ADVOCACY & ACTION
COVER STORY
Diane Friend Kings County FB
15
YEARS AS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: 1 year MAIN ISSUES/CHALLENGES: Water and high-speed rail. It is a continual battle to convince state legislators, government and agencies that agriculture is important to California’s economy and that hard working people and communities are affected by policies, regulations and laws they make. LEADERSHIP LESSON: A speaker told my Ag Leadership class, “Never lose the opportunity to say nothing, but always take the opportunity to make a point.” That advice has stuck with me for 28 years. Knowing when to listen and when it is important to speak up is the ultimate lesson in leadership. I find that the farmers I represent need a leader who can be their voice in critical debates or in times when the testimony could influence policy shifts. A recent statement I delivered to a water panel led to a personal invite to discuss details of the proposed state water bond with the author (a Southern California legislator). From our meeting, the “voice” of Kings County was heard and hopefully made an impact. IMPORTANT LEADERSHIP SKILLS: In my experience, the greatest leadership skill is the ability to connect with people. I spend a lot of time thinking about how I can make the work environment better for staff, how to thank someone in the community who has helped me or how to best inspire the board I serve. Without relationships and alliances, leadership is an empty exercise of power. HOW DID AG LEADERSHIP BENEFIT/ PREPARE YOU FOR THIS POSITION: As a young farmer at the time, Ag Leadership gave me permission to be myself and develop my own unique leadership skills. So many incidents, small and big, were life changing. Everyone comes to Ag Leadership with the desire and some natural ability to be a leader. For me, it was the validation that I could become a leader. It prepared me by providing a learning opportunity so that I could experiment and practice skills that I’d use throughout my career. Every time I speak in public, I remember Gene Rapp telling me to “just breath.” Still to this day, I take a deep breath and the words and thoughts just flow.
6 HORIZONS MAGAZINE SPRING 2014
Steve Pastor Riverside County FB
27
YEARS AS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: 13 (includes two years as executive director of Imperial County FB) MAIN ISSUES/CHALLENGES: Riverside County is one of the state’s fastest growing counties. To meet demand, prime farmland is still being bought by developers for future expansion. This is always a challenge. Water issues are at the top of the list. With the drought situation, groundwater is being used at an alarming rate. Other water issues include the use of recycled water and the formation of agricultural coalitions to help farmers comply with the Clean Water Act. LEADERSHIP LESSON: Riverside County has hundreds of acres of citrus trees. A local water agency began forcing growers to use recycled water on their trees. Growers contacted RCFB for help because they feared that the recycled water was detrimental to citrus trees. We began working with various water agencies and our board of supervisors through the county’s Water Task Force to resolve the problem. The task force hired irrigation experts from UC Davis to review the situation. Their findings confirmed the growers’ fears that recycled water, combined with the type of heavy-clay soil found in Riverside and the lack of rain, would be harmful to citrus trees in the long run. RCFB is working with the water agencies and growers to find a solution agreeable to all parties. IMPORTANT LEADERSHIP SKILLS: A county executive director must wear several hats and work with a wide variety of individuals and groups. Some people and organizations are very much against agriculture, while others are extremely friendly to farming and ranching. As a leader of a farming organization, one must understand where they’re coming from and learn to work with each with respect and appreciation. HOW DID AG LEADERSHIP BENEFIT/ PREPARE YOU FOR THIS POSITION: Ag Leadership taught me to look at both sides of any situation. Don’t always assume you have all the answers or your position is correct. Listen and understand the problem(s) before you come to a conclusion or make a judgment call. Ag Leadership was a great experience because it taught me self-confidence, especially with public speaking.
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Tricia Stever Blattler Tulare County FB
YEARS AS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: 7 (14 years total with CFBF) MAIN ISSUES/CHALLENGES: I think most all Farm Bureau executives encounter challenges with membership outreach and advocacy when the issues we are working on conflict with local politics or values. Water scarcity, environmental regulations, labor demands, land use decisions – they all impact farms and agribusinesses in different ways, and it is very difficult for Farm Bureau to be that ‘general’ agriculture organization that tries to be everyone’s advocate. LEADERSHIP LESSON: Tulare County Farm Bureau was approached by walnut growers about nut theft in 2012. The theft problems were rampant in nuts because they are shaken and may lie in the orchards for a day or more until they are swept up by machinery. With a largely unregulated cash buying market, it was hard for law enforcement to disrupt the thieves. We brought together our county’s agriculture commissioner, district attorney’s office, law enforcement and growers to address the problem and discuss solutions. As a result, we were able to revise our local ordinances to assist law enforcement in deterring nut theft. IMPORTANT LEADERSHIP SKILLS: Becoming an effective listener, and really listening and watching body language and nonverbal communication is so important in my job. Using interpersonal skills to open dialogue, develop constructive conversations, and move issues and projects forward is critical to my success. Conflict resolution, communication and negotiation skills are equally important in my work. HOW DID AG LEADERSHIP BENEFIT/ PREPARE YOU FOR THIS POSITION: Ag Leadership was one of those life changing experiences and a journey that has not ended for me. I was only 26 when I was accepted into Class 34. As a younger member of that class I benefited greatly from the exposure to my classmates and their life experiences both personally and professionally. Conflict resolution, international exposure to societal issues, and personal enrichment were all competency areas where I grew significantly. That, along with an amazing network of alumni, has made my experience priceless to me.