The NCPN helps our country maintain the infrastructure necessary to ensure that pathogen-free, disease-free and pest-free certified planting materials for fruit trees, grapes, berries, citrus, hops, sweet potatoes, and roses are available to U.S. specialty crop producers.
Since 2009, USDA has supported more than 4,400 projects and provided nearly $670 million in funding through the Plant Pest and Disease Management and Disaster Prevention Program. Collectively, these projects allow USDA and its partners to quickly detect and rapidly respond to invasive plant pests and diseases.
In FY 2021, funded projects include, among others:
- Asian giant hornet research and eradication efforts: $944,116 in Washington and other states;
- Exotic fruit fly survey and detection: $5,575,000 in Florida and California;
- Agriculture detector dog teams: $4,287,097 to programs in California, Florida, and nationally to support detector dog teams;
- Honey bee and pollinator health: $1,337,819 to protect honey bees, bumble bees and other important pollinators from harmful pests;
- Biosecurity: $1,339,183 to Texas to monitor for pests in agricultural shipments at ports of entry;
- Stone fruit and orchard commodities: $1,158,000 to support pest detection surveys in 10 states including New York and Pennsylvania;
- Forest pests: $876,485 for various detection tools, control methods development, or outreach to protect forests from harmful pests in 16 states, including Arkansas, Indiana, South Carolina, and New Hampshire;
- Phytophthora ramorum (sudden oak death pathogen) and related species: $513,497 in 14 states and nationally for survey, diagnostics, mitigation, probability modeling, genetic analysis, and outreach;
- Solanaceous plants (including the tomato commodity): $434,000 to support surveys in 13 states including Texas, Mississippi, and South Carolina.
USDA will use $14 million to rapidly respond to invasive pest emergencies should a pest of high economic consequence be found in the United States. In the past, USDA has used these funds to rapidly respond to pests such as grasshoppers, Mormon crickets, the Asian giant hornet, coconut rhinoceros beetle, exotic fruit flies, and the spotted lanternfly.
As the United States and the world recognize the International Year of Plant Health through June 2021, this funding highlights USDA’s continued commitment to safeguarding our agricultural resources for current and future generations.
Learn more about the Plant Protection Act, Section 7721 on the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) website: www.aphis.usda.gov/ppa-projects.
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Tito Sasaki Honored with the 2020 California Farm Bureau Federation Distinguished Service Award
Sonoma County Farm Bureau — Tito Sasaki, a Sonoma Valley grape grower, scientist, and businessman, 35-year member and past president of Sonoma County Farm Bureau and Farm Bureau Foundation of Sonoma County, is the recipient of the 2020 California Farm Bureau Federation Distinguished Service Award.
The California Farm Bureau has presented the Distinguished Service Award annually since 1953 to dedicated Farm Bureau members from California. Over the last century, Farm Bureau has had dozens of strong leaders. However, few have devoted the time and energy that Tito Sasaki has given, which is why he is so deserving of this recognition. This is the first time a member from Sonoma County has received this award.
With humility and a strong community spirit, Sasaki said he was honored to receive such a recognition.
“I am most appreciative of the Sonoma County Farm Bureau’s generosity in recommending me for the award,” Sasaki said. “If I were still on the Board, I would have recommended instead, the whole Sonoma County Farm Bureau— its members, staff, and the board. Perhaps, it doesn’t make much difference. I am, after all, accepting this honor on behalf of our Farm Bureau family.”
Jeff Carlton, former Sonoma County Farm Bureau President who nominated Sasaki for the award, described Sasaki as “widely respected by both Farm Bureau members and elected officials, who value his intelligence and grasp of complex issues.”
After receiving several postgraduate degrees and a successful career in engineering and quantum mechanics, Tito Sasaki joined the Sonoma County Farm Bureau in 1985, after he and his wife bought their ranch and began to revive a neglected vineyard on the property.
Sasaki said soon after moving to Sonoma County he came to realize the tremendous value of Farm Bureau and its crucial role in representing farmers’ interests, protecting property rights, and preserving agriculture for future generations. Farm Bureau, he said, provides the structure for farmers to work together to tackle important issues.
For several decades, Sasaki worked tirelessly on water issues in Sonoma County. He devoted much of his time to developing water solutions and strategies, namely a balance between the water needs of farmers, fish, and urban residents. His work with the County was integral for the implementation of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act. He was also a member and past Chairman of Sonoma County Farm Bureau’s Water Committee and a member of the Natural Resources Committee.
Sasaki has served as a one-of-a-kind leader who is passionate about securing agriculture’s future in Sonoma County. His efforts, undoubtedly, helped to ensure a bright future for the next generation of farmers and ranchers. In 2019, Tito’s many contributions to agriculture were honored with his induction into the Sonoma County Farm Bureau Hall of Fame. The prestigious award recognizes individuals who have made a real and lasting difference in preserving and protecting Sonoma County’s agriculture industry and the county’s 500,000 acres of farmland.
“There are not many people who know and understand the issues in agriculture as well as Tito. During his years on the Farm Bureau Board, he devoted countless hours to the agricultural industry, going to meeting after meeting to represent the interests of our members,” Carlton said.
He said Tito is widely respected by both Farm Bureau members and elected officials who value his intelligence and grasp of complex issues.
Those who have worked with Tito over the years say his keen intelligence, analytical skills, and bulls-eye business acumen were put to good use in defining the issues and defending the rights and livelihoods of farmers and landowners.
Not surprisingly, those who worked closely with Sasaki during his many years of service to Farm Bureau and the Sonoma County community-at-large joined in congratulating him for receiving much-deserved award.
“Leaders often emerge when we need them the most. Tito Sasaki exemplifies that rise to leadership in a time of need. Early on Tito realized that water would be the dominant issue of the time in Sonoma County, throughout California and the West. He became Farm Bureau’s expert on water issues and worked tirelessly to ensure agricultural interests were represented in crafting water policy,” said Tim Tesconi, retired executive director of Sonoma County.
Tesconi said he was always impressed by Sasaki’s brilliant intellect, temperament, and grace.
“In meeting after meeting on complex water issues, land use, and other topics it became obvious that Tito was the smartest guy in the room. He lent his time and talents to define the issues and defend the rights and livelihoods of farmers and landowners,” said Tesconi
Former Sonoma County Ag Commissioner Tony Linegar said that he enjoyed his close working relationship with Sasaki.
“Tito’s strong grasp of complex and technical regulatory issues positioned him as a natural leader for the Farm Bureau in fighting for reasonable and pragmatic solutions to the challenges faced by Sonoma county farmers,” Linegar said. “He has been tireless in his efforts and has gained the respect of countless agency staff for his hard work and acumen.”
Jay Jasperse, chief engineer and director of groundwater management for the Sonoma County Water Agency, has worked with Tito over the last 15 years on water issues, primarily, implementation of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act.
“Tito was one of the first to recognize that agriculture needed to be at the table to represent its interests in a proactive manner on the development of management programs to ensure a stable water supply,” said Jasperse.
He said that Tito is one of the most impressive people he has ever worked with during his career.
“His intellect, work ethic, and his optimistic vision of the future, combined with his wry sense of humor, established him as a respected statewide leader on water matters,” Jasperse said. “I wish Tito the very best in his well-earned retirement and congratulate him on a job well done.”
California Farm Bureau President Jamie Johansson said that Sasaki has worked passionately on Sonoma County water issues for more than 20 years.
“He has devoted much of his time to developing water solutions and strategies, namely a balance among the water needs of farmers, fish, and urban residents,” Johansson said, noting his recent work in the county on implementation of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act.
Johansson said that Sasaki’s reach and influence extended beyond Sonoma County.
“Tito regularly communicated with state Farm Bureau leaders and staff as well as California legislators, seeking their expertise and support as he advocated for the agriculture industry and has been keenly focused on statewide issues impacting farmers,” Johansson said.
Although he has retired from the Farm Bureau board Tito continues to be an ambassador for agriculture and Farm Bureau while he focuses on the next chapter of his life with his wife Janet at their vineyard in Sonoma.
Tito Sasaki’s California Farm Bureau Federation Distinguished Service Award Acceptance Speech
Thank you very much for this extraordinary honor. It was an utter surprise to me and my wife Janet as we had no reason to expect it. I know that many of you deserve this honor more than I do. The only difference between us is that you are still contributing whereas I am done, over and out.
I did work hard when I was with you because it was fun. I enjoyed working not only at Sonoma County Farm Bureau but also at Napa, Marin, and Mendocino County Farm Bureaus as well as at the CFBF. The Farm Bureau, at every locality and level, is our family home where we trust each other and help each other. One does not live for himself alone. Only by helping others one can grow and prosper.
Our battles for water and for the freedom to work on our land will never end. Any victory will be short-lived. Looking back, I was engaged in never-ending struggles. But, you, by working through the Farm Bureau, will have fresh opportunities of winning new battles and improving your production and profit. Profit is essential. Without profit, there will be no freedom. And without freedom, there will be no act of greatness.
As the pandemic is tearing our social fabric, we need first to make sure we are on solid ground; then we should boost our contribution to society by creative means. I trust you will keep fighting for agriculture, keep working with each other, and make the best use of your hard-earned freedom. You will, and that’s why this Award should really belong to you all. — By Brytann Busick, Sonoma County Farm Bureau