ANAHEIM — California Farm Bureau President Shannon Douglass delivered an optimistic address at the organization’s 107th Annual Meeting on Monday, confidently proclaiming a “tremendously bright future” for the state’s agricultural industry, despite the many challenges facing farmers and ranchers.

Douglass, a diversified farmer and rancher from Glenn County, credited the organization’s advocacy efforts and its principled stands for the positive outlook.

“Despite all the challenges we have in the world, all the challenges we have in agriculture, we still have a tremendously bright future,” Douglass said. “I believe that it’s because of Farm Bureau that the future of California agriculture looks bright.”

Workforce and policy wins

The president highlighted several key accomplishments from the past year, underscoring the Farm Bureau’s policy work in Sacramento. These achievements include successful efforts to reduce utility rates for agricultural operations, impact state laws related to farmland conservation, and influence legislation focused on protecting livestock from predators like coyotes.

Douglass, who was elected to lead the Farm Bureau in 2023, emphasized the impact of the organization’s collective voice, stating, “I think our voices were heard.”

Standing up for farmworkers

A significant focus of her address was the Farm Bureau’s decision to take a strong, principled stand in support of the farm workforce.

In a notable moment of bipartisan advocacy this August, Douglass coauthored an opinion piece in The New York Times alongside California Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas. The article called for the creation of a pathway to legal status for undocumented farmworkers.

Douglass explained the reasoning behind the push, noting it was important from both a business perspective and a “people perspective.”

“We simply talked about why this issue is important… and how we value and appreciate the people that work on our farms and are involved in our communities and our families,” she said. “We are going to continue fighting on the issue.”

Centuries of investment

The president also acknowledged the grassroots strength of the organization, celebrating the efforts of several county Farm Bureaus—including Lake, Nevada, Napa, Plumas-Sierra, San Francisco, Santa Cruz, and Solano—for successfully growing their membership this year.

She concluded by reflecting on the organization’s long history, which she believes provides a solid foundation for the future.

“We’ve got over 100 years of history—a whole century of work that’s been laid out before us,” Douglass said. “All that investment allows us to look ahead at a really bright future.”

Philanthropy initiative launched

The California Farm Bureau launched “Giving Back with Farm Bureau,” a new philanthropic initiative, in conjunction with the California YF&R State Conference.

The hands-on project united Farm Bureau members and event attendees in assembling 1,000 backpacks filled with school supplies, learning materials, and healthy snacks. The filled backpacks were donated to OC Fairgrounds: Centennial Farm for distribution to local children. The effort also doubled as a friendly competition, with attendees from different regions competing to assemble the backpacks.

“Supporting our communities has always been an important part of Farm Bureau’s mission,” said Douglass. “This effort reflects that commitment, helping ensure children have the tools they need to succeed in school.”

Partners of the philanthropic initiative included California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom, California Giant Berry Farms, California Grown, California Milk Advisory Board, California Walnut Board and Commission, Dairy Council of California, Farm Bureau Bank, Nationwide, OC Fairgrounds: Centennial Farm, SunSweet, and UnitedAg.

“Giving Back with Farm Bureau” complemented the meeting’s broader discussion on the importance of farming and ranching and sought to foster agricultural education by providing resources to local children.

Douglass and American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall highlighted the initiative’s impact and addressed key issues affecting farmers and ranchers, including immigration reform, managing regulatory costs, and growing the future leaders of agriculture.

“This (backpack donation effort) is a great example of our county Farm Bureaus giving back to their community,” Duvall said. “Growing a new generation that understands agriculture is very, very important because today, people want to know more about their food than ever before.”

Teaching children about where their food comes from, Duvall said, opens the door for future generations interested in 4-H and FFA and careers in agriculture.