Douglass elected to lead Farm Bureau

By Christine Souza 

Shannon Douglass, a diversified farmer from Glenn County, has been elected as the new president of the California Farm Bureau.

Douglass, who served three terms as first vice president, becomes the first woman to head the organization, which was founded in 1919.

The election took place at the organization’s 105th Annual Meeting Dec. 1-6, in Reno, Nevada, a conference in which Douglass emphasized unity and collaboration as the Farm Bureau works to sustain agriculture in the state.

“This is an exciting moment,” Douglass said after the vote. “Farm Bureau has provided me with tremendous opportunities as a first-generation farmer. I’m excited to be part of the leadership of this organization, which represents the diversity of farmers and ranchers in our state.

“The California Farm Bureau has long played an important role in working to protect the future of America’s most productive agricultural economy,” Douglass said. “We face abundant challenges in farming and ranching today. But California remains a great place to grow food, and Farm Bureau is committed to helping our state farmers, ranchers and agricultural businesses thrive for generations to come.”

Douglass succeeds Jamie Johansson, a Butte County olive and citrus fruit grower who served three terms as president, beginning in 2017.

Douglass is an owner of Douglass Ranch in Orland, which raises cattle and grows walnuts, corn and forage crops. She also co-founded CalAgJobs, an online listing of employment opportunities in California agriculture.

Having dedicated 20 years to the organization, Douglass has served as a director of the Glenn County Farm Bureau and as chair of the California Farm Bureau’s Young Farmers & Ranchers State Committee.

She is a graduate of the Leadership Farm Bureau program and the California Agricultural Leadership Program and participated in the American Farm Bureau Federation Partners in Advocacy Leadership program. Douglass earned a master’s degree in agricultural policy, a bachelor’s degree in agriculture and a minor in agriculture business from California State University, Chico.

Addressing delegates, she called for “collaboration” and “teamwork” to advance the cause of agriculture in California. She called Farm Bureau “the greatest ag organization in the state,” declaring that “all of California agriculure relies on our strength.”

Shaun Crook, vice president of a family timber business and a real estate agent specializing in ranch, commercial and residential properties, was elected as the Farm Bureau’s first vice president. Crook has served three terms as the organization’s second vice president. He was first elected as president of Tuolumne County Farm Bureau in 2015.

Addressing delegates, Crook said visiting with members in the counties “reenergizes me about our shared mission and acknowledgment of how important every single one of you are to the success of California agriculture. You are the grassroots that make this organization special.”

Ron Peterson, a member of the Stanislaus County Farm Bureau, declined the nomination for first vice president but accepted the sole nomination for second vice president and was elected to the position.

A member of California Farm Bureau Board of Directors and chair of the organization’s finance committee, Peterson is past president of the Stanislaus County Farm Bureau. He is a cattle rancher and dairy farmer who grows silage crops and almonds in Hilmar.

“I’ve served this organization for 27 years, and Farm Bureau is family,” Peterson said in addressing delegates. “I look forward to working with this team. I will work very hard for you, and I appreciate the confidence in your vote.”

After two standing ovations from delegates and attendees, Johansson thanked the group for his six years as California Farm Bureau president.

“I’ve loved every minute of it,” he said. “Let’s go make a difference and make some changes for the betterment of California because California needs agriculture.

“Our vision is: California Farm Bureau protects California’s diverse farming and ranching legacy and enables the whole agriculture community to thrive,” he said. “It is our diversity that makes us stronger, and we have an opportunity to change this state and have a greater influence into changing this country.”

In other business, and for the first time in 39 years, delegates admitted a new Farm Bureau to membership in the organization. The San Francisco Farm Bureau is the 54th Farm Bureau and follows Inyo-Mono County Farm Bureau that was approved in 1984.

The idea to create the San Francisco Farm Bureau was spearheaded by California Treasurer Fiona Ma, who served in the California State Assembly representing San Francisco. She traveled to Reno to personally pitch delegates on the proposal.

“We want to do more to educate our young people in terms of Ag in the Classroom and Ag Day, and make sure that they have the same opportunities so that they appreciate all of the hard work that you all do,” Ma told attendees. “I wanted to make sure that we protected our farmers and our ranchers, so we don’t have to depend on other countries or other states for our food.”

Before approving the new Farm Bureau, Douglass said proponents applied for membership into the organization and met bylaw requirements.

Four new board members were also elected at the annual meeting: Mark Lopez of Fullerton represents Los Angeles and Orange counties; Kevin Robertson of Corcoran represents Kern and Kings counties; Lorna Roush of Riverdale represents Fresno County; and Jake Wenger of Modesto represents Stanislaus and Tuolumne counties.

Seven members of the board were re-elected to new, two-year terms: Clark Becker of Biggs represents Butte, Nevada and Yuba-Sutter counties; Taylor Hagata of Susanville represents Lassen, Modoc and Plumas-Sierra counties; Ronnie Leimgruber of Holtville represents Imperial and San Diego counties; Jay Mahil of Madera represents Madera, Mariposa and Merced counties; Joe Martinez of Winters represents Alameda, Contra Costa and Solano counties; Ron Vevoda of Ferndale represents Del Norte and Humboldt counties; and Johnnie White of Napa represents Marin, Napa and Sonoma counties.

Trelawney Bullis of Fresno was elected to chair the statewide Young Farmers & Ranchers Committee and will serve as a member of the California Farm Bureau board. Kern County farmer Jenny Holtermann of Wasco will advise the board as chair of the Rural Health and Safety Committee.

Farm Bureau leaders Douglass and Crook will serve as delegates to the American Farm Bureau Federation annual convention next month in Salt Lake City, Utah. Peterson and Siskiyou County farmer Brandon Fawaz of Etna are named as alternate delegates.

(Christine Souza is an assistant editor of Ag Alert. She may be contacted at csouza@cfbf.com.)