First, I would like to thank all of you attended our Annual Meeting on May 21. Your participation is what makes Farm Bureau special. We are the largest agricultural organization in the county, state and nation. It is this grassroots participation that makes this organization great.

This past year seems to have flown by. Even though as officers we start out slow and move through the chairs I am not sure that I truly appreciated the time that my predecessors devoted to the position.

Years ago, Kevin Fondse and Loren Ohm convinced me that it was only one meeting a month; Boy did they sucker me in.

I truly appreciate the opportunity you have provided me as president of the San Joaquin Farm Bureau. This is a tremendous organization with a very capable staff that strives to represent our interests at the county, state and national levels.

Your Farm Bureau has been actively engaged on many fronts this past year. We have addressed water issues, air issues, Williamson Act issues, land use issues, labor issues and several others.

San Joaquin Farm Bureau was instrumental in helping to bring the Spray Safe program to San Joaquin County. This program helps to give agriculture a positive face in the community by reflecting our concern for our workers, the environment and our neighbors. The second program was held in February this year and plans are already underway to do another program in 2011. Close to 75 percent of the attendees at the second conference had not attended the first.

Other events include Media Night where we invite all of the local media to a dinner and farmers market to promote our industry, make contacts and attempt to put a positive face on what we do and provide to the community. It is through this venue that we hope to develop those relationships that should an issue important to us arises that they will call us first.

I would like to thank all of you who attended and supported the FarmPAC fundraiser that we had this last fall. It is through events like this that Farm Bureau is able to support candidates that support our industry and issues that are important to us.

It truly amazes me how many people actually read the San Joaquin Farm Bureau News. I don’t know how many people have asked if I really write the articles. Yes I do. I know there I times when not everyone agrees with my thoughts but that is not all bad. It provides an opportunity for discussion and oftentimes leads to a better understanding of the issues for all of us involved.

You can also be proud of the San Joaquin Farm Bureau Foundation. We have one of the most successful foundations in the state. As you saw at the annual meeting, the foundations efforts pay off not only in helping to educate the next generation of agriculturalists but it also supports the Ag in the Classroom program and the AgVenture program. Your support of their fundraisers is what makes this all possible.

Two weeks ago Gail and I had the opportunity to represent California Farm Bureau in Washington, D.C., for the National Affairs Trip. This was a tremendous experience. We went through orientations then spent time at the American Farm Bureau, various agencies that are involved in agriculture such as the USDA, EPA, Interior Department and Foreign affairs. This all lead up to our congressional visits.

This program serves two purposes. The first is to educate all of the participants as to our government and how it works. The second is for us to share our message with anyone who will listen.

Right now as you might imagine there are some who are clueless as to our needs and even less interested in what agriculture needs. We did our best to educate those that we met with about our needs especially as it relates to estate taxes, the clean water act, the farm bill and the ESA.

Now for the rest of the story, Gail and I were told that we were the first husband and wife team that were sent. The deal is, however, that Gail is not only a partner in the farm but an agriculture instructor at Modesto Junior College. She has an understanding not only of agriculture but of reaching the next generation of agriculturalists. She teaches environmental and horticultural science as well as classes in ag business and counsels literally dozens of students as they work to realize further education or return to the farm.

We are extremely grateful for this opportunity to learn but also to represent you.

This experience was also good from another standpoint. For many years now, Gail has referred to Farm Bureau as my mistress. She has questioned the time I have spent going to the many meetings and what we actually accomplish. She now sees why we do this. If we are to remain viable as an industry we need to be involved. If we want to pass our heritage to our children we must remain vigilant. We do this by being at the table weather it is at the county, state or national level. There are many that do not understand us and many more who view us as the enemy. They only way we can preserve our heritage is to remain engaged.

So for you spouses and family members out there who sometimes question our involvement, please be patient because we will persevere.

In closing, I just want to let you know there is hope. The next generation is engaging and preparing to take their place in our operations and in the Farm Bureau. The morning of the Annual Meeting my daughter, Rosebud, indicated that when she was the Farm Bureau President she might do some things differently. I told her to go for it.

In that same vein, we do have a group of young agriculturalists involved. They are the San Joaquin Young Farmers and Ranchers. They were recently awarded with the Young Farmer and Ranchers award for Outstanding Chapter from the state YF&R.

As you can see it has been a busy year with many new opportunities to represent agriculture. The other officers, Bruce Fry and Jack Ham, and I will be available should you have any questions about becoming involved. Remember "it is only one meeting a month."