As with farming, an ending marks a new beginning, and this season is no different. At the membership BBQ I had the good fortune of being able to introduce to you our new manager Betty Walker. Since her arrival Betty has worked very hard at providing great service to our membership while managing our facilities in the county. She has my utmost gratitude for the job she has been doing. I would hope that all of you who have not had the opportunity to meet her will do so and welcome her into our organization.

The election year will be upon us soon and never before in recent history of these United States has the American farmer been under siege as now. Right here in our own county proposed budget cuts threaten the very existence of an organization (University of California Cooperative Extension) that has provided the much needed assistance that is required to keep farming viable in this county.

Our 4H groups would be decimated by these cuts severing a long held link between the kids who have a genuine interest in agriculture and the ability to replenish the farmers in this country who provide us the most secure food supply in the world. Efforts are being made through groups like your Farm Bureau and Cooperative Extension.

Deborah Spinola and Janet Caprile, with support from supervisor Mary Piepho, brought Contra Costa County back to the California State Fair after a five year absence. With just a few weeks to prepare and no funding they created an exhibit which showcased the true generosity of our county farmers. The county booth was awarded a silver ribbon with a combined judges score, just four points shy of gold. The proceeds won from this event will go toward keeping our farm programs viable. I applaud all of your efforts and a heartfelt thanks to all that helped and donated.

Elections are crucial. The people elected to serve their constituents have a powerful influence on the food choices we will be able to make in the future. Property rights, eminent domain, water rights, and open space are all issues that your Farm Bureau works on for you. Get involved. Let your friends know about Farm Bureau as those issues and so many more will affect them too.

When we all partake in the festivities of the upcoming season and sit down with family and friends at the dinner table pause and take a moment. Think about the individuals who provide such a bounty of choice, nutrition, and food freedom that no other nation on earth provides, because there is really only one group of people that we can say literally touch our heart everyday in the food that we eat. That is the American Farmer.

Ron Hunt Ranch in Truckee; Simoni and Massoni Farms in Brentwood; Wheatland Farm, LLC, in Concord; and Day Dream Arabians, Inc, in Danville were the recipients of this prestigious award. Congratulations to all of you for having a safe year!

Along with these honors their 2008 Devil?s Daughter White Wine captured Silver and their 2007 Pinot Noir wan Bronze.

The California State Fair Commercial Wine Competition is the oldest wine competition in North America.

During the students visit they break into small groups in order to move through stations. Volunteers teach them about crops in Contra Costa County, bee hives, how to make butter, they get to grind grain, plant a plant to take home, make Farm Charms to take home and lots more. There is a Watershed prototype to learn about the creeks and rivers and the importance of how pollution affects the environment. This Fall there has been four Farm Days and next Spring Farm Days have already been booked.

Farm Bureau's own, Harriet Zych, with the assistance of Marisa Neelom (Cooperative Extension) could not produce this without the help from so many volunteers. They would like to thank all of the many volunteers who so generously give of their time to teach students so much about Agriculture. They would like to name each one but there are way too many so a Huge Thank You from Harriet and Marisa.

Hats off to Mike Vukelich for all of his hard work and many donations. Also to his wonderful crew for their part...thank you Mike and crew!

Then on September 11th the annual Membership BBQ was held at the CCC Fairgrounds. Pat Hobbs did a fantastic job as chairwoman for the event. Eighty-five members and guests were served a wonderful meal of lamb and pork plus all the trimmings. Guests brought desserts to be auctioned off which raised almost $700 for the Ag in the Classroom Program. A special thanks to Pat Hobbs and her crew for all the time and hard work put into this event. A very special thank you to Jim and Eileen Hanson, HH Lambs of Clayton, for donating and cooking the lamb.

This past year, the Governor appointed a committee to study where to insert a siphon hole to bypass the Delta to send water to the Southland.

To keep an eye on what developed, the 5 Delta counties Contra Costa, Solano, Yolo, Sacramento, and San Joaquin formed our own group... The Delta Caucus.

In forming the group it became obvious that the Northern and Southern counties don't always see things as we do in the Delta. One thing we can agree on is the need for more water storage. That fact seems to be a tough sell when we have environmental groups lobbying to take down dams and open up natural tributaries.

There needs to be some common sense and balance brought into drought years, where people and food come before fish, while still preserving the Delta and sending water South.

The Caucus has decided to try to bring the state together and see if we can find a common ground to address just that. On Nov 3 &4 we hope to get representation from every county in the state to discuss the issues that relate to water in our respective county's.

I currently live in East County on an alfalfa ranch dabbled with a couple of horses. All four of my children grew up in the county and besides being involved in high school sports they were all active in 4-H, FFA and High School Rodeo.

My goal at the Farm Bureau is to work side by side with your wonderful Board of Directors to make sure that my grandchildren will have the same opportunity to experience the "Farm Life". I look forward to meeting more of the Farm Bureau Family and working on projects that will protect the Future of Agriculture as we know it today.

If you would like the opportunity to get more involved in securing your grandchildren's future, please call me at 672-5115 or email me at cccfb@sbcglobal.net.

After several years without Contra Costa participation, Farm Bureau member, Debra Spinola took up the challenge this year to coordinate the building of a Contra Costa County exhibit featuring local agriculture. She did it as a fund raising effort to support our County 4-H and Cooperative Extension Programs, which are still in jeopardy due to the County Budget crisis.

With just 2 short months and absolutely no funding Deb, with help from Farm Advisor Janet Caprile, pulled together a team of 9 volunteers who gathered donated materials from 44 local producers and businesses. The booth featured a charming Farm Stand and displayed the wide variety of crops grown and sold in the county. Our award winning wines and olive oils took center stage along with our Brentwood sweet corn and U-pick cherries. Historic fruit labels, canned and dried goods, nuts, honey, lavender, our wide variety if fruit and boxes and a barn backdrop (made if old apricot drying trays) rounded out the display.

4-H volunteers kept the booth well stocked with brochures and took home thousands of Harvest Time Maps and WineOh magazines.

Harriet Zych is pulling together volunteers to put on the Knightsen Dinner on Wed., 11/11/09 at 7pm.