Marin County Farm Bureau is looking forward to hosting their BBQ fundraiser in conjunction with the Western Weekend Parade in Point Reyes Station on Sunday, June 2nd 2019. Lunch tickets can be purchased at the event. If you join Marin County Farm Bureau at the event, you will receive a free lunch. We hope to see many of our members there!  (Published in Sonoma-Marin Farm News April 2019). 

​Three Marin County Farm Bureau members attended the Issue Advisory Committee meetings and Leaders Conference in Sacramento on March 11-13. Sam Dolcini attended the animal husbandry, beef, and dairy issue committee meeting and Farm Bureau membership round table. Martin and Sally Pozzi attended the Leaders Conference and visited with elected officials Levine and McGuire. One of the Keynote speakers was Dr. Frank M. Mitloehner, Ph.D. of UC Davis who researches green house gas emissions and food production. Most recently famous for causing a retraction of the United Nations EAT-Lance report for fallacies about emissions caused by agriculture relative to other industries, Mitloehner is known for his research on debunking myths of livestock impact in greenhouse gas emissions. Mitloehner even tweeted to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s “Green New Deal,” and her team responded. For more information on net greenhouse gas emissions, Dr. Mitloehner’s research can be found at https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Frank_Mitloehner or find him on Twitter @GHGGuru (Greenhouse Gas Guru). (Published in Sonoma-Marin Farm News April 2019)

The State Young Farmers & Ranchers Meeting was held February 21-23 at the Double Tree in Rohnert Park where local YF&R members got to meet YF&R members from around the state, meet State YF&R committee members, attend policy and Farm Bureau workshops, and interact with CFBF staff and officers. The State Collegiate Discussion Meet competition was also held at this conference. Steven Pozzi, a Marin County Collegiate Farm Bureau member competed in the Collegiate Discussion Meet on behalf of Fresno State University. Collegiate competitors were from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and CSU Fresno. Pozzi placed in the Final Four of the competition, and Fresno State was the first place university. Topics that the collegiate members discussed included recruiting STEM majors to agriculture, information dissemination and farmers’ access to new technology, inclusivity in Farm Bureau, responsive business plans and value-added products, and increasing membership value for associate members. Keynote speakers at the conference included CFBF President Jamie Johansson, Past NCBA President Kevin Kester, and Ag Grad Recruiter Tim Hammerich. YF&R members also had the opportunity to tour agriculture operations in Sonoma County, the Petaluma tour included Petaluma Poultry, Double 8 Buffalo Dairy, and Neve Bros. Roses. The Sonoma Tour was at Novo Vines, Jacuzzi Winery, and Beltane Ranch; the Sebastopol tour was at Beretta Dairy, Spirit Works Distillery, and Dutton Ranch. The Young Farmers & Ranchers Program in Farm Bureau is open to Farm Bureau Members ages 18-35, members can get involved in Sonoma-Marin YF&R by attending their meetings or fundraisers. (Published in Sonoma-Marin Farm News April 2019)

MCFB Member Steven Pozzi and CA YF&R Chair Daniel Bays. Photo courtesy of CFBF Ag Alert. 

Any new Marin County Farm Bureau Members who join from the months of April through August will have five opportunities to win a $100 gift card. If you have a family member or friend who should be a Farm Bureau Member, please let them know that they could win some of their membership cost back! Marin County Farm Bureau aims to protect and represent the interests of agriculture in policy issues, locate resources for farmers and ranchers, and ensure the future of farming and ranching in Marin County.
 
A Marin County Farm Bureau Agricultural Membership is $160 annually. You can sign up for Farm Bureau membership online at www.cfbf.com (click on “Join”). You can also join Farm Bureau by contacting the Marin County Farm Bureau office at (415) 663-1231 or [email protected]. (Published in Sonoma-Marin Farm News April 2019)

​The Marin County Board of Supervisors approved an ordinance adopting amendments to Marin County Title 22 (Development Code) on Tuesday, March 12th 2019 that included new regulation regarding education tours in the ARP zone. Educational Tours were previously a Principally Permitted Use in Marin’s ARP-zone. Educational tours in the ARP-zone that take access from private roads that are shared by multiple properties will now require either a Conditional Use Permit or a Temporary Use Permit and will be limited to two tours per year. The Development Code update went through a workshop and a hearing at the Planning Commission before the Board of Supervisors. The ARP Zone is mixed residential and agriculture use, it is mostly in the Nicasio area. Meeting recordings, agendas, attachments, and minutes of the Board of Supervisors meeting where this issue was discussed can be accessed at www.marincounty.org under Board of Supervisors, Search or watch a meeting, Archive, 03/12/2019 meeting or on the Planning Commission Hearings page. Marin County Farm Bureau supports agriculture education tours and the benefits of having the public see agriculture operations and meet farmers, we are disappointed that there is any activity that hinders that process. (Published in Sonoma-Marin Farm News April 2019)

At the March Board Meeting, the Board of Directors voted in the leaders for the upcoming year. The President is Brian Dolcini, 1st Vice is Martin Pozzi, 2nd Vice is Jarrod Mendoza, Treasurer is Steve Mahrt, and Mike Lawson will serve as Secretary. Outgoing President Kevin Lunny will remain on the board with other board members, Sally Pozzi, Sam Dolcini, Ernest Spaletta, Dominic Grossi, Peter Martinelli, Rich Grossi, Jerry Corda, and John Taylor. (Published in Sonoma-Marin Farm News April 2019)