Imperial County Farm Bureau

Imperial County community members and community-serving organizations are invited to the COVID-19 Community Update. Get the latest COVID-19 updates and answers to your questions from Janette Angulo, Imperial County Public Health Director. Invited guests this week include Carmen Cisneros and Mabel Martinez from Cal/OSHA. Due to the Thanksgiving Holiday, the next COVID-19 Community Update is scheduled for Wednesday, November 25, 2020. English Session: 11 am to 12 pm & Spanish S...ession: 1 pm to 2 pm. Future sessions will continue every other Friday unless otherwise announced. To participate via Zoom click the link below https://zoom.us/j/95260575999 or join by telephone: 1 (669) 900-6833 Meeting ID 95260575999 Passcode: 210871 For more information, please email Andrea Bowers at [email protected]. See more

If you are an agricultural worker who has tested positive for COVID-19 or has been exposed to COVID-19, you may be able to receive quarantine support and stay in a free hotel room. By staying in a hotel room away from others, you can protect your family and others from contracting COVID-19. Call (442) 283-0198 to see if you qualify for this program. For more information, vist: ... https://covid19.ca.gov/housing-for-agricultural-workers/ See more

Register today! #StillFarming #CFBFAnnualMeeting

Don't forget to vote today, and vote NO on Prop 15!

#FarmBureauFriday As we wrap up our #FarmerFriday series, we would like to thank the 41 farmers and ranchers who were featured on our social media platforms over the past 10 months! The goal of this series was to highlight how our local farmers and ranchers are involved in their local community, how they got started in their agriculture careers, what they value about the Farm Bureau, and their favorite ag-related memory. We hope that the local community enjoyed getting the opportunity to know our farmers on a more personal level!

#FarmerFriday Sutton Morgan is a fourth-generation Imperial Valley farmer and entrepreneur specializing in organic agriculture. He is the owner, CEO, and grower at Oasis Organics Inc. managing all areas of operations from the administration, crop production, harvest, packing, and sales. He currently farms 2,200 acres of organic produce and operates both packing and cooling facilities in Brawley. Sutton was born and raised in Brawley and is a Brawley Union High School alumnus.... He graduated from the University of California Santa Barbara with a degree in business economics and returned to the Valley after graduation. He worked under his father, Mike Morgan, to learn the ropes running a farm before starting his own organic farming operation in 2009. Sutton is one of three new Imperial County Farm Bureau Board of Directors. He values that the Farm Bureau acts as a forum that not only facilitates conversation amongst the ag community but also provides a forum for differing points of view to find common ground to support the ag community. Sutton’s favorite ag-related memory is getting pulled out of bed at the break of dawn as a kid to cut fresh celery out of the field and eating it with peanut butter for breakfast, then getting to take the produce back home to cook for dinner. Sutton is a member of Western Growers and was a part of the 2017 Western Growers Class IV Future Volunteer Leaders, a two-year networking and leadership development program. In 2014, Sutton was featured in Farmland, a documentary film about agriculture in the United States that was funded by the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance. It follows six farmers and ranchers from across the United States as they describe their experiences and views on modern agriculture.

Proposition 15 poses a dangerous threat to the future of California agriculture. The increased tax burden would be devastating to our family farms, ranches and the processing we depend upon. Vote #NOonProp15 Read the full article here: https://www.agalert.com/story/?id=14335

Thanks to these generous individuals and businesses, Imperial County Farm Bureau will be donating a little over $4,100 each to six local non-profit organizations that have been essential in getting food and additional resources to those in need throughout the Imperial Valley during these unprecedented times. The organizations receiving these donations are Brawley Feed the Need, Calexico Neighborhood House, House of Hope, Imperial Valley Food Bank, Niland Fire Fund, and Westmorland Community Food Pantry. We are very grateful for the support of our donors and the opportunity to give back to our community!

Imperial and Mexicali Valleys' agricultural workers are essential to the production of winter vegetables that feed the world. We must all do our part for the h...ealth and safety of our community and essential workers we all depend on. When leaving your home, please wear a face covering, wash your hands regularly, and keep your distance from others. Working together we can continue to feed the world and stop the spread of COVID-19. Los trabajadores del campo del Valle Imperial y Mexicali son esenciales para la producción invernal de vegetales que alimentan al mundo. Todos debemos hacer nuestra parte por la salud y seguridad de nuestra comunidad y de los trabajadores esenciales de los que dependemos. Cuando salgan de casa, por favor utilize cubrebocas, lave sus manos regularmente y mantenga su sana distancia con otras personas. Trabajando juntos podemos continuar alimentando al mundo y detener la propagación del COVID-19. Imperial County Farm Bureau @Imperial County Young Farmers and Ranchers Imperial Valley Vegetable Growers COLAB Imperial California Grown My Job Depends On Ag California Farm Bureau Federation San Diego County Farm Bureau Riverside County Farm Bureau @San Bernardino County Farm Bureau Tulare County Farm Bureau Monterey County Farm Bureau Fresno County Farm Bureau Western Growers Vessey Holtville @Sacramento County Farm Bureau California Young Farmers and Ranchers IVC Ag Club California Agricultural Leadership Foundation Gavin Newsom Karen Ross

Our 2nd Virtual Read with a Farmer event is happening tomorrow at 10AM on Zoom! Our reader tomorrow is Steve Snow. Steve is the General Manager of Phillips Cat...tle Company, a 28,000 head feed yard, south of El Centro. register at http://ucanr.edu/ReadwithaFarmer to receive the zoom link- Imperial County Farm Bureau Imperial Valley Vegetable Growers Imperial Valley Water - IVH2O Farm Credit West See more

#farmerFriday Emily Irungaray has been the HR manager for Triple I Press, LLC for eight years. Her day-to-day job duties include safety compliance, OSHA compliance, labor law issues, employee relations, and employee benefits to name a few. Her father immigrated from the Basque country of Spain in 1967 on a sheepherding visa. Although his stay was supposed to be temporary, he met Emily’s mother and decided to plant some roots. Her mother’s parents and grandparents were alfal...fa farmers. Her parents continued in the ag field from hauling hay to farming, to eventually starting Triple I Press, LLC in 1999 which includes transportation, farming, and export. Emily was born and raised in Holtville and is a graduate of Holtville High School. She attended Cal State San Marcos and got her business administration degree in human development. She also got her MBA with an emphasis in HR from National University. Emily is one of three new Imperial County Farm Bureau Board of Directors this year. She values the information Farm Bureau provides on new laws or regulations that may affect the ag community. Emily’s favorite ag-related memories are all the years she spent in 4-H raising and showing livestock. Those years taught her time management, discipline, and the value of a dollar. Emily is involved at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church where she serves as a lector and also helps with the annual fundraiser. She’s been a coach for numerous youth sports teams and is proud to support Holtville High School sports. In addition, Emily helps kids with livestock projects and supports the California Fair and Fiesta Livestock auction.

Celebrate National Read a Book Day with the 3rd annual Imperial County Read with a Farmer event. We are excited to partner with UC Farm Smart, Farm Credit West, IVH20, & IVVGA to present this year's virtual Read with a Farmer! There will be 3 live zoom reading sessions for third graders in addition to an all-ages live zoom reading session. Please find the schedule below:... Monday, October 19, 2020 @ 10 AM (3rd grade) Tuesday, October 20, 2020 @ 10 AM (3rd grade) Wednesday, October 21, 2020 @ 10 AM (3rd grade) Saturday, October 24, 2020 @ 2 PM (All Ages) For more information and to register for a specific time please visit http://drec.ucanr.edu/Farm_Smart/Virtual/Readwithafarmer/

#FarmerFriday Kate Elmore McCutcheon is the chief financial officer for Vail Ranches, LLC, and Sahara Packing Company, LLC. Kate manages all finance and accounting for her family’s farming operation as well as oversees Sahara Packing Company’s asparagus and artichoke sales program. She is a fifth-generation Imperial Valley farmer and has been working for her family’s business for four years. Kate was born and raised in Brawley and graduated from Brawley Union High School. She... attended the University of Southern California where she earned a bachelor's and master’s degree in Accounting. Upon graduating from USC, Kate started her career in public accounting with Ernst & Young in San Francisco and became a licensed C.P.A. After three years in public practice, Kate returned to the Imperial Valley to work for Vail Ranches alongside her father, uncle, and cousins. Kate’s passion for agriculture comes from her grandfathers, John Elmore and Tom Gargiulo, who both instilled a great sense of pride and love for farming in the Imperial Valley as well as a forward focus on continuing the business for future generations. Her favorite ag-related memory is visiting the ranch on weekends with her dad, Howard, and sister, Sarah, during her childhood to dig potatoes and carrots and have a picnic on the ranch. Kate is one of three new Imperial County Farm Bureau Board of Directors. She greatly values the Imperial County Farm Bureau for being an advocate and voice for local farmers and bringing awareness to issues that can potentially impact farming operations here in the Imperial Valley. She also appreciates ICFB’s efforts in supporting the local community whether that be supporting local charities or providing educational scholarships to Imperial Valley students. Kate is a recent graduate of Class 49 of the California Agricultural Leadership Foundation and a current member of the third cohort of the Water Solutions Network. Kate is the Internal Vice President for the California Women for Agriculture Imperial Valley chapter. She is an advisor for the Junior Fair Board, an elected board of high school students from all around the Imperial Valley who assist with animal shows and school tours as well as host High School Madness during the annual California Mid-Winter Fair and Fiesta.

#FarmerFriday Steve Snow is a third-generation rancher. He has been the general manager of Phillips Cattle Company, Inc. since 2012 and manages on average 15,000 head of cattle alongside his yard manager, Megan. Steve’s grandparents were farmers in Fresno, California and his uncle ran a feed yard operation that inspired him to get into the cattle industry. Steve was born in Washington and raised in Ventura County; His friend owned a feedlot called Butterspur Cattle Feeders a...nd convinced him to make the move to the Valley to work for him in 2006. Steve attended UC Davis and graduated with a degree in Agricultural Science and Management. He also completed the two-year University of Hawaii Agricultural Leadership program in 1990 and was an employee of Dole Food Company where he oversaw Dole’s cattle and non-pineapple farm operations during his time there. Steve value’s the advocacy the Farm Bureau provides to the local agriculture community. Steve’s favorite ag-related memory happened while he was working at Butterspur. He was walking a pen by himself, and without warning, he was shoved from behind by a young bull. Before Steve knew it, he was on the ground with the bull’s head on his chest. He was certain this was the end. Remarkably the bull let up for a split-second giving Steve enough time to flip onto his stomach, but not before the bull hurled him through the air causing him to land on his head. With the bull hot on his trail, Steve was able to escape through the cable wire to safety. He has never walked a pen alone with big animals again. Steve is the current president of COLAB Imperial Valley and is a past board member of the Boys and Girls Club of Imperial Valley. He has hosted an all-county 4-H field day at the feed yard for four years now. He teaches the kids how to give vaccinations, and how to work around cattle. He has also brought in agriculturists to do a round table of questions. He wants to promote to kids that they don’t have to come from a local ag family to be in the ag industry. Phillips Cattle purchases cattle at the California Mid-Winter Fair and Fiesta and they also purchase dairy calves in the buyback. Pictured: Steve with his yard manager Megan and his dog Nic

Join us Thursday, October 8th at 4:00 pm for a virtual annual update! We look forward to sharing some exciting information with everyone! Please register to attend at https://www.icfb.net/virtual-event.

#FarmerFriday Paul Cameron is a second-generation Imperial Valley farmer and rancher. Since 1996, he has been the owner of Paul Cameron Ranches, and the president of Mesquite Cattle Feeders. Today, both of Paul’s sons, Joe Dan and Sean, are working alongside him. Joe Dan manages Mesquite Cattle Feeders, which handles up to 40,000 head of cattle. Sean runs the farming operation at Paul Cameron Ranches; they grow a variety of crops including carrots, potatoes, sugar beets, alfa...lfa, Sudan grasses and durum wheat. Paul was born and raised in Brawley. He is a Brawley Union High School alumnus and attended Cal Poly San Luis Obispo where he graduated with a degree in farm and ranch management. Paul’s father, Dan, migrated from Nebraska to California and worked in the meat packing business in Los Angeles. He came to the Imperial Valley in late 1940s and started in the cattle feeding business. Paul values the advocacy that the Farm Bureau provides not only locally but also in Sacramento and Washington D.C. He served on the Imperial County Farm Bureau Board of Directors for six years. Pauls’ favorite ag related memory is getting two of his sons started in agriculture and the opportunity to work with them daily. Paul currently serves as a member of the Brawley High School FFA Advisory Board. He is the past Chairman of the Coalition of Ag, Labor and Business (COLAB), past Chairman of the California Cattlemen’s Association Feeder Council and Immediate Past Chairman of the Imperial Valley Community Foundation. The Cameron’s are big supports of DOVES, The Boy’s and Girl’s Club, and Sacred Heart Church. Pictured left to right: Sean Cameron, Paul Cameron, Joe Dan Cameron

#FarmerFriday Scott Howington is a third-generation Imperial Valley farmer. In 1995, Scott and his wife, Barbara opened Oasis Farming, Inc. near Holtville. They grow over 40 different types of winter vegetables on the 1,200-acre ranch. Scott grew up in Calipatria and attended Brawley Union High School. He went to Imperial Valley College before transferring to Cal Poly Pomona where he graduated with a degree in political science. Scott returned to the Imperial Valley after... college and worked for several farming entities before starting his own. Scott has been an Imperial County Farm Bureau member since 1995 and previously served on the Board of Directors. He values the diversity of the Farm Bureau members and the fellowship it brings. His favorite ag related memory and best life lesson were when he first started farming. He was supposed to plant rutabaga but planted turnips on accident. He had to break this mistake to the owner and his response was I guess I better find some turnip bags. He taught Scott not to waste a lot of time being angry about a mistake but rather spend your time fixing the problem. Scott is the current president of the Imperial Valley Vegetable Growers Association (IVVGA) and has been on the board for 4 years. He is a past member of the Holtville Athletic Club and used to sit on the El Centro Elementary School Board.

#FarmerFriday Gina Dockstader is a fourth generation Imperial Valley farmer. She is one of the owners of Doc’s Organics LLC, an organic citrus packing facility as well as P&T Enterprises, Doc’s Organics sister company, which is the growing side of the operation. Gina is also the owner of D&G Farms. She began her ag journey by working for her father, Rick Young, as his secretary and bookkeeper in 1996; She continues working in his office on Thursdays. She has also been the bo...okkeeper of her husband’s business, D&G Trucking LLC for more than 14 years. Gina was born and raised in the north end of the Imperial Valley. She grew up riding in the pickup with her dad while he checked fields, ran sprinkler crews, and checked on irrigators. On the weekends, she would ride with her grandpa checking fields, visiting his accountant and Alamo Chemical. She went to grade school in Niland and attended Calipatria High School. She graduated from Northern Arizona University with a degree in public relations, and a minor in both business management and Spanish. Gina values that the Farm Bureau fights for and supports farmers and keeps them current on legislative matters. Gina’s favorite ag-related memory was riding the bus to school in the country and thinking the guys checking sprinkler pipe in the fields were so lucky because it was so hot on the bus. Then later, much later, when she experienced walking in a field that had been recently irrigated hardly able to walk with heavy mud sticking everywhere, humid air, and feeling how hot and heavy those pipes were, she realized those guys checking sprinkler are not so lucky after all. Gina is the Treasurer for the California Women for Agriculture Imperial Valley chapter, she is on the Career and Technical Education Advisory Board for Calipatria High School, and a member of the Philanthropic Educational Organization (P.E.O.). She also attends Gateway Church in Brawley.