Many People Make Us Successful

Many people make us successful

By Bruce Fry, SJFB President

I would like to thank the membership for electing me for a second term as president of the San Joaquin Farm Bureau. I am again honored and excited about the future of the San Joaquin Farm Bureau.

We have so many issues to tackle this year: The Delta [Delta Plan, BDCP, DSC, DPC], Forward Landfill expansion, winery ordinance update, rural crime, County General Plan update, exotic pests/diseases and quarantines, Williamson Act funding, etc. I could keep going, but all you have to do is read our monthly newspaper or Ag Alert every week to see what we farmers are dealing with everyday.

Luckily, the San Joaquin Farm Bureau is blessed with an amazing hard working dedicated staff, officer team and board. We will make things happen! Again, “Tell your story. Create relationships. Make change happen.” That is what we at Farm Bureau do and need to continue to do.

The 98th San Joaquin Farm Bureau Annual Meeting was a success. Thank you for all of you who attend and I especially want to thank (Kn)atalie, Kory, Katie and Kathy for coordinating the event.

It could not have happened with out of our financial partners/sponsors: American AgCredit, Liondudakis, Herum/Crabtree, PG&E, South San Joaquin Irrigation District, Petersen & Co., Stanislaus Farm Supply, State Fund Insurance, Hesseltine Realty and Ralph Hayes & Son, Inc. Thanks to all of you.

We had two great speakers, San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors Chairman Steve Bestolarides and UOP Director of the Business Forecasting Center Dr. Jeffrey Michael. Mr. Bestolarides touched on the hot topics at hand: county hospital, water and budget. Dr. Michael came to give us his perspective on the Delta water issues and the peripheral canal.

Later on that night the San Joaquin Farm Bureau Foundation awarded 21 scholarships to students in our county. The best part was, almost all of them are attending Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, my alma mater, the one and the only “learn by doing” college.

We also honored Alex Hildebrand and Pat Connolly who both past away early this year. Both of these men gave a lot to our county and to the San Joaquin Farm Bureau. One sentence does not do them justice, but I did want to mention it and they will be missed.

Lastly and most importantly, we need to grow our membership. Every day, we advocate for all farmers and ranchers. Just hand your neighbor a Farm Bureau newspaper and see what we do for $225 for an agricultural member and $72 for an associate member per year! A great deal, in many ways. Join today!