21160 Box Springs Road, Suite 102
Moreno Valley, CA 92557
(951) 684-6732
"The Voice for Farmers and Ranchers"

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Over 100 Years Strong


One hundred years ago, local farm leaders were shepherding a mass movement in Riverside County to form a Farm Bureau and obtain services of a farm advisor from the University of California. Their efforts culminated in the formation of Riverside County Farm Bureau and a commitment from the Board of Supervisors to fund an office that would become Riverside County Cooperative Extension.

The two organizations were created together because law provided for assignment of a farm advisor to a county only after one-fifth of the county farmers formed an organization - a Farm Bureau - that would make it possible for the farm advisor to meet with the farmers and provide them with information and training that he or she had to offer.

Frequent articles in local newspapers conveyed the excitement in the local farm communities as farmers formally formed 23 Farm Bureau centers, signed petitions requesting formation of the county organization and elected center directors to serve on a county board.

Prominent Highgrove citrus grower John L. Bishop accompanied University of California’s assistant state leader of farm advisors, Professor William B. Parker, on a tour of agricultural communities to speak to growers, to organize them into centers and then to organize the countywide Farm Bureau.

Center directors met on the morning of April 18, 1917, to present the petitions bearing more than 800 farmers’ names and to start the Riverside County Farm Bureau. That afternoon, they kept an appointment with the Board of Supervisors to obtain county funding for a farm advisor.

In those early days Riverside County Cooperative Extension and Riverside County Farm Bureau were a combined organization; today they are entirely separate entities but continue a close working relationship. ~ Written by Robert Eli Perkins.

The Riverside County Farm Bureau is a vital part of our community, providing an important voice for Riverside County agriculture as well as to the protection of our industry by continually being involved in legislative matters that affect our industry and the interest of property owners at the local, state and federal levels. Actively working on issues that affect everyone in Riverside County, such as Air Quality, Water Quality, TMDL, and Watershed planning, along with invasive species concerns and rural crime.

 

We often sponsor local teachers to attend the California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom events, as well as participating in the bidding process and purchasing of animals at Jr. Livestock Auctions during the Southern California Fair, Perris and Riverside County Fair & National Date Festival, Indio each year.

 

The Riverside County Farm Bureau helps ensure that the agriculture industry here remains viable, and continues to generate financial security for the entire community.


2023 - 2024

Riverside County Board of Directors

 

 

Officers


Richard Schmid as President

Andy Wilson as Vice President

Paul Cramer as Vice President

Ellen Way as Vice President


Corporate Secretary


Ellen Lloyd-Trover


Treasurer


Grant Chaffin

 

 

Board of Directors 


Dalton Abrams

Celeste Alonzo

Linden Anderson

Stephen J. Corona

Andy Domenigoni

Cindy Domenigoni

Dan Hollingsworth

Joyce Jong

Lauren Oostdam

Brad Scott

 

Executive Director


Rachael Johnson

 

Office Manager


Stephanie Bell




Riverside County Farm Bureau Voting Members

2023 - 2024 Nominating Committee 

Dan Hollingsworth, Chairman

Andy Domenigoni and Richard Schmid

In accordance with the bylaws of Riverside County Farm Bureau, election of officers and directors were held in a meeting of voting members at 4:00 pm on November 5, 2023, during the Annual Meeting. The Nominating Committee recommended the above Board of Directors for election for the 2023 - 2024 Membership year.