CATTLEMEN’S COLUMN FIRED UP ABOUT SERVING YOU
NEW OFFICER BRINGS UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE TO CCA’S LEADERSHIP TEAM by CCA Second Vice President Anthony Stornetta Hello, my name is Anthony Stornetta, I live in San Luis Obispo County, with the help of my wife Denise and our 12-year-old daughter Chiara we run cow/calf operations in San Luis Obispo and Monterey Counties. My family has been here on the Central Coast for five generations and my wife is a seventh generation farmer from the San Joaquin Valley. I have been involved with San Luis Obispo County Cattlemen’s Association for many years and been very fortunate to have had some great mentors and peers from the industry teach me so much along the way. It is this comradery and passion that drives our state producers to always do better. The producers that came before us have given so much to our local, state and national organizations, it is this servant leadership that has made our industry so successful. It is now time we carry the torch and work off of the foundation they have set for us. Because of this, a priority for me, and I know other CCA officers as well, is looking into succession planning and getting the next generation involved. We look forward to soliciting input from all of you on what you see as some of the priorities that can prepare us for the future. In addition to the above, membership is key and getting producers involved is paramount for sustainability of our industry and our legacy. There are a lot of producers in the state who are
10 California Cattleman February 2025
not members and we need to communicate to all of them, the benefits of being a member and get them involved. On a daily basis CCA staff is working with our legislature, and other stakeholders protecting producers from overreaching regulations, water restrictions, grazing, fire and assisting with countless pathways to market our product. As I write this column, I am watching the Palisades and Eaton Fire in Southern California destroy large landscapes and flatten entire cities. I also heard Governor Newsom say, “This happens a lot,” we should not be saying this and we should be working on every mitigation at our disposal to stop these disasters. Hopefully there will be opportunities in the near future where we can be part of discussions that identify some specific and achievable goals to minimize California’s destructive wildfires. I believe removing red tape for increased prescribed fire and cattle grazing across our diverse landscapes are some of those answers. Being proactive and preventing destruction ...CONTINUED ON PAGE 12